Pewpewlazors99
Member
As long as they aren't puchased by EA, Activision, or Nintendo I'm happy.
I know we've had our differences with Dragon Age: Inquisition, but by following the BioWare route, they'd be sacrificing everything that made RPG enthusiasts hold their games in such high regard. Going from Baldur's Gate 2 to Dragon Age: Inquisition isn't the kind of change I'm looking for in Obsidian.
Bethesda is good candidate.
I feel that would have happened by now if it was going to.
Bethesda bought Arkane, Tango, id, and machinegames, and they even got into a bidding war over Relic with Sega. Feargus has also made it clear that he always intended to get bought at some point, but Obsidian hasn't been purchased by Bethesda despite making a major hit title for the company.
That kind of says it all, no?
I feel that would have happened by now if it was going to.
Bethesda bought Arkane, Tango, id, and machinegames, and they even got into a bidding war over Relic with Sega. Feargus has also made it clear that he always intended to get bought at some point, but Obsidian hasn't been purchased by Bethesda despite making a major hit title for the company.
That kind of says it all, no?
"And it'll be PC only, because Avellone is "tired of designing content and interactions that caters to consoles and console controllers."
"Those limitations affect RPG mechanics and content more than players may realize (especially for players who've never played a PC RPG and realize what's been lost over the years), and often doesn't add to the RPG experience," - source
Well, Bethesda wouldn't purchase them anyway, they don't have that power. It would be ZeniMax. I know quite a few people that have worked at either ZeniMax or Obsidian over the years and that there is a lot of bad blood between ZeniMax and Obsidian over New Vegas.
You also have to consider that if ZeniMax were to purchase Obsidian they really aren't getting anything. Bethesda already makes RPGs. Every other purchase ZeniMax has made has been to strengthen and diversify their overall IP and tech portfolio.
Another big negative is that Obsidian really doesn't "do" console games. When asked if they would ever bring PoE to consoles:
At this point ZeniMax has no interest in a studio that desires to be PC-only, the vast bulk of their sales come from consoles. The only PC exclusive genre that is even remotely profitable is F2P MOBA/Arena based combat and they already have a studio for that, Battlecry, which made a bad f2p game.
Paradox or Nordic Games would be a much more appropriate buyer for Obsidian.
Would Devolver be a good fit for them?
I know most people would hate it, but I do think they would be a good fit if they were bought by Microsoft.
I know most people would hate it, but I do think they would be a good fit if they were bought by Microsoft.
I would really like Microsoft to step in and give them the best conditions to make genre defining RPGs like they did during the OXB and early 360 times but at this point I don't trust into their first party management. They would probably make them make a Scorpio VR game, then when it doesn't match expectations, will make them make whatever is the focus of the company at the moment until all the talent leaves and eventually closes it.
MS won't do it. They don't have any active projects together and the last collaboration between them ended with a cancelled game.
Another example is not compromising at the beginning. I would rather blow up a relationship at 6 months rather than month 18. At 6 months, it's recoverable. Nobody's in for a lot of money and we may even figure something else out with that publisher. At 18 months, and you're $18 million in - I don't know, you could be - everybody is mad, enraged at each other. It's better to blow something up early, and that's what we've started to do.
Bethesda please I need more fallout games.
He also notes that Obsidian had made a lot of bad decisions with their internal development process in their historical projects. Obsidian would dive into a project without really planning out what to do and it would cause massive problems and delays, and ruin their relationship with their publishers. With few publishers available anymore, that becomes very problematic.
Are people really suggesting console manufacturers as buyers?
I mean come on. Nintendo? What a revolting idea.
"Feargus notes how there's only about 10 independent developers of Obsidian's size (~100-200+ staff) left."
Which studios are those?
4A Games ~80
Obsidian 100-200
Ninja Theory 100
Platinum Games 100-200
Bohemia Interactive 100-200
Insomniac Games 200+
Avalanche Studios 200+
FromSoftware 200+
Rebellion Developments 200+
Techland 300+
With exclusive deals:
Remedy Entertainment 100-200
Quantic Dream 100-200
Big guns:
Respawn 100-200
Epic Games 200-300
Gearbox Software 200-300
Crytek 700+
Bungie 700+
This is basicly the mid-tear development currently, bar the big guns section.
What fuck? What kind of stupid-ass software development process is this? This has got to be the dumbest thing I've seen.
If I'm not mistaken, Wayforward & Telltale are both independent (although they both mostly make licensed games) and have staff sizes well over 100.
It's the game industry. You'd be surprised how many projects start out like this. And continue to be like this throughout most of development. It's honestly a fucking miracle that most projects end up as successful as they do. Developers have been complaining about project management for decades and it really hasn't gotten any better outside of AAA franchise farms.
As an aside, I kind of doubt BW's transformation can be pinned on EA. KOTOR and Jade Empire demonstrated a clear shift in vision that skewed towards cinematic anyway. Jade Empire in particular with gameplay that is even more actiony than DA: I should show what the studio was becoming interested in.
Well, Bethesda wouldn't purchase them anyway, they don't have that power. It would be ZeniMax. I know quite a few people that have worked at either ZeniMax or Obsidian over the years and that there is a lot of bad blood between ZeniMax and Obsidian over New Vegas.
You also have to consider that if ZeniMax were to purchase Obsidian they really aren't getting anything. Bethesda already makes RPGs. Every other purchase ZeniMax has made has been to strengthen and diversify their overall IP and tech portfolio.
I don't know how they're capable of building a website working like that much less a full game.
The only company I could possibly see buying them is mail.ru and they'd become a dedicated AW developer.
Fake edit: Is the reboot of the cancelled MS game Tyranny? Or is it a separate project?
Crazy. This is like Bayonetta 2 all over again. I assure you if it's a choice between Nintendo and death they choose Nintendo lol craziness.Are people really suggesting console manufacturers as buyers?
I mean come on. Nintendo? What a revolting idea.
Crazy. This is like Bayonetta 2 all over again. I assure you if it's a choice between Nintendo and death they choose Nintendo lol craziness.
But don't worry, most likely they die or shrink drastically, which sucks. So if its Nintendo then great, at least those people dont have to all lose their jobs.
CDPR or Paradox, ideally. Both companies that give a shit about the kinds of games Obsidian likes to make.
Crazy. This is like Bayonetta 2 all over again. I assure you if it's a choice between Nintendo and death they choose Nintendo lol craziness.
But don't worry, most likely they die or shrink drastically, which sucks. So if its Nintendo then great, at least those people dont have to all lose their jobs.
MS won't do it. They don't have any active projects together and the last collaboration between them ended with a cancelled game.
Had a small laugh at the part when he mentions MS wanted it to feel like a first party title, then the interviewer basically asks what does an MS first party title suppose to feel like?
Damn son.Cancelled?
Obsidian would actually fill a giant hole in MS first party lineup for RPGs that they have had since they let Bioware go. Obviously Microsoft has no interest in filling that hole, but I think that would be their best fit.
Cancelled?
Another big negative is that Obsidian really doesn't "do" console games. When asked if they would ever bring PoE to consoles:
(Avellone quote about wanted to do pc games)
Fucking do it, Sony. And fund an Alpha Protocol spiritual successor and give them lots of money and time. Do it right now goddammit.
Sony has been ignoring basically every partner they've worked with that's been up for sale recently so I really doubt they'd be interested in Obsidian.