The producer of the original System Shock is onboard for System Shock 3

System Shock 3 developer OtherSide has a new studio director, and it's none other than Warren Spector. If the name doesn't ring a bell, perhaps the series he's been involved with over the years will: Ultima, Deus Ex, Thief, and the original System Shock to name a few.

Before today's news, things had been relatively quiet for Spector. The developer, known for championing player choices that left lasting impact on the game world, retired from active development in 2013 - he went on to teach game design at the University of Texas. That year, Disney closed down Junction Point Studios, where Spector worked on the Epic Mickey games.

Murderous artificial intelligence SHODAN won't be the only familiar face at Spector's new job. OtherSide is composed mainly of former colleagues, including studio founder Paul Neurath (who also cofounded Looking Glass, the studio behind Thief and System Shock). OtherSide is also in the midst of developing an Ultima Underworld successor, the Kickstarter-funded Underworld Ascendant.

"When the opportunity to have a bigger role in bringing Underworld Ascendant to life, as well as playing in the System Shock universe once again, helping to bring these games to a 21st century audience, I just couldn’t say no," Spector said in a press release. "Working on System Shock was one of the most fulfilling things I’ve done in my career and it’s hard to describe how much I’m looking forward to sharing with players what SHODAN has been up to since the last game was released."

Seen something newsworthy? Tell us!