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[Strife In a Teacup]

Maybe they can work on Fable?

Playground is working on that.

Shadowrun would be the most likely, and definitely one of the most awesome. They could make it in the Seattle Metroplex, which would be fitting for MS.

Maybe a Mech Warrior rpg also?

Or just have them continue making Pillars of Eternity, with an MS budget. I wouldn't complain.

 

[Alexander DeLarge]

Of course you can't imagine, that's why I say your opinion doesn't really matter at the end of the day because this is more about your ability to continue buying their games on Steam or your PS4 than what they may bring to the table. Like I said, remove the Microsoft haters and those who never planned on getting an Xbox next generation no matter what and then we can have a civil discussion. If all you do is add poison to the conversation then where is that going to get us? You don't like Windows, you don't like the Windows store, you don't seem interested in the Xbox console, so what do we hope to accomplish by talking about this?

At the end of the day deals like this take two sides to agree, thankfully you have no input in that.

What do I have to gain from this? Nothing but expressing my disgust that people are actually applauding a console manufacturer potentially buying one of the few remaining companies making role playing games with actual role playing in them.... Or should I let a bunch of console warriors masturbate furiously over the prospect of getting another studio to make proprietary exclusives for them?

 

[Christocolus]

On a totally different note MS just hired

Brian Westergaard worked on GoW (2018) as the lead producer.
Annie Lohr - Recruiter formerly worked at Respawn.
Christian Cantamessa - the writer from RDR.
Blake Fischer - Senior Director of Portfolio Planning for MS now working with The Initiative.
Daniel Neuburger - Game Director on TR
Lindsey McQueeney - Snr Industry Recruiter at Crystal Dynamics.

 

[DigitalScrap]

What do I have to gain from this? Nothing but expressing my disgust that people are actually applauding a console manufacturer potentially buying one of the few remaining companies making role playing games with actual role playing in them.... Or should I let a bunch of console warriors masturbate furiously over the prospect of getting another studio to make proprietary exclusives for them?

Without being purchased Obsidian may very well cease to exist. I love the PoE games, and if them being acquired means they may possibly be able to continue, then i’m all for it. Even if that purchaser is MS.

 

[Bernkastel]

Why are people assuming its Fable ?
They will probably revive Shadowrun with a AAA budget. After EA's Star Wars license expires, they may work on a KOTOR reboot.

 

[Nikana]

Probably because people remember what they did to RARE. It’s hard to forget.

At the time, it was akin to buying Rockstar and then turning them into an Xbox avatar creator and Kinect studio.

Oh this old argument.

If you look at the evidence you can definitely say Microsoft and Rare was a bad fit for the studio, but you could also argue without the resources that Microsoft had, Rare would of been eaten up by the weight of the HD gaming era. Rare would of had to evolve big time when it came to team sizes and scope.

Even still... Rare still exists and they are making games. Which is amazing when you consider just what has happened in this industry where releasing a game means there's a chance you'll lose your job.

 

[Scopa]

Oh this old argument.

If you look at the evidence you can definitely say Microsoft and Rare was a bad fit for the studio, but you could also argue without the resources that Microsoft had, Rare would of been eaten up by the weight of the HD gaming era. Rare would of had to evolve big time when it came to team sizes and scope.

Even still... Rare still exists and they are making games. Which is amazing when you consider just what has happened in this industry where releasing a game means there's a chance you'll lose your job.

It’s not an argument. It is the cold, hard truth. Yeah, I am old enough to have witnessed it as an adult. I was there. I remember it correctly.

We can talk about what ifs, but the fact is, RARE turned to shit under Microsoft. It’s a fact.

Would it have happened anyway? Maybe, but we have no way of knowing that.

Sure, they still exist and they’re still making games. They also have Viva Pinata and Sea of Thieves as the only games worth mentioning for the last 16 years.

 

[Nikana]

It’s not an argument. It is the cold, hard truth. Yeah, I am old enough to have witnessed it as an adult. I was there. I remember it correctly.

We can talk about what ifs, but the fact is, RARE turned to shit under Microsoft. It’s a fact.

Would it have happened anyway? Maybe, but we have no way of knowing that.

Sure, they still exist and they’re still making games. They also have Viva Pinata and Sea of Thieves as the only games worth mentioning for the last 16 years.

I already said they were a bad fit. Im not disagreeing their quality dipped after being bought.But calling em shit is dumb.

