A Special Announcement From Obsidian

[Undecaf]

Oh boy. I don't see much good coming out of this. Big publishers tend to shy away from systems heavy - unconventional to this day and age - RPG's. More narrative driven action shooters/slashers abound. Ergo, nothing of interest to anyone who's sick and tired of the stagnated mainstream copy of a copy of a copy offerings.

Edited November 11, 2018 by Undecaf

[JFSOCC]

Obsidian joined Microsoft for security. The idea that that conglomerate gives a **** about job security is a joke. They'll shut you down as soon as you go against the grain or have more than one disappointing result. The video states that Microsoft was on board with not changing the culture at obsidian, that too, will be an empty promise that nothing in the contract will enforce.

 

I've long felt about Feargus that he's drunk at the wheel and doesn't know what he is doing, and selling himself into bondage fits with what I expected from him.

 

I think this will be the end of Obsidian as the creator of strong IP's, and will lead-in the era of safe and generic products and their sequels.

please prove me wrong.

[Flouride]

A video that doesn't really answer much of anything. 

 

Some starter questions:

 

1) Will you be hiring? Expanding the number of projects?

2) It's a given that you'll be developing XBox games. But will you still be making classical-style tactical-focused cRPGs?

3) Will Obsidian be deciding on which games they will develop? Or will this be assigned from the powers that be in Redmond?

4) Is MCA drunk yet? Has he raged-posted?

 

1) They just opened up quite many new positions earlier this week prior to the announcement. So, yes. They are hiring.

[Flouride]

it seems like a slap to their fans. they are giving us the notion of getting a way from big publishers going independent with more freedom and now they sold it for a huge sum of money. i can tell you this acquisition is not a cheap thing. the directors at obisidian probably in a sea of cash now.

 

microsoft acquired minecraft for $2B. this acquisition will cost at least few hundreds millions for the obsidian directors. it's all about money. i'm sure they will be praising microsoft ups and down celebrating in a sea of cash.

 

 

Well, go ahead and tell us how much each owner got if you can tell us that they are swimming in cash.

 

You obviously don't understand the stress of owning and running a company of 150+ employees. They've done it for 15 years, with ups and downs. While Project Indiana is doing great, I guess? Deadfire sales were not what they expected. Without this deal would they have had to downsize again? It's easy for you run off your mouth over the internet when it's not you telling someone to pack their things and worrying how they will fare without the next paycheck you were supposed to pay them.

I'm sure after 15 years the owners have deserved every dollar they get from this deal + the stress relieve of not worrying on how to pay the bills and wages when something doesn't go as they expected/hoped it would go.

 

[kilobug]

As a regular Obsidian backer/buyer (got PoE 1&2, Tyranny and all expansions) I'm very worried by that news.

 

Worried on the future content of the game, Obsidian was doing games for a specific audience, pursuing a creative vision over mass market, and I fear that'll definitely change, and the games will become much more "consolish", much more mass-market, much more driven on action and much less on story, characters, world-building and reactivity.

 

And worried that the games will become DRM-locked, Xbox/Windows only, meaning an end of an era for all of us who love our games DRM-Free and multiplatform (I'm personnally a Linux user, never owned any console, and not interested into installing (and paying for) an OS I don't like just to play games).

 

Is there any chance you'll still making DRM-free, cross-platform (including Linux and Mac) games even now that MS bought you ? I'm afraid not, but I wish I'm wrong.

[Melusina]

 

Hi, all!

 

We're very excited to be able to announce that we are joining the Microsoft family. This is something that is huge for us and we can't express what this will mean for us and our games going forward. While we will be able to get more information out to you in the coming days, we wanted to share this video we did that may answer some of your questions now.

 

 

 

You got a message.

[Flouride]

 

Also, what happens with Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky's project? I'd guess that post release support is in doubt unless Microsoft wants to buy the project, they'd probably want that project pushed out the door as fast as possible with the bare minimum contractually obligated. This also means Tyranny 2 and a collaboration with Paradox using the Vampire IP is out of the question. I'd doubt Microsoft would want Obsidian working on PoE 3 at least as we'd imagine it.

 

 

Umm, what? You think they would first buy a developer then immediately after hurt the brand name they just paid millions of dollars for by releasing something rushed. Not to mention, you forget the fact that Microsoft gets a cut from every sale on XBOX + whatever Obsidian's cut is of the sales. They would be shooting themselves in the leg if they did that.

 

If anything this means Project Indiana will have financial security from both Private Division as the publisher and MS as the owner of Obsidian and one of the platforms the game is coming out on.

 

Unless Microsoft/Obsidian end up buying Tyranny IP, I doubt that there will be a Tyranny 2 by Obsidian. Don't think that IP is something they would choose to license for a game.

