Yeah, but it likely just goes to show that what Obsidian make in the future will still be a Microsoft decision and not a Bethesda Softworks one like a lot of the immediate reactions here and elsewhere are fearing.

Edited 22 hours ago22 hr by Humanoid

17 hours ago, Wormerine said:

The worst case scenario is that Obsidian becomes delegated to support studio to BGS output.

I think this is the most likely scenario, and not just the worst case. And that is exactly the problem for me, because there are no Bethesda IPs that have any interest for me even though they may be popular with the masses. Between Bethesda and Obsidian, the PoE/Avowed IP is the best IP by a very wide margin, IMO. But we are never going to see another game in that IP, which is why I'm so sad to receive this news.

Unfortunately PoE was on life support when PoE 2 didn't sell well enough, and Avowed was the last chance for that IP to hit it big. Outer Worlds 2 basically did the same thing. It is frustrating because these are all very good games in interesting universes. But Obsidian isn't a small independent studio that can survive with a small loyal fanbase. They need mainstream success to be profitable, and they are only going to get that with an established IP. It's a bummer, but I still expect their Fallout game to be fantastic.

7 hours ago, Mamoulian War said:

Looking at the latest press release by MS, where they published that they are still finding a proper way to solve the Arkane "issue", I find this very unlikely unfortunately.

Overall MS trying to solve the Arkane 'issue' is a positive, since the alternative is worse.

I don't think there was a realistic probability of Arkane ever making a Prey/ Dishonoured (System Shock/ Thief, or indeed Alpha Protocol type) game again as a subsidiary since the leadership that wanted to do that are gone and big organisations don't do passion projects, especially ones that haven't made significant money. The realistic way that happens is if Arkane goes independent, and to be fair to MS that seems to be their preferred option* given it's happened with other studios they don't want, and they could have simply closed them down. I think we all know what option someone like EA would have already chosen...

The released studios have also got most of their IP. Probably not so important for Arkane, unless you were waiting for Arx Fatalis 2, since Prey/ DMM&M/ (Wolfenstein) wasn't theirs and Dishonoured's main series is at least in theory done. The problem may well be that the two obvious people to release it to are already committed to other projects.

*not because they're just nice that way, of course, but because it's better PR to be seen to have tried. And if they have negative value on the balance sheet giving them away is a financial positive too.

46 minutes ago, Zoraptor said:

Overall MS trying to solve the Arkane 'issue' is a positive, since the alternative is worse.

I don't think there was a realistic probability of Arkane ever making a Prey/ Dishonoured (System Shock/ Thief, or indeed Alpha Protocol type) game again as a subsidiary since the leadership that wanted to do that are gone and big organisations don't do passion projects, especially ones that haven't made significant money. The realistic way that happens is if Arkane goes independent, and to be fair to MS that seems to be their preferred option* given it's happened with other studios they don't want, and they could have simply closed them down. I think we all know what option someone like EA would have already chosen...

The released studios have also got most of their IP. Probably not so important for Arkane, unless you were waiting for Arx Fatalis 2, since Prey/ DMM&M/ (Wolfenstein) wasn't theirs and Dishonoured's main series is at least in theory done. The problem may well be that the two obvious people to release it to are already committed to other projects.

*not because they're just nice that way, of course, but because it's better PR to be seen to have tried. And if they have negative value on the balance sheet giving them away is a financial positive too.

From what I understood, Arkane's future is currently looking closer to future of Ninja Theory than of Double Fine. And I hope I am wrong on this one. 🤷‍♂️

23 hours ago, Zoraptor said:

I'd say that's the realistic scenario, for most of their output, rather than worse case. It may not be particularly palatable to Obsidian fans, but if Avowed was TES: Avowed it would have sold a lot more even if you otherwise left 90% of it the same.

I might have sold better, but would surely lead to massive backlash. When Obsidian Fallout was announced I expressed a concern that unless they cooperate with Bethesda and use their Creation Engine I don't think they have capabilities of delivering a Fallout game fans of the IP expect, modding and all.

Now, I get that Asha is all for milking strong IPs, but will Obsidian just form Call of Duty-style studio pumping out games within Bethesda IP, in-between main entries? Maybe, but Bethesda publishers has a good track record in shepherding more creative projects as well. I really struggle to guess "good or bad" news from this announcement, as from my perspective it really could be either. All depends on direction and role envisioned for Obsidian. Maybe they will do Fallout and maybe they will continue as a more separate entity supported by Bethesda, the way ID supported Machine Games. Or maybe they will be tasked with ungrateful task of patching holes in Bethesda's RPG release schedule. And who is to say that I can't enjoy and Elder Scroll game if it's done by Obsidian rather then Beth.

