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[Ibuki]

What if Van Buren is real and he is involved?

 

[Fantastapotamus]

What if he and Kojima joins forces.
Imagine: a Kojima game with actually good writing.

Yes, I'm sure this is it.

 

[MisterShine]

I..
I....
I........

I don't know how to handle this. Good luck on his new adventures and I will certainly throw money at whatever it is he decides to do?

I still love Obsidian even without him, but damn this has me dazed.

 

[Forsaken82]

3.) Switching to novel writing

If him and Colin McComb began a series of Novels together, I would read nothing else.

 

[Screaming_Gremlin]

I think Avellone is the most talented writer in the industry and is a big contributor to why Obsidian is my favorite studio. That being said, I think they have plenty of other talent that this shouldn't hurt them too much.

I am definitely interested to see what he is doing next. Not sure what to think if he were to actually go to inXile (not that I think that will happen). I like the settings to their games, but their gameplay has always been weaker to me compared to Obsidian.

 

[Eusis]

What if he and Kojima joins forces.
Imagine: a Kojima game with actually good writing.

Yes, I'm sure this is it.

Kojima's crazy ideas filtered through a good writer with ideas of his own? It may well be genius!

 

[Fine Ham Abounds]

What if he and Kojima joins forces.
Imagine: a Kojima game with actually good writing.

Yes, I'm sure this is it.

This is like saying a Michael Bay film would suddenly be good if only the Coen brothers wrote it

"The Dude Asplodes"

 

[Denton]

Imagine if he has been hired by Cd Projekt!

The universe would implode, too much talent in one place

This is why I wanted him at Obsidian, I wanted to have two brilliant RPG devs with great writers.

But at the same time, Obsidian spends a lot of time these days working on tank game and MMO, so maybe, just maybe, this will be a good thing. I hope so anyway.

 

[Sijil]

Imagine if he has been hired by Cd Projekt!

Was under the impression he hates making cinematic AAA RPGs, would be surprised if he goes back to them after the Alpha Protocol fiasco.

 

[anexanhume]

Kinda hope he shows up at Bethesda or Bioware, but that doesn't seem likely at all.

 

[Fantastapotamus]

This is like saying a Michael Bay film would suddenly be good if only the Coen brothers wrote it

"The Dude Asplodes"

But you would totally go and see a Michael Bay/Coen Brothers movie.
Admit it!

 

[AJ_Wings]

A huge bummer honestly. Couldn't imagine an Obsidian without Chris Avellone.

 

[Jhriad]

Why? He didn't really write any of it in the first place from what we've heard.

Curious to see where he goes. He is a co-founder of Obsidian so I would assume he owns some major share of the company. If he is going to another company I wonder what exactly they can offer him compared to the company he's part owner of.

Because the potential for his writing existed in whatever content they created. Of course I enjoy Obsidian's work enough regardless of his involvement that I'm sure I'll give whatever it is they do next a look.

 

[decoyplatypus]

I hope he gets a new project up and running soon, wherever he goes.

 

[Dennis]

From his LinkedIn account:

Creative Director/Chief Creative Officer/Co-Owner
Obsidian Entertainment, Inc.
June 2003 – May 2015 (12 years)


​

 

[His Majesty]

Van Buren lead writer @ inXile

 

[immortal-joe]

From his LinkedIn account:

Creative Director/Chief Creative Officer/Co-Owner
Obsidian Entertainment, Inc.
June 2003 – May 2015 (12 years)

​

I ran this shit
Obsidian Entertainment, Inc.
June 2003 – May 2015 (12 years)

 

[Denton]

Was under the impression he hates making cinematic AAA RPGs, would be surprised if he goes back to them after the Alpha Protocol fiasco.

What gave you that impression ?
If anything, I think he might hate doing it for shitty publishers like Zenimax or Sega, but with CDP he wouldn't have that problem.

 

[Interfectum]

From his LinkedIn account:

Creative Director/Chief Creative Officer/Co-Owner
Obsidian Entertainment, Inc.
June 2003 – May 2015 (12 years)


​

 

[Saty]

UPDATE: Chris Avellone confirmed his departure from Obsidian in an email to me.

"It is true, Bertie," he wrote, "and many well wishes to the folks at Obsidian. On the future, I'm off to pursue new projects, but I can't say anything more at this time beyond life is short, and the ideas keep growing."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-06-09-chris-avellone-leaves-obsidian-entertainment

 

[Santiako]

D:

 

[Arulan]

That's unexpected news. I just hope that he stays in the industry, and that wherever he goes he's allowed to fully express his creative talent.

Kinda hope he shows up at Bethesda or Bioware, but that doesn't seem likely at all.

I don't understand why an RPG enthusiast would want this. Both companies are willing to let game design suffer for mainstream appeal (one to a lesser extent than the other) and it has shown. Unless they're willing to hand him a budget and let him go crazy no-strings-attached, I'd much rather see him join a developer that is more concerned with cRPGs. inXile would be my first guess given the collaboration he has already made with them.

Actually, he conceptualized (and mostly wrote) the two companion characters which are also easily my favourites. It's pretty obvious when you play the game.

I couldn't agree with you more.

Spoiler

Durance and the Grieving Mother really stand out. Just imagine if they didn't have to be cut down.

 

[Sijil]

What gave you that impression ?
If anything, I think he might hate doing it for shitty publishers like Zenimax or Sega, but with CDP he wouldn't have that problem.