I'm making the comparison to rare because everybody wants to point the finger at Microsoft and say the two a directly Connected as the only reason rares quality went down was because of Microsoft and only Microsoft.

But nobody wants to give them credit for sticking by the studio. Even after a lot of the talent has left that made the studio what it is, including major long time rare veterans right after the buy out that could correlate to the dip in quality, they gave rare plenty of time to make their new IP, which is a big risk.

Should Nintendo of bought rare? It made more sense than Microsoft for sure.

Should Microsoft of been more hands off during the 360 era? Maybe, but that era destroyed a ton of studios and it's great that Rare survived.

As a gamer I think it's rad that Rare is still here, and like you I've seen and played their games all my life, and we live in an era where they are still making content.

 

[Alx]

Sure, they still exist and they’re still making games. They also have Viva Pinata and Sea of Thieves as the only games worth mentioning for the last 16 years.

That's a very selective opinion. I would say that none of the games they produced in the last 16 years were bad, and many were actually very good. It's mostly the hatred towards motion gaming (or MS in general)that makes people believe that Rare was "ruined".
As a matter of fact their weaker games were those started before the MS acquisition (GBTG, PDZ). So one could seriously wonder if they could have managed on their own. How many European studios still exist that are as old as Rare after all ?

 

[Louis Cyphre]

What do I have to gain from this? Nothing but expressing my disgust that people are actually applauding a console manufacturer potentially buying one of the few remaining companies making role playing games with actual role playing in them.... Or should I let a bunch of console warriors masturbate furiously over the prospect of getting another studio to make proprietary exclusives for them?

Like I said, once we remove the Microsoft haters and those who never intended to buy the next Xbox then we can move forward and actually discuss the merits of a potential acquisition. Plus as others have said if this means they continue to survive then at least someone is trying to support them. Did I forget to mention it also takes two sides to make a deal?

So if you have nothing to contribute other than you don't trust Microsoft and refuse to be open minded then I guess you're done here.

 

[DGrayson]

What do I have to gain from this? Nothing but expressing my disgust that people are actually applauding a console manufacturer potentially buying one of the few remaining companies making role playing games with actual role playing in them.... Or should I let a bunch of console warriors masturbate furiously over the prospect of getting another studio to make proprietary exclusives for them?

This post is a bit over the top. Please tone it down or just leave the thread. Thanks.

 

[Salty Popsicle]

The more high-quality studios Microsoft can get under its belt, the better. Would like to see what Obsidian can create if they had the backing of a deep pocket like Microsoft.

 

[Humdinger]

I'm bummed that Avellone has left Obsidian. I don't think they're as strong without him. But it would still be a nice "get" for Microsoft, because it would expand their portfolio to include western RPGs. That's a favorite genre of mine, so I'm for it.

I like the new MS "hands off" attitude with their studios (at least that has been the press, and I tend to trust it). So I'm not too worried about its effect on Obsidian. It also sounds like Obsidian could use the financial support.

 

[Ragnaroz]

Pillars of Eternity 3 with AAA budget? OH SHI

You can forget about Pillars of Eternity if M$ buys Obsidian.

 

[Louis Cyphre]

I'm bummed that Avellone has left Obsidian. I don't think they're as strong without him. But it would still be a nice "get" for Microsoft, because it would expand their portfolio to include western RPGs. That's a favorite genre of mine, so I'm for it.

I like the new MS "hands off" attitude with their studios (at least that has been the press, and I tend to trust it). So I'm not too worried about its effect on Obsidian. It also sounds like Obsidian could use the financial support.

This is what many of us are hoping to see as well. I found it a bit worrisome when they cancelled or postponed what The Coalition was working on in favor of Gears of War 4. It sounded like we need something that sells quick. Now I see Phil and his team taking the time to better prepare themselves and this is largely because Phil has much more control and support from the very top at Microsoft.

 

[Humdinger]

This is what many of us are hoping to see as well. I found it a bit worrisome when they cancelled or postponed what The Coalition was working on in favor of Gears of War 4. It sounded like we need something that sells quick. Now I see Phil and his team taking the time to better prepare themselves and this is largely because Phil has much more control and support from the very top at Microsoft.

That's what I hear, too -- that with Mickelson out of the way and Phil moved up, they are in a much better position to execute and much better funded.

