Ecstatica
News, coverage and analysis tracking Ecstatica across the outlets.
Latest coverage
"Every game is an archaeological expedition." How SNEG preserves gaming's fragile past
SNEG Games Co-Founder Artem Shchuiko discusses the complex process of preserving classic video games, likening it to digital archaeology. The company faces challenges ranging from securing rights from multiple parties and tracking down original developers to reverse-engineering obsolete source code and fixing compatibility issues for modern systems. SNEG aims to remove technical barriers while staying faithful to the original game's identity and spirit.
GOG veterans thank Microsoft and Windows 11 for finding "spectacular ways" to break classic games they're…
GOG's publishing technical manager, Michał Obuchowski, highlights how Windows 11's security changes, such as Administrator Protection and regressions in Directshow, are breaking classic PC games. He emphasizes the importance of DRM-free distribution and preservation initiatives as Microsoft's updates can render older titles unplayable.
Two utterly unique and long lost '90s PC horror classics have been exhumed, and they're coming to Steam soon
The '90s PC horror classics Ecstatica and Ecstatica 2, known for their unique ellipsoid-based 3D graphics, are being reissued and will be available on Steam and GOG later this year. Developed by Andrew Spencer and originally published by Psygnosis, these survival horror titles have been out of commercial circulation for decades. The reissues also include other SNEG titles like Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor and Dark Earth.
SNEG to bring 6 classic PC titles to Steam and GOG, including Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor and Warlords IV: Heroes of Etheria
Publisher SNEG is bringing six classic PC titles to Steam and GOG, including Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor, Warlords IV: Heroes of Etheria, Soldiers at War, Dark Earth, Ecstatica, and Ecstatica 2. This initiative aims to preserve and re-release older games for modern audiences, coinciding with a SNEG Publisher Sale on Steam.
DLSS 5 isn't the first time the future of videogame graphics looked like total balls
This article explores the history of 3D graphics rendering, focusing on Andrew Spencer Studio's innovative but ultimately unsuccessful use of ellipsoids instead of polygons in games like Ecstatica and the unreleased Urban Decay. While the technology offered potential for more organic character models and smoother animation, it was ultimately superseded by hardware-accelerated polygon rendering, highlighting that not all technological advancements represent linear progress.
