I hate to be that guy, but I can live with that if it comes to it.
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Obsidian Entertainment no longer working on Armored Warfare (also more layoffs?)
- Thread starter TacticalHotdog
- Start date
I hate to be that guy, but I can live with that if it comes to it.
SpiceMelange
Member
This isn't Fargus's first rodeo
Does Warner publish Original IPs? I can't help but feel Obsidian would be stuck in "Witcher-like" Middle Earth hell for a decade.
Obsidian potentially having access to Tolkien and Mad Max would be pretty sweet.
Oh yeah there are definitely possibilities there. I like it.
Dying Light
Maybe they would let them do their own thing, but ME is more likely. Still, there's room for creativity in ME.
disappeared
Banned
Yeah they've been through some tough shit for almost two decades now. They'll pull through.
I want to say that's only because Dead Island was a proven success but you got a point there.
I just checked and one of them is developing a Cars 3 tie-in game and another is a mobile developer. I'm not sure if they're looking for "big'" studios at the moment.
Obsidian is anathema to CDPR's publishing strategy tho. Their gig is that they reap the rewards of making AAA level games in Poland on the cheap and export it to bigger markets for massive profit vs what someone like 2K gets making games in California. Unless they go on a massive expansion, I don't see them pumping out money for a hugely expensive studio in Cali like obsidian.
The belief is based on recent statements and reports that the company recognises their current slate of studios isn't enough for consistent meaningful releases and is keeping their eyes open for potential acquisitions. It's somewhat conjecture but there aren't many other conclusions to reach.
Lord of Castamere
Member
There are worse fates, aren't there? I mean sure they'd be making licensed games, but it seems like WB is giving their studios a lot if freedom to make the best game possible, and the game they want to make, within the licensed criteria. Even to WBs detriment, as we saw with Suicide Squad languishing in hell and then getting cancelled. Plus they have so many ips to work on.
Obsidian can make that Harry Potter RPG that no one ever knew they wanted.
Yes! Yes I would buy that.
Shpeshal Nick
aka Collingwood
Man. Obsidian has seen some shit.
I guess but it would be a shame to see things like Sawyer's historical turn based RPG disappear.
Not to mention some of Obsidian's best work was licensed to begin with, so they could easily do good work even if WB had them stick to licensed stuff.
I hope they find their way to economic stability. They've made some of the best games in the RPG genre, both at Obsidian proper, and at Black Isle and Troika, from which a lot of their employees come from.
The struggle to remain independent has no doubt been very difficult for them, but as history has shown, they wouldn't be able to make the games they do without that independence (see BioWare). Paradox is perhaps one of the only publishers of whom may be a good fit, but if they can remain independent, that's the better option.
For anyone who isn't aware, the fig campaign for Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is ongoing.
The struggle to remain independent has no doubt been very difficult for them, but as history has shown, they wouldn't be able to make the games they do without that independence (see BioWare). Paradox is perhaps one of the only publishers of whom may be a good fit, but if they can remain independent, that's the better option.
For anyone who isn't aware, the fig campaign for Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is ongoing.
Come on, you all know the secret Bugs Bunny RPG is the real ace in the hole Obsidian has been waiting their entire lives to make!
I didn't know that. I guess Obsidian being picked up could be a possibility.
I am not surprised. Obsidian always seems to be living from paycheck to paycheck. Hopefully they pull through, but my guess is that will either come at the cost of being bought or becoming a much smaller company. Either way I just hope we don't lose another legendary RPG developer.
At this point I'd argue Obsidian might be more to blame. If the shoe fits.
Dishonored 2 didn't do as hot as they wanted, so I would imagine Harvey Smith would be getting a call much earlier than Feargus would in that scenario.
disappeared
Banned
They're like the textbook-definition of "starving artist" at this point. Wouldn't be surprised if their studio is filled with cockroaches and still has those old gasline heaters underneath the windows.
I don't think Zenimax want to work with outside studios these days. Maybe they'd acquire Obsidian, but I can't really see that happening. I guess they have just got a big cash injection.
I know people here won't like that opinion, but I think Zenimax would absolutely be the best case scenario for them.
This is going to sound morbid and I hate saying it, but this Armored Warfare thing + the layoffs seem like good timing if Zenimax wanted to buy them. They could probably get the studio for peanuts atm, plus with the added cash from the Facebook thing it might as well be a write off to go ahead and pick them up right now.
I think they probably won't because they probably want to consolidate a little atm given how rapidly they've expanded here lately, and adding another AAA studio, one situated in Cali of all places probably doesn't sound that attractive in the long term.