I think it also comes from their own experience. They've seen how it worked out when they got too intrusive and hands-on with development studios (e.g., what happened with Lionhead). This is my conjecture, but they may also have taken some notes from Sony, who seem to be good at giving their studios a lot of creative freedom, and as a result get some amazing games out it (and some duds, too, but that's the way it goes). Whatever the reason, I think they've really changed their management philosophy, regarding oversight of their developers. They've learned to give them plenty of space and creative freedom. If you watch the Ninja Theory video about this, it's pretty convincing. That isn't the type of studio that is going to sign away their independence, if they don't trust what MS is telling them about creative freedom.

All of that bodes well for the future. It's one of the reasons I think MS is going to be a real contender next gen.

 

[Iced Arcade]

If you are going to do this, make a sequel to Jade Empire

 

[Louis Cyphre]

That's what I hear, too -- that with Mickelson out of the way and Phil moved up, they are in a much better position to execute and much better funded.

I think it also comes from their own experience. They've seen how it worked out when they got too intrusive and hands-on with development studios (e.g., what happened with Lionhead). This is my conjecture, but they may also have taken some notes from Sony, who seem to be good at giving their studios a lot of creative freedom, and as a result get some amazing games out it (and some duds, too, but that's the way it goes). Whatever the reason, I think they've really changed their management philosophy, regarding oversight of their developers. They've learned to give them plenty of space and creative freedom. If you watch the Ninja Theory video about this, it's pretty convincing. That isn't the type of studio that is going to sign away their independence, if they don't trust what MS is telling them about creative freedom.

All of that bodes well for the future. It's one of the reasons I think MS is going to be a real contender next gen.

Phil Mickelson is a professional golfer, lol. Do you mean Mattrick? Yes, Sony has embarrassed them on how to allow game studios to be innovative and they have proven that good stories and single player experiences is not such a huge risk if managed properly. Getting Ninja Theory was a huge get for them and one that can really start to give Microsoft some much need diversity. They are also hiring a ton of great people for their new studio The Initiative.

 

[VectorVictor]

Maybe they can work on Fable?

I thought the Forza Horizon studio was on top of that? I'm looking for Obsidian to maybe do a Fallout NV-style of Shadowrun game. That would be something in their wheelhouse.

 

[Deleted member 752119]

I never like seeing developers get bought up. The more multiplatform games the better. I have no loyalty to any of these shitty corporations.

 

[hiphopcr]

Next gen Xbox will be undeniable.

An unprecedented combination of exclusives, features, and power.

 

[CeeJay]

I never like seeing developers get bought up. The more multiplatform games the better. I have no loyalty to any of these shitty corporations.

Even if the choice is losing a developer completely or them getting bought up?

At least if its MS then the games will still be on PC so you don't have to be loyal to any particular console platform if you don't want to.

 

[hiphopcr]

I never like seeing developers get bought up. The more multiplatform games the better. I have no loyalty to any of these shitty corporations.

This is so one sided. Playstation has been praised this gen for doing years ago what MS is doing now.

 

[Deleted member 752119]

Even if the choice is losing a developer completely or them getting bought up?

At least if its MS then the games will still be on PC so you don't have to be loyal to any particular console platform if you don't want to.

That is one exception for sure, I wasn’t aware Obsidian was in that bad of shape. And that is a benefit of MS buying a dev up vs the other two for sure. As long as they stick with putting all their first party games on PC anyway. I won’t buy an Xbox again if play anywhere remains as it’s redundant since I do my PC gaming on the same tv as my consoles and use an Xbox One Elite pad already.

 

[Deleted member 752119]

This is so one sided. Playstation has been praised this gen for doing years ago what MS is doing now.

Not from me. I don’t like seeing it happen period. And as I said, I have no loyalty or hate for any of them and have had them all in recent gens (PC for Xbox games after play anywhere).

They’re just three shitty, huge corporations that don’t care about anything but getting as much of our money as possible. The fanboys who are loyal to any of them and bash the others are some of the most pathetic sheeple in existence.

 

[Hudo]

Playground is working on that.

Shadowrun would be the most likely, and definitely one of the most awesome. They could make it in the Seattle Metroplex, which would be fitting for MS.

Maybe a Mech Warrior rpg also?

Or just have them continue making Pillars of Eternity, with an MS budget. I wouldn't complain.

Oh boy, a big-budget Shadowrun RPG by Obsidian would be one of my most anticipated games ever... Do it Microsoft!

 

[dionysus]

Even if the choice is losing a developer completely or them getting bought up?

