Nightdive Studios Trademarks PowerSlave, Hinting at a Potential Remaster

Nightdive Studios – the team currently working on the System Shock Remake – has filed new trademarks for PowerSlave/Exhumed, potentially hitting at a remaster of the classic game.

PowerSlave – known as Exhumed in Europe – is a first-person shooter developed by Lobotomy Software and published by Playmates Interactive Entertainment. It first arrived on the scene all way the back in 1996 via the Sega Saturn and MS-DOS, before coming to the PlayStation in 1997.

Then in May 2015, PowerSlave EX, an unofficial remake based on the PlayStation version released on PC for free, but has since been removed.

The rights of the IP now belong to the aforementioned Nightdive Studios, who apparently is planning to do something with it, at least if the recent trademark filings are anything to go by. How trademark law works, is that you have a certain amount of extensions before a statement of use has to be submitted, otherwise the trademark is automatically abandoned. So presumably, depending on what trademark application number Nightdive Studios is on, it will have to provide a statement of use soon, which could mean a remaster or something PowerSlave-related in the near future.

For those who don't know anything about the 90's game, PowerSlave is set in and around the ancient Egyptian city of Karnak (in the late 20th century), which has been seized by unknown forces. As a result, a special crack team of hardened soldiers are sent to the valley of Karnak to unearth what the heck is going on. However, while on route there, the player's helicopter is shot down, and the player barely escapes with their life. The player's job now: save Karnak and the world. Classic video game stuff.

In Karnak the player will find hordes of extraterrestrial insectiod beings known as the Kilmmat, as well as a variety of other enemies, including scorpions, mummies, and evil spirits.

During their journey, the player is directed by the spirit and narration of King Ramses, whose mummy was exhumed from its tomb by the evil forces who seek to resurrect him and use his powers to conquer the world. Again, classic video game stuff.

Whether we will see a PowerSlave re-release, remaster, remake, or a new game in the series, anytime soon (if ever) remains to be seen. But the chance is at least in play with these new trademark filings.

Thanks, DSO Gaming.