It's funny, Obsidian wasn't on my radar at all until the post-Pillars period, so in my mind they're a 50-75 person isometric isometric RPG developer that happens to share an office with 200 people working on a tank MMO. So personally them going small would not feel like a big loss to me.
I think Tim Cain is supposed to be working on something bigger budget -- I wonder if that project can absorb some of the Armored Warfare team? Though it's also possible that the loss of AW will jeopardize that project.
I think Tim Cain is supposed to be working on something bigger budget -- I wonder if that project can absorb some of the Armored Warfare team? Though it's also possible that the loss of AW will jeopardize that project.
Feargus Urquhart was on IGN Unfiltered last month and he mentioned that Square-Enix originally approached Obsidian to do Deus Ex Human revolution 2
Sounds like some Square-Enix games didn't sell so well so they changed their mind because the Deus Ex team needed something to work on.
A similar situation happened with Ubisoft choosing to have the South Park sequel done internally (they never even contacted Obsidian).
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Damnit. I hope they emerge okay and everyone they let go can land on their feet
Lord of Castamere
Member
Wouldn't have mattered. They became deathly afraid of next gen flopping, and were trying to transition their franchises into mmos anyway.
It would have probably been cancelled, or shoved out the door like Thief. Not that that's abnormal for Obsidian.
Good news? Relatively? Maybe?
https://www.reddit.com/r/ArmoredWarfare/comments/5thjdv/armored_warfare_what_went_wrong/ddmm0lr/
Same source as that in the OP.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ArmoredWarfare/comments/5thjdv/armored_warfare_what_went_wrong/ddmm0lr/
Same source as that in the OP.
Goddammit.
Maybe now that SE have no studios to work on Deus Ex (since signing on to do Avengers), Obsidian could be a good fit for a new one, but I kind of think SE want to give it a rest given that Mankind Divided didn't light up the sales charts.
Then they'd be making shallow mainstream RPGs. All the while the talent begins a mass exodus from the company. You only have to look into history.
That's encouraging. Sounds like this won't negatively impact their other current projects.
decoyplatypus
Member
I know Obsidian wants to work on AAA games, but if they plan to stay independent (and maybe they don't), I think their best bet is to give up the ghost and slim down to ~80 people who can reliably turn out high-quality games for the mid-to-low budget CRPG market. Hell, they don't even all have to be CRPGs. But if Obsidian can keep creating original IPs (not an option at the AAA level), they may strike gold at some point with the kind of breakout hit you can grow the studio off of.
There was also a Wheel of Time game that never came to be among other projects. They have a history of projects being canned unfortunately. Crowdfunding brought them back to the games fans enjoyed from them but I'm not sure that is viable for moderately big development teams. We should be thanking the investors making these projects possible.
Forsaken82
Member
They suffer the same growing pains that other studios do, but I would hardly say they have zero luck...
In the last 5 years, they have arguably had the biggest creative output that the studio has had in there almost 15 years of development. That's not something you can do as an unlucky independent studio.
IMO, Obsidian is one of the strongest independent studios currently around. Layoffs sadly happen, especially when you take on the projects that Obsidian typically takes on to stay in business (i.e. Armored Warfare, Skyforge and Pathfinder Adventures) meanwhile, over the last 5 years they have been able to flex their creative muscles with South Park, PoE (and it's forthcoming sequel) and Tyranny. That's not the output of an unlucky studio. IMO it's just par for the course in this industry.
water_wendi
Water is not wet!
Yeah its important to remember that. Obsidian gets screwed because thats what happens to the smaller fish everywhere. i would up my pledge for Pillars 2 but im already going in at the highest that i can reasonably afford.
The fact that we still have Obsidian around is kind of a miracle, considering their luck with cancelled projects. Tyranny was an absolute joy to play and I already pledged to Pillars 2 -- I hope they can continue to put out that kind of content.
Also, as an aside, Avellone is clearly still really invested in the company despite his falling out with the management team. Here is hoping they can resolve their differences and work together again.
Also, as an aside, Avellone is clearly still really invested in the company despite his falling out with the management team. Here is hoping they can resolve their differences and work together again.
Basileus777
Member
What's this mass of talent that would leave but didn't when most of the company was working on a Russian tank MMO?
The talent working on other projects and/or hoping to work on other projects in the future? A big publisher would be unlikely to let them work on projects like Pillars or Tyranny, even on the side.
The Last Wizard
Member
Why can't obsidian catch a break