At least if its MS then the games will still be on PC so you don't have to be loyal to any particular console platform if you don't want to.

Is Obsidian in danger of failing? Google didn't yield any relevant results.

 

[Redshirt]

Is Obsidian in danger of failing? Google didn't yield any relevant results.

Who knows for sure, but I think that impression is largely because of comments Avellone has made after leaving the company.

Now, there's the impression that PoE II didn't do well, but I'm not really sure if that's true either.

 

[Ar¢tos]

Building new studios would be more interesting and probably effective than buying existing ones. These studios are used to work their own way and suddenly having new management stirring things around might not be very productive. Building a new studio removes that issue.

 

[Grandmaster Hash]

Next gen Xbox will be undeniable.

An unprecedented combination of exclusives, features, and power.

hardly unprecedented, the PS4 literally had all of those.

It would be interesting to see what kind of games Obsidian would make with MS running them though. Would they continue to make small old-school RPGs that, while good, only appeal to a niche audience or would they be steered towards producing big budget WRPGs which, as we and no doubt MS have seen with games like Skyrim & The Witcher, can just print money. The problem lies with whether or not Obsidian are equipped to make games like that. They're still a pretty small studio and their last AAA game (NV) clearly showed that they really struggled despite being given a large budget, a functioning game engine, as well as all of F3's assets to reuse. Obsidian are one of the most talented studios out there but can MS utilise this talent in the best way is the real question on my mind.

 

[hiphopcr]

hardly unprecedented, the PS4 literally had all of those.

Right, PS4 has the most power and features, Game Pass, back compat, EA All Access, Play Anywhere....

 

[Xaero Gravity]

If this improves the odds of an Alpha Protocol follow-up, then I'm all for it.

Oh if only, unfortunately Sega owns the IP

 

[LittleBusters]

The sad part is it will take 4-5 years before we see the fruits of these new studios. 2019-2021 E3s are going to be more fodder for ridiculing Microsoft's lack of AAA exclusives. 2022 is when all the big new ones get announced for late 2023 release.

 

[Xaero Gravity]

Playground is working on that.

Shadowrun would be the most likely, and definitely one of the most awesome. They could make it in the Seattle Metroplex, which would be fitting for MS.

Maybe a Mech Warrior rpg also?

Or just have them continue making Pillars of Eternity, with an MS budget. I wouldn't complain.

An Obsidian developed Shadowrun? Hoooooly shit I need this in my life so bad, and I hate that I'll never get it. MS has been really weird with the Shadowrun IP. When they licensed it out to Harebrained Schemes for Shadowrun Returns, one of the caveats was no console port for some reason. XCom proved that kind of game can work on consoles, so why pass on an easy console exclusive?

 

[rokkerkory]

Right, PS4 has the most power and features, Game Pass, back compat, EA All Access, Play Anywhere....

MS isn't taking anything for granted next-gen.

 

[-MD-]

The sad part is it will take 4-5 years before we see the fruits of these new studios. 2019-2021 E3s are going to be more fodder for ridiculing Microsoft's lack of AAA exclusives. 2022 is when all the big new ones get announced for late 2023 release.

I expect at least a couple of these newly acquired studio's games to be out by 2020/2021, they didn't say ready-set-go at the E3 announcement, I'm sure some of these games have been cooking.

 

[Louis Cyphre]

The sad part is it will take 4-5 years before we see the fruits of these new studios. 2019-2021 E3s are going to be more fodder for ridiculing Microsoft's lack of AAA exclusives. 2022 is when all the big new ones get announced for late 2023 release.

Yes, because all the other studios they have are not currently working on projects. How stupid can some people be thinking Microsoft has nothing coming for another 3-5 years that we don't know about?

 

[VectorVictor]

Oh if only, unfortunately Sega owns the IP

Microsoft could conceivably and realistically buy Sega.

Pair that with Obsidian, and you have the makings of a Panzer Dragoon Saga 2 which will blow the doors off of Fallout: New Vegas.

 

[wipeout364]

Obsidian would be a good pick up for Microsoft if they can get them cheap. As mentioned Microsoft does have some IP kicking around which would be a good fit for an RPG. Obsidian seems to have improved their development pipeline so they can get games out faster than they used to.

 

[Gavon West]

I never like seeing developers get bought up. The more multiplatform games the better. I have no loyalty to any of these shitty corporations.

