Arcanum Remake or remaster

[Glintbeastwood]

Really can't help thinking this old classic game from 2001 really badly needs a remake or remaster with better grafix and stuff including making it work a heck of a lot better on windows 10 and abuv.

[Pixel Peeper]

I think Arcanum is Microsoft's IP right now. They also own companies at which former Troika creators now work, so there could be something there, but... I wouldn't get my hopes up.

Hard to guess if they'd ever decide to do anything with the IP. Even if they did do something, it wouldn't necessarily just be a nice remaster with a few bug/balance fixes. They could decide to give it to Bethesda to make it into a super buggy 3D game or something.

But most likely they'll just sit on it.

[Sephiroth]

omg Hell ya this games setting and fantasy are amazing. Loved it.

It clearly could have been put together better back then. But I was still enjoying it either way.

Would kill for a remake or a Arcanum 2.

[mousegnaw]

Neither Bethesda nor Microsoft nor most any large game company
could stomach even the character creation screen.
Choosing between male and female would stall them;
the idea that women have one point less Strength than men
would utterly derail the whole development team.
I would like a nice re-make very much,
but we must wait until the corporate culture returns to sanity.

[dbdk422a]

Yeah, the game is not "new normal" enough. A remaster would be banned on all platforms.

[Pixel Peeper]

Males and females having different stats is not quite in line with current development choices, so females having -1 Strength and +1 Endurance would make a few eyes roll but would be acceptable (people would know it's a remaster of a 2001 game).

Half-Ogre Island would probably be a big problem, though. Both for how horrific that content is, but also because some people have accused the developers of making Gnomes "Fantasy Jews".

[Chronocide]

Originally posted by Glintbeastwood:

Really can't help thinking this old classic game from 2001 really badly needs a remake or remaster with better grafix and stuff including making it work a heck of a lot better on windows 10 and abuv.

There's some good patches/mods out there to make it work just fine.

But aside from the specific story, what IP is actually in this game? Isn't it almost 100% non-copyright-able generic fantasy?

I feel like there's not a whole lot of money to be made on this title. With no effort on their behalf, it sells for $5.99 when it isn't on sale. That's a lot of money when you think about the effort expended.

How much more could it sell for with a remastered copy? I'd have paid $10 when I didn't own a copy, but I'm not sure I'd even pay for a remastered one, now.

And how many copies would actually sell?

Meanwhile, how much are you paying folks to remaster it? And how much will steam or advertising cut into your profits?

[Chronocide]

Translated versions would be nice, to widen the target audience, but this one also seems like a hard one to translate. Lots of dialogue.

Also, if you didn't know, your character's name has something to do with the RNG mechanic for treasure chests and such in game (if you keep using the same name and creation options, the chests will be the same every time). So non-english letter names would require further programming.

Way easier to make a fresh game.

[Cyberpunk3077]

Here is one version of what it could be Arcanum 2 , Вот одна из версий какая может быть Arcanum 2 https://www.artstation.com/artwork/rJeaPe . For now, it would be possible to sponsor a fan version with a slightly changed name and style so that the game would not be blocked due to copyright issues , or write to Microsoft to gather those who want to start developing a remake and remaster of the game, they will gather 3-5 million people who want to release the game with improved graphics, just the same essence, and they would not refuse the benefits of the game buyers.

[Chronocide]

Originally posted by Cyberpunk3077:

Here is one version of what it could be Arcanum 2 , Вот одна из версий какая может быть Arcanum 2 https://www.artstation.com/artwork/rJeaPe . For now, it would be possible to sponsor a fan version with a slightly changed name and style so that the game would not be blocked due to copyright issues , or write to Microsoft to gather those who want to start developing a remake and remaster of the game, they will gather 3-5 million people who want to release the game with improved graphics, just the same essence, and they would not refuse the benefits of the game buyers.

Saw that one, and it's neat, but any company making this will have the focus of making money. So how do you monotize it?

Almost nothing in the setting is unique. Dragons and steam constructs and undead and orcs and elves and earl grey tea....it's all public domain. You could sell t-shirts and posters with in-game art, sure, but that's about it.

Even the name of the game, Arcanum, is in the dictionary: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arcanum

And the same name was recently used by some other game on steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2498460/Arcanum/

I love arcanum, but I don't see how you sell it. Just make a fresh game that's really similar and call it your own.

[Sleepy]

Get the Troika boys back together to make something new. I'd be happy with that. Those guys had magic.

[󠀡󠀡󠀡󠀡󠀡󠀡]

Originally posted by Chronocide:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2498460/Arcanum/

Oh my, look at that. Arcanum: Of Fake Scares and Streamerbait Obscura

The sequel we deserve.

[RamiroRa]

You and me and the entire forum. But it ain't easy task, Arcanum players have long expectations and games like Baldur's Gate 3 only raise them up.

[jbhtrue]

A remake/remaster would be great, if they kept the heart of the game intact. Really enjoyed this one back in the day, but the constant crashes and bugs kept me from ever completing it. Did they ever fix those?

[Pixel Peeper]

Originally posted by jbhtrue:

A remake/remaster would be great, if they kept the heart of the game intact. Really enjoyed this one back in the day, but the constant crashes and bugs kept me from ever completing it. Did they ever fix those?

Never officially. That's why everyone uses the UAP 2.02.

[Worthless Mutt]

Tim Cain's been talking about it recently...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgn2sQ4vAkU