What I am curious is:

Obsidian, which will continue its current projects, including Grounded, as well as the new Fallout project made in collaboration with Bethesda Game Studios.

It's probably too much to hope that Avowed2 will be allowed to be finished?

From one of JS videos on XBOX cuts

“Obsidian [has] a small team that was working on Avowed 2, that’s going to still work on Avowed 2 even though it is canceled. While they wait for other projects like Fallout to be ready for them. Maybe in hopes of getting it uncancelled, it was actually further along than most people would guess for a sequel to a game that came out last year. So I think their hope is perhaps they’ll get it so close to finish that Xbox will look at it and say, ‘Okay you can finish and release this, it won’t cost that much more to finish it’.”

Edited 14 hours ago14 hr by Wormerine

Oh, I'm sure that a Fallout game made by Obsidian will be very good. But it won't be a good game for me. I react to all post-apocalyptic settings and games the same way I react to the Warhammer setting and games. They're way too bleak and depressing for me to be able to enjoy them. And that's not even factoring in the whole FPS aspect of the game, which is also a hard pass for me.

Here's a thought, though. If games being made by Bethesda is what it takes for games to sell big, then perhaps even as Obsidian uses Bethesda's Fallout IP to make a Fallout game, Bethesda can use Obsidian's Avowed IP to make a "Bethesda" Avowed 2? [Sorry, grasping at straws is all I have left.]

Edited 14 hours ago14 hr by kanisatha

I think my main concern re: Obs/Beth/Fallout would be how much Beth might (if at all) kinda take over/semi-dictate any vision - eg, can Obsidian still be/feel like Obsidian. Whatever that even means anymore - I don't mean that last line to be necessarily negative - only that I haven't played enough of Obs more recent games to really know.

32 minutes ago, Wormerine said:

It's probably too much to hope that Avowed2 will be allowed to be finished?

Avowed 2 would surely have been a marginal call, in the best case scenario, since its predecessor didn't sell that well and as that quote implies. If it were to continue being made doing so as A TES Game (ie not 6/7) seems best practical/ realistic case, as much as it may not be what people wanted. As previous, I'd suspect they'll be allowed some leeway for experimentation given MS obviously think Grounded did well; but a TES like game in a setting that isn't TES, and has not sold well enough? That's a hard sell, in good circumstances. Even the more risky/ small scale/ experimental stuff is more likely to get approved is it's got a big IP attached to it.

1 hour ago, Mamoulian War said:

From what I understood, Arkane's future is currently looking closer to future of Ninja Theory than of Double Fine. And I hope I am wrong on this one. 🤷‍♂️

That is the current situation for sure, they're both effectively in limbo. The main positive- and it certainly is only a relative and circumstantial positive- is that they haven't been shut down, so the willingness to divest as working entities from MS appears to be genuine rather than performative.

(It would be a lot harder than many people would think to divest, even if they're effectively being given away with IP and in some cases seed money as well. You still need someone who MS trust to take them on in a situation where most studios fail and do a job which is no doubt incredibly stressful. In a sort of magical hand waving world you'd probably return Arkane at least to Raf Colantino; but he already has a new studio. So does Harvey Smith, and you have to wonder if anyone else wants it)

So, I'm curious, since most here are more into story/chr driven rpg's than I am (and pay more attention to related news) -

Have there been many really good story-driven rpg's in the past 10 or so years? Choices/consequences, not Diablo-clones/button mashing and loot, not remakes. With at least some mass appeal - eg, at least 3d-ish, some action, whether linear or open worldish. I know that's subjective - many might think BG3 (or TW3 if you stretch it to 11 years I think) was one, for example, while others would not. But just curious if the state of such games is even in a good place at all.

Fallout: New Zealand doesn't have to be post-apocalyptic if nothing bad happened there.

10 hours ago, LadyCrimson said:

I know that's subjective - many might think BG3 (or TW3 if you stretch it to 11 years I think) was one, for example, while others would not.

BG3 definitely, I just thought the story was a mess 🤣 (on my 2nd playthrough now.. currently frozen in act2…). I don’t think they are much of “RPGs” but Witcher3 and Cyberpunk have strong narrative component with choices. With even less on “choice” side, Expedition33 was really pleasant jRPG style title.

I also wouldn’t discount - FromSoft titles. I personally find worldbuilding and small story bits to be very important aspects of those titles. Cutscene watching isn’t my preferred way of delivering narrative these days anyway.