Night Dive Studios worked with Kick's former SOE colleagues and GOG.com on updates and further bugs fixes. Kick was unsuccessful in contacting the developer but still used the patch as the new version's groundwork, asserting that it was the IP holder's legal right to use it. Īround the time of the company's foundation, a French developer known as Le Corbeau released a patch for System Shock 2 that allowed it to run on modern computers. Night Dive Studios was initially located in Portland, Oregon, later moving to nearby Vancouver, Washington. The company name was inspired by their shared passion for diving, especially night diving, and Kick specifically recalled one night dive he had experienced in the Great Barrier Reef. Kick assumed the role of chief executive officer (CEO), while Banegas became the chief financial officer. Subsequently, Kick and Banegas founded Night Dive Studios on November 7, 2012. He raised money from his friends and family to pay the license fee for System Shock 2 and establish a company. Arriving in New Mexico, Kick began phoning with Star Insurance Company's legal counsel and eventually reached a deal. The insurer was fond of this idea, so Kick and Banegas, who had then almost reached the Panama Canal, returned to the United States. He argued that the game was highly sought after, as over 34,000 people had placed it onto their GOG.com wishlists, and that a re-release would be profitable. Kick pitched the idea of updating System Shock 2 for modern platforms and re-releasing it via digital distribution services, including GOG.com and Steam. Star Insurance Company had recently acquired the System Shock trademark from Electronic Arts but was wary of producing a new entry in the series given the high cost associated with such a production. To his surprise, the company's legal counsel responded within a few days, asking Kick what he was planning to do with the IP. Starting in October 2012, Kick sent various emails to Star Insurance Company to inquire about the status of the series' intellectual property (IP).
The rights to the System Shock franchise had been acquired from its defunct developer, Looking Glass Studios, by Star Insurance Company (a subsidiary of Meadowbrook Insurance Group), while the trademark was retained by the game's publisher, Electronic Arts. Kick looked for fan-made patches for the game and tried purchasing an updated version via GOG.com to no avail, and he discovered that there no longer was a legal way to obtain the game. While staying in a hostel in Guatemala, he wished to play the 1999 game System Shock 2 but found that the CD-ROM version he had brought no longer worked on his netbook. To pass the time during this trip, Kick brought a netbook and several classic video games to play. After also quitting his job, he and Banegas, then his fiancée, commenced a nine-month-long road trip from San Diego through Mexico and Central America. While Banegas had left the company earlier to establish a plushie business, Kick remained in his position until 2012. Kick was with Sony for three years, working on Free Realms and PlanetSide 2. Nightdive Studios was founded by Stephen Kick and his wife, Alix Kick ( née Banegas), both former character artists at Sony Online Entertainment (SOE). History Founding and System Shock 2 (2012–2013) The company was acquired by Atari SA in May 2023.
He successfully negotiated with the rightsholder Star Insurance Company, which had acquired System Shock and other assets from the defunct developer Looking Glass Studios, and Nightdive Studios released the game via GOG.com in February 2013. Nightdive Studios was founded in November 2012 by Stephen and Alix Kick, former video game artists for Sony Online Entertainment, after Stephen Kick found himself unable to purchase the 1999 game System Shock 2. The company is known for obtaining rights to abandonware video games, updating them for compatibility with modern platforms, and re-releasing them via digital distribution services, supporting preservation of older games. ( trade name: Nightdive Studios) is an American video game developer based in Vancouver, Washington.