Just a feeling I got from his PoE kickstarter presentations, how he talked about AAA cinematic RPGs and so on. Again just a feeling.

 

[Sinatar]

Kinda hope he shows up at Bethesda or Bioware, but that doesn't seem likely at all.

That's like asking for Martin Scorcese to join the asylum to direct Transmorphers 6.

 

[anexanhume]

I don't understand why an RPG enthusiast would want this. Both companies are willing to let game design suffer for mainstream appeal (one to a lesser extent than the other) and it has shown. Unless they're willing to hand him a budget and let him go crazy no-strings-attached, I'd much rather see him join a developer that is more concerned with cRPGs. inXile would be my first guess given the collaboration he has already made with them.

Because I love big budget AAA RPGs and am tired of them having shit stories and incredibly narrow characters.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

That's like asking for Martin Scorcese to join the asylum to direct Transmorphers 6.

That would be pretty cool.

 

[wrowa]

Here's hoping he'll end up at InXile. Avellone leaving the industry would be a tragic loss - and I can't picture him at Bethesda or Bioware either. Just feels like he wouldn't get any creative freedom there.

Fallout 4 written by Avellone would be awesome, though...

Anyway, it's a shame that he's no longer at Obsidian. I really hoped that he get to make a new RPG there.

 

[Shengar]

Not like this Chris, not like this.
I wonder what happened and why he left all of the sudden. I'm kinda worried on Obsidian future, but there are still pretty talented people staying.
Whatever Chris's new goal is, I'm sure it'll be worth it. Godspeed Chris, you need it.

 

[Dennis]

So how long do we think he has been writing on Fallout 4?

 

[gblues]

Defense against the Dark Arts?

Anti-sith.

Jedi.

He's going to Disney, folks.

 

[Zuhzuhzombie!!]

What if Van Buren is real and he is involved?

He's gone to work on Alpha Protocol 2.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

Sounds like he'll be doing original stuff, so that's cool. And, man, fuck the thought of him working on FO4. I'd much rather he do WL3.

 

[lukeskymac]

Hololens

What the hell?

 

[Conezays]

Best of luck to him, but what happened? Loved what was going on with Pillars of Eternity, what we've seen of Torment, etc...

 

[Alastor3]

WHAT?? I thought it was a joke post but.... nooo.... I love obsidian so much... fuck

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

"I'm off to teach developers and players that 'mimicking direct-to-video potboilers' does not make your work or tastes mature".

But are they ready to hear it? Are they ready for the man who will walk into their meeting room, grab the white board that says "Protagonist = inducted into some kind of powerful peacekeeping order?", and throw it to the ground?

Given what we know of the DA and ME writing teams, he'd have to hate himself.

 

[dr_rus]

From his LinkedIn account:

Creative Director/Chief Creative Officer/Co-Owner
Obsidian Entertainment, Inc.
June 2003 – May 2015 (12 years)


​

12 years is a lot of time. He may have left simply because it was time to move on.

 

[anexanhume]

"I'm off to teach developers and players that 'mimicking direct-to-video potboilers' does not make your work or tastes mature".



Given what we know of the DA and ME writing teams, he'd have to hate himself.

They have new IP too. Seems far fetched, but it would be much better for him to have control of some project from the (sort-of) beginning.

 

[The Illiterati]

I'm fine with this as long as someone uses him as a lead. In the three major Kickstarter projects(PoE, W2, Torment) he has been absolutely wasted thus far. He's the entire reason I backed the first two, and they still made him a side thought(and still the best part).

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Any publisher/ dev will get a purchase from me with this card on their hands. But something tells me he is going out of the industry for a while to write a book or something like that.

 

[anexanhume]

I'm fine with this as long as someone uses him as a lead. In the three major Kickstarter projects(PoE, W2, Torment) he has been absolutely wasted thus far. He's the entire reason I backed the first two, and they still made him a side thought(and still the best part).

Hopefully he was lured out with the promise of being a lead or creative director for some team. I guess there's a chance he could end up somewhere on a new Star Wars RPG.

 

[Zweizer]

Whoa that's pretty shocking. Hoping the best for his future projects.

 

[Shengar]

Whoa that's pretty shocking. Hoping the best for his future projects.

I don't know you're a fan of Avellone. You're absolutely not the type of person whom I imagined into Avellone's stuff.

 

[adj_noun]

;_;7

 

[Decado]

Would love to see him working at Larian...

 

[Sober]

This is too bad, but I wish him well on his next projects.

I also think Obsidian has enough talent to carry on even without Avellone.

Yeah, I'm of the same mind. 12 years at Obsidian is a long time to be doing something like he was. If he leaves gaming, I think I'll be fine with that, honestly.

 

[The Illiterati]

Hopefully he was lured out with the promise of being a lead or creative director for some team. I guess there's a chance he could end up somewhere on a new Star Wars RPG.

As much as I believe a new SW RPG with him as lead would be amazing, I can't fathom any studio allowing him to write characters with depth like Durance and Grieving Mother in their AAA title. New projects are my hope. I don't even care if its an RPG. Deep character writing and conversations can be the core and focus of a different sort of project.

 

[Zweizer]

I don't know you're a fan of Avellone. You're absolutely not the type of person whom I imagined into Avellone's stuff.

Hey now! I'll have you know I love well-written games as much as I love smut!

Spoiler

Planescape: Torment is my favorite game of all time~

 

[mrpeabody]

If he doesn't release a novel in the next 12 months, I'll eat my hat.

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

Is he one of the original Fallout devs?