Same goes for Vampire IP. Even though licensing it could be a possibility. I just don't see it as a realistic possibility though. Obviously Obsidian and Microsoft both want to work on IPs that they own, instead of creating value to someone elses IP/brand.

 

[Flouride]

Obsidian joined Microsoft for security. The idea that that conglomerate gives a **** about job security is a joke. They'll shut you down as soon as you go against the grain or have more than one disappointing result. The video states that Microsoft was on board with not changing the culture at obsidian, that too, will be an empty promise that nothing in the contract will enforce.

 

I've long felt about Feargus that he's drunk at the wheel and doesn't know what he is doing, and selling himself into bondage fits with what I expected from him.

 

I think this will be the end of Obsidian as the creator of strong IP's, and will lead-in the era of safe and generic products and their sequels.

please prove me wrong.

 

Umm, what? Obsidian has created a total of 1 IP that you can speak of in the last 15 years. Pretty much all the rest have been sequels and pre existing IPs. Outer Worlds will be the 2nd one, but since nothing is known about it, too early to say anything.

 

[Maf]

Mixed feelings here, seeing Obsidian stop struggling was one thing I wanted.

Seeing them do it by themselves was another.

 

I guess we couldn't have the best of both worlds as is always the case.

I'm happy for the employees and hopefully the new financial backing will secure OEI the resources it deserves.

 

There have been quite a few good game released under the Microsoft banner.

With Sea of Thieves they have also hopefully learned not to lean too much on a studio because that game COULD have been a real gem.

A costly mistake which Obsidian now shouldn't need to feel.

 

I'm sure the first game to release by OEI will be largely untainted (ala DA:O by Bioware after EA took over), what happens after though...

Time will tell.

 

Also.. Vampire The Masquerade

I guess I can always replay Redemption and Bloodlines.

Again.

and again *shakes fist*

[LittleRose]

So I'll have to get used to the Windows Store after all. But anything's better than losing Obsidian. Congratulations on the deal. I Hope it's good. Whatever will happen now, I'm glad we can be looking forward to more games from you guys.

[FDCage]

Time to speculate.

 

- Microsoft is in dire need of good Xbox exclusives. Best case scenario would of course be a well established IP, not something completely new.

- Todd Howard showed up at the Microsoft E3 press conference and Fallout 76 had an Xbox exclusive early access, so there is definitely a partnership of some kind going on.

- The Fallout: New Vegas footage in the "special announcement" video is suspiciously in sync with people talking about what games Obsidian wants to make and what a Obsidian game is.

- Kotor also shows up alot, and although that in itself is not surprising given that it is a much beloved and classic Obsidian game, remember that Microsoft is partnered with Disney - and they own Star Wars as everybody knows.

- Given the nature of consoles and gamepads, the preferred exclusives would surely not be top down rpgs, but rather third person or first person games.

- I dare to say that Obsidian is a bigger name on pcs than on consoles, so having the announcement "Random new game from Obsidian exclusively for your XBOX!" would not draw nearly as much of a crowd than "Sequels from huge IPs that everybody is waiting for for years coming exclusively for your XBOX!".

 

So... conclusion in my humble opinion: The chances for a new KOTOR and Fallout: New Vegas are better than ever - if not very good all around. If I was Microsoft, I would have set my eyes on those to games as the Obsidian flagship games for future exclusives.

 

Since I love these games, I would certainly look forward to this, but it also saddens me that from how I see this new situation, Pillars of Eternity in its current form is most likely shelved.

[213374U]

Unless Microsoft/Obsidian end up buying Tyranny IP, I doubt that there will be a Tyranny 2 by Obsidian. Don't think that IP is something they would choose to license for a game.

Same goes for Vampire IP. Even though licensing it could be a possibility. I just don't see it as a realistic possibility though. Obviously Obsidian and Microsoft both want to work on IPs that they own, instead of creating value to someone elses IP/brand.

 

Yep. This means no Vampire, no Tyranny, no Alpha Protocol, no KotOR, and no Fallout (though to be fair, the odds of Obs working on an IP that isn't  original or Paradox-owned weren't great before). More good IP to gather dust, yay.

 

I understand how this is a huge weight off The Owners'® shoulders and all, but from my perspective as a consumer, it's hard to construe this as good news.

 

I'm not touching the Windows Store with a ten-foot pole, either.

[Starwars]

I don't know much about how Microsoft operates nowadays but it's kind of sad to just see mid-sized independent devs being bought up by bigger companies. I hope it will bring some peace of mind to the company obviously as I'm sure it's been incredibly stressful at times. But as a consumer it's hard to not think that this will result in more games being "safe" and massmarketable.

And, as has been pointed out, as someone who is focused on STEAM and GOG for their gaming, this will make that more annoying as well.

 

But who knows? I guess we'll see. 

 

Hope things work out well.

