Project Diary

Date of Release : Monday, June 08, 1998
Hey, we're back. As Dorian would say when he writes this thing, Tim was on vacation last week. Soon I'll get around to our backlog of reader feedback mail.

We got our E3 demo done in time to put Doug and Greg on a plane, but without much time to spare. So we all got a good night's sleep, then Tom, Dorian, Chris and I marched right back into work to polish up everything that Greg and Doug were pointing out from the show floor. Such is the measure of our devotion.


I suppose it worked, too, because we got some really positive reactions at the show. We had several machines running, at least one of which was set up for random walk-ins to play, and people seemed to enjoy the game. Chuck Miller, writing for ogr, gave us a nod in his picks for E3's hottest titles.

The real buzz at E3, however, was generated by our announcement of System Shock 2! Anyone remember on the Frequently Asked Questions page where I said "If we were to do, for example, System Shock 2, it would have to be a deal with (Electronic Arts)?" Well, we made a deal with Electronic Arts. I don't need to say too much about that here, since soon enough (I'm told) System Shock 2 will have its own web presence here where you'll be able to learn much, much
more. To answer one question I saw being asked about on the net, though: yes, System Shock 2 will be using an updated version of our own "Dark Engine." Those advances are being worked on right now, and since some of them may be things we can use for Thief, we're especially happy to
have another Dark Engine game in production.

In unrelated news, be sure to pick up the July issue of Computer Games Strategy Plus, which
features an excellent preview of Thief. We're fond of journalists who highlight the gameplay and engine features we can't really show you with a screenshot, like our realistic physics, acoustics, and AI. Read and enjoy. -Tim