GABRIEL KNIGHT 4: Resurrect the Shadowhunter is a petition targeted at Activision Blizzard, for a new chapter in the game trilogy.
The Gabriel Knight games need very little introduction.
The trilogy has been the subject of dozens of fan-made petitions for well over a decade, ever since the third installment of the series (Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned) was released in 1999 with an unresolved cliffhanger ending.
Tens of thousands of loyal fans have signed petitions, created amazing websites and campaigns, sent emails, and even mailed letters to Activision begging for a fourth chapter in the game series for a time that seems like an eternity. Game magazines, and other game studios have embraced the passion and shared their love and support towards these attempts, but so far to no avail.
Originally released by the legendary adventure game studio Sierra On-Line, the Gabriel Knight games came to a sudden halt when the studio shut down and the copyright of Gabriel Knight were sold to Vivendi (later acquired by Activision). The rise of first person shooter-games had begun, and pressure to create 3D graphic games might've been a factor in this.
Jane Jensen, the author and designer of all three GK-games has tried to acquire the rights of her beloved character Gabriel for a long time. In 2014, a 20th Anniversary Remaster (Phoenix Online) of the first Gabriel Knight adventure was released, in the hopes of revitalizing the series. Things did not go as planned, and soon enough the idea of continuing the saga was buried AGAIN.
As fans of Gabriel Knight Mysteries, we urge Activision Blizzard to please either produce a fourth Gabriel Knight game written by Jane Jensen, or transfer the character to Jane Jensen herself. As fans who've loved the games for decades, we feel there is no better time than right now. Let this petition serve as our heartfelt appeal for a completed Gabriel Knight saga, and our fight for what we believe in.
Activision, please let us have a proper ending to the story of Gabriel, the way Jane Jensen originally planned it*.
*In 2015, Jane Jensen created a graphic novel called "Temptation", which follows the events of Gabriel Knight 3, and provides some clues as to what is to come, should the fourth game be released. You can download the free PDF here. (Jane Jensen, Phoenix Online 2015).
Read more below... ABOUT GABRIEL KNIGHTVoiced by legendary actors Tim Curry (Gabriel), Mark Hamill (Mosley) and Leah Remini (Grace), the Gabriel Knight series' first installment Sins of the Fathers was released in 1993. It received multiple awards and praise by gaming magazines, and became an instant classic hit among mystery game fans. One of the first adventure games using horror as the main element of story-telling, the Knight saga surprised- and Jensen's unique style of writing captivated gamers all around the globe. The following games were as successful as the first, leading to awards, books and even influenced several Hollywood films. Gabriel Knight has been named the 16th best-selling adventure game ever released. Despite decades since the last installment, the game still has a cult following of fans.
While the 20th Anniversary Edition was a welcome surprise, it did not deliver what fans truly clamored for; a fourth chapter of the series. Thus sales did not match Activision’s expectations. Even so, fans donated nearly a half million dollars toward the remake's Kickstarter campaign in hopes of finally being able to live to see the day when Gabriel Knight 4 would not be a dream in the minds of millions, but reality.
THE TIME IS NOWIn the era of reboots, remasters and revival of old classics from films to PC games, it couldn't be a better time for a Gabriel Knight game. Adventure Games like Telltale's The Walking Dead, the super popular Life Is Strange from Square Enix, or the universally acclaimed Unavowed by Wadjet Eye Games have proven than you don't need the budget of an EA blockbuster to achieve successful storytelling and captivate the audience in a way that makes financial sense.
We've tried for decades, and Activision must be aware of the massive demand of this game. It's our greatest hope that our ever-burning passion and support of these games will lead to a day in our lifetimes where Gabriel Knight 4 is real.
FINANCINGShould Activision decide to release the rights of GK to its rightful owner, Jane Jensen, the fans would once again come together and finance the game. We strongly believe many other adventure game studios would also be more than glad to take part in production or financing of the game.
Should Activision decide to produce and distribute the game itself, financing could still partly be done via fan donations.
[Image copyright: Phoenix Online Studios, Activision][Text by original author with the help of Sean Parker]