[IndiraLightfoot]

So the next logical step is Microsoft buying the Alpha Protocol IP from SEGA and funding the sequel that EVERYBODY wants, right?

And well, buying some Baldur's Gate and NWN licenses off of Atari would be nice as well, and then finally convince WotC that Obsidian does make better D&D CRPGs than the last five or so disasters we've seen.

[Aoyagi]

Oh great, two of my favourite RPG developers get nicked by an unscrupulous megacorporation. What a day.

 

So I expect Micorosft is going to afflict their corporate culture on Obsidian and InXile. They're a company that has proven time and time again that it doesn't understand or even try to understand the products they allegedly develop, be it games, phones, consoles,  or anything else.. It's just business, everything is purely profit-driven. Does anyone seriously believe their promises about letting Obsidian develop games their way? I'm quite sure that no game that's not already in the pipeline will be left unaffected by the bean counter monkeys from Microsoft, not to mention Microsoft has a solid history of broken promises.

Also, you're not a bloody "partner" in this, you're a subsidiary. Claiming that you're partners is a massive deception and despite what we've heard in the past few years, I thought you were better than this. But since you apparently aren't, I suppose you won't mind the inevitable assimilation into Microsoft's machinery within 5 or so years. Oh, I'm totally looking forward to Kinect Pillars Volleyball, which Obsidian is going to develop, because they will have more freedom as a subsidiary, of course. Because that makes sense.

 

I don't shy away from chugging out unreasonable amounts of money for companies/games I believe in, but don't expect me to drop a single penny into Microsoft's ecosystem, i.e. their idiotic Live store or whatever they decided to call it this week.

 

Honestly I'm more surprised InXile went along with this as well.

 

Oh well, so the hope for big RPGs rests with only with Larian and CD Projekt now I think.

Edited November 11, 2018 by Aoyagi

[Wormerine]

Talent is not limited by the parent/owner company, it's quite baffling that some members here would say "Goodbye quality games" due to Mucrosoft buying them out, if anything quality will only go up as they are now free to fund.

My only worry regarding a studio I like joining a big corporation is how they will monatize their games. In recent years there have been plenty of games, which had lots of potential and good stuff in them, but were ruined for me by aggressive monatization.

 

My hope is that Microsoft will use talent of those devs to promote their platforms and we will get pure games like on the Sony’s side.

[IndiraLightfoot]

One thing that will die with the Microsoft acquisition is the hope of an Obsidian game with a free-to-use toolset. After Microsoft bought Mojang and Minecraft, they've tried to monetize mods in their marketplace.

[IndiraLightfoot]

A good thing, and I say this with some sincerity:

Now, with Microsoft gobbling up Obsidian and InXile, my hope for never seeing Unity-based CRPGs again is certainly peaking, and good riddance, I say. Long load times, pretty weak overall.

[Flouride]

 

Yep. This means no Vampire, no Tyranny, no Alpha Protocol, no KotOR, and no Fallout (though to be fair, the odds of Obs working on an IP that isn't  original or Paradox-owned weren't great before). More good IP to gather dust, yay.

 

 

To be fair, Kotor or Fallout wouldn't have happened. Kotor not in a million years, Fallout only if Bethesda ended up buying Obsidian.

 

[AndreaColombo]

T:ToN had very short loading times and it’s based on the PoE engine.

[Azdeus]

Well, this was dissapointing to hear. Great news for the owners!

 

I very much doubt the word of them to not touch company culture though, all I see from here on out is a slow inevitable decline of Obs as a game maker. I also very much doubt that their games will be available on GoG and other distributors in the future, so I'll be pleasantly surprised if that happens, not that I will give you any more of my money. I can't get away from using Windows yet, but I won't give M$ any money that I don't absolutely have to.

[Nars]

Hope you still gonna make PC games. 

[Sarex]

I was expecting the video to end with them thanking the KickStarters for making this happen, followed by the "So long suckers".

[Daled]

I'm happy for the employees but it's also sad that one of the few mid sized indipendent software house that develops isometric RPGs will be part of Microsoft.

 

I'm really not worried for short terms, they'll probably have the freedom to do a couple more RPGs their way (maybe even isometric), I'm worried that the soul of the company will lessen in the long run and that we'll not play other good Obsidian rpgs. Also, while I'm not against other types of RPGs like other people are, I'd still want to see an isometric one every now and then.

 

On the market platform side of the thing, I'll definetly not going to use windows store, I'm sad that GOG is probably out of question, because it's my favourite store by a long run, I'd settle for steam.

 

Edit: Thinking about it, what's up with buying both obsidian and inxile? They fill the same niche. They wanted the IPs of both companies? They plan to merge them?

Edited November 11, 2018 by Daled

[Insolentius]

Obsidian can bid my money adieu if they let Microsoft tie their games to the Microsoft Store.