No loyalty to any shitty corporations, eh? You didnt happen to buy a console from any of these said shitty corps, did you? Just a question...

 

[Grandmaster Hash]

Right, PS4 has the most power and features, Game Pass, back compat, EA All Access, Play Anywhere....

and the xbox has good exclusives? And you have no idea how powerful the next xbox will be or the features of both consoles so your original comment just seems like blind fanboying.

 

[Humdinger]

Phil Mickelson is a professional golfer, lol. Do you mean Mattrick?

No, not Mattrick. He's long gone. I meant the higher-up who Phil previously reported to, and who got moved out a year ago (?) or so. I thought his name was Mickelson, but might be wrong. From what I heard, this guy wasn't big on Xbox and kept a tight reign on the budget. Now that he is gone/transferred, the way has been cleared for Phil to execute on things that, before this, weren't possible. That's a big reason why you're seeing the sudden influx of capital into the Xbox division and all the buy-ups. That guy is out. He was an obstacle. At least that's the theory.

I don't want this to sound like I'm one of those "I believe in Phil" guys; I'm not. But it sounds to me like he was working uphill with his previous boss, and that guy is now out of the way, and Phil has much bigger latitude to act independently.

 

[DigitalScrap]

You can forget about Pillars of Eternity if M$ buys Obsidian.

Why do people like to say things like this as if they know some inside plans? For all we know, MS could acquire them because they want Pillars of Eternity and would go all in on it. I’m not saying that is the case, but saying the opposite in definitive terms is just silly.

 

[Deleted member 752119]

No loyalty to any shitty corporations, eh? You didnt happen to buy a console from any of these said shitty corps, did you? Just a question...

Yes. Usually all of them every generation and I've often had a different platform end up being my most used across generations. Hence the no loyalty statement. It's a fact of life that we have to give money to shitty corporations to have nice things in today's world. That doesn't mean we have to like them, have any loyalty to anyone of them or go online and be fanboys doing free PR for them and bashing the others etc.

 

[Pallas]

No, not Mattrick. He's long gone. I meant the higher-up who Phil previously reported to, and who got moved out a year ago (?) or so. I thought his name was Mickelson, but might be wrong. From what I heard, this guy wasn't big on Xbox and kept a tight reign on the budget. Now that he is gone/transferred, the way has been cleared for Phil to execute on things that, before this, weren't possible. That's a big reason why you're seeing the sudden influx of capital into the Xbox division and all the buy-ups. That guy is out. He was an obstacle. At least that's the theory.

I don't want this to sound like I'm one of those "I believe in Phil" guys; I'm not. But it sounds to me like he was working uphill with his previous boss, and that guy is now out of the way, and Phil has much bigger latitude to act independently.

Do you mean Steve Ballmer?

 

[Redshirt]

I'm not too worried about what Obsidian would do post-Microsoft.

I love PoE. I enjoyed Tyranny a lot. PoE II is good.

I'm not sure I need them to keep trying to find that BG2 magic. They make great games.

 

[Xaero Gravity]

No loyalty to any shitty corporations, eh? You didnt happen to buy a console from any of these said shitty corps, did you? Just a question...

Buying a console doesn't automatically mean you're loyal to them.

 

[B_Signal]

I really hope this doesn't happen and I struggle to see why anyone not point scoring would want it. Obsidian are one of the more interesting and consistent indie developers developers, having them boxed in by a parent company should be the last thing people want. They're also PC heavy,

Don't get me wrong, I loved New Vegas, so getting their take on a big established franchise again would be cool, but that can happen without them being bought

 

[Bernkastel]

Do you mean Steve Ballmer?

Until recently Xbox was a subdivision of Windows Device group under Terry Myerson who didn't care about gaming and Phil and his team had to work in a tight budget. But now Xbox is it's own division, Phil is an executive at Microsoft and Matt Booty is the head of Microsoft Studios, which why Phil is suddenly going around creating and acquiring new studios.
https://www.windowscentral.com/what-phil-spencers-promotion-means-xbox
Recently Darrell Gallagher's new studio The Initiative hired devs from Rockstar, Crystal Dynamics, Sony Santa Monica and Respawn, old Xbox won't be able to pull this feat.

 

[CatLady]

I am surprised that Microsoft hasn't really branched out Halo. Maybe Obsidian could do a Halo RPG?

That would be awesome. I've always felt the Halo universe would make an amazing world for an open World rpg.