Bringing Back the Lost: Why Nightdive Studios Remastered Killing Time

For fans of classic and indie games, Nightdive Studios is a breath of fresh air. Their mission? Unearthing forgotten gems and giving them a new lease on life. Recently, they teamed up with Ziggurat Interactive to resurrect Killing Time, a cult classic from the 3DO era, for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

But why remaster a game that wasn’t a blockbuster hit? Here’s the story:

Beyond Popularity: Preserving Gaming History

While Killing Time may not have the mainstream recognition of DOOM, it holds a special place in the hearts of many. More importantly, remasters like this play a crucial role in video game preservation.

“Remakes and remasters are vital for keeping games alive, especially for console players,” says Nightdive’s Larry Kuperman. With 87% of classic US video games critically endangered, these projects ensure these titles don’t become unplayable or disappear altogether.

Passion Projects and Lost Media

Many Nightdive remasters, like System Shock, are born from pure passion. Founder Stephen Kick simply wanted to revisit his childhood favorites. With dwindling support for older titles and rising used game prices, replaying these classics becomes increasingly difficult.

This has a ripple effect: losing these games not only means losing a work of art, but also losing a crucial piece of gaming history. “Today’s AAA titles evolved from mechanics used in these classics,” explains Kuperman. “Preservation lets us see that evolution firsthand, and have fun while doing it.”

A Window into the Past: The Case of Killing Time

Killing Time, in particular, reflects a specific era in game development, a time when artistic styles and creation methods were still blossoming. “Even the use of live-action videos and real props makes it special for its time,” says Nightdive’s Seth Groom.

Ziggurat’s Alex Lodz echoes this sentiment. He emphasizes the importance of preserving games like Killing Time because they showcase the original developer’s creativity and willingness to take risks.

Preservation Beyond Remasters

So, are re-releases, remasters, and remakes truly effective preservation methods? While some argue that remasters alter the original experience, companies like Nightdive address this by including both the original version and a “Vault” with historical content.

“The Vault lets players peek into the game’s development process,” explains James Haley, Lead Developer at Nightdive.

Breathing New Life: Accessibility and Playability

Remakes and remasters not only preserve but also expand a game’s audience. This can be done by simply making the game available on modern platforms or by adding accessibility features.

“Modernizing controls is crucial for making these games accessible,” says Groom. “Not everyone can access older technology.” Killing Time: Resurrected tackles this with an improved control scheme.

A Cohesive Experience: From Archives to Xbox

Nightdive’s passion, combined with Ziggurat’s resources, allowed Killing Time: Resurrected to incorporate elements from both the 3DO and PC versions. “Ziggurat provided complete development archives for the 3DO version, which was vital for creating high-resolution sprites,” explains Haley.

Killing Time Has Never Been Better!

Whether you’re revisiting a childhood favorite, discovering a classic, or simply supporting game preservation, Killing Time: Resurrected is worth your time. Grab it now for Xbox One and Series X|S!

Sources: Techcommunity.microsoft.com, Wikipedia, Undercode Ai & Community, Internet Archive, Code Connectors
Image Source: OpenAI, Undercode AI DI v2