OtherSide Entertainment

OtherSide Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 2013 by Looking Glass Studios co-founder Paul Neurath. In June 2016, the company opened a second studio in Austin, Texas, led by Warren Spector. OtherSide developed Underworld Ascendant (2018), a spiritual successor to Looking Glass's Ultima Underworld series, and is developing System Shock 3.

OtherSide Entertainment, Inc.
FormerlyCerulean Sky Productions, Inc. (2013–2014)
TypePrivate
IndustryVideo games
Founded2013 (2013)
FounderPaul Neurath
Headquarters
Boston, Massachusetts
,
U.S.
Number of locations
2 studios (2016)
Key people
Websiteotherside-e.com

History

Prior to OtherSide, Paul Neurath had been a video game designer for Origin Systems and in 1990 founded Blue Sky Productions, which would later become Looking Glass Studios. Looking Glass developed numerous games that are considered highly influential on computer gaming, including System Shock and its sequel, the Ultima Underworld series, and the Thief series. Neurath had been the principal designer for the Ultima Underworld series. Following the closure of Looking Glass in 2000 and later the Boston offices of Zynga in 2012, Neurath opted to found OtherSide Entertainment (originally named Cerulean Sky Productions) in 2013, to bring the Underworld series to modern gaming.[1][2] The studio includes many former Looking Glass developers, including Nate Wells and Tim Stellmach.[3] The studio name "OtherSide" is a play on the name "Looking Glass".[4]

In February 2016, Warren Spector joined OtherSide as its studio director.[5] Spector had been advising the studio since its creation, and stated that he would establish and lead an Austin, Texas, studio for OtherSide by June that year.[6]

Games

OtherSide was founded initially to create a sequel to Ultima Underworld, titled Underworld Ascendant. Neurath, as the designer for Ultima Underworld, wanted to bring back the Underworld franchise, "making it more vital than ever before".[7]

In December 2015, OtherSide announced that it was also working on System Shock 3, to be published by Starbreeze Studios, who had been able to acquire the rights for the franchise, with the option for OtherSide to produce more games in the franchise.[8] However, in February 2019 due to financial troubles the company was experiencing, Starbreeze sold back the distribution rights to OtherSide and dropped out of the System Shock 3 project.[9]

Year Title Platform(s) Publisher(s)
2016 Underworld Overlord Android OtherSide Entertainment
2018 Underworld Ascendant Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows 505 Games
TBA System Shock 3 TBA TBA

References
  1. Makuch, Eddie (July 1, 2014). "New Underworld Game in the Works for PC, Dev Promises Not to "Mess With" Original Formula". GameSpot. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  2. Hester, Blake (April 13, 2016). "Watch First Trailer for Warren Spector's 'Underworld Ascendant'". Variety. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  3. Smith, Adam (February 10, 2015). "Beyond Looking Glass: Underworld Ascendant Interview". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  4. Peckham, Matt (July 1, 2014). "There's a New Underworld Game in Town, but It's Not an Ultima". Time. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  5. Smith, Adam (February 17, 2016). "Warren Spector Working On System Shock 3". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  6. Sarkar, Samit (February 17, 2016). "Warren Spector joins OtherSide Entertainment for Underworld Ascendant, System Shock 3". Polygon. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  7. Takahashi, Dean (July 1, 2014). "Paul Neurath's OtherSide Entertainment game studio revives the Underworld franchise — without the Ultima name". VentureBeat. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  8. Frank, Allegra (December 14, 2015). "System Shock 3 is officially happening". Polygon. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  9. Tarason, Dominic (February 11, 2019). "System Shock 3 returns to OtherSide after Starbreeze sell publishing rights". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
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