From SorceroR's Palace (as wellas RPGDot):

 

http://www.sorcerers.net/index.php#001803

 

 

Here's a small quote: "May 26 02:55:16 <[DLA]Steel_Wind> Atari called to tell BioWare they were stopping the premium mod program and not authorizing any further patches for NWN1

May 26 02:55:22 Ouch.

May 26 02:55:23 * Cygnata points to Lisa. Is.

May 26 02:55:24 <[DLA]Steel_Wind> They did not want any talk of free horses at E3

May 26 02:55:25 Yikes!

May 26 02:55:33 <[DLA]Steel_Wind> NWN1 is dead. Atari killed it.

May 26 02:55:35 lol

May 26 02:55:37 SW: WHY?

May 26 02:55:42 <[DLA]Lisa> the live team was disbanded"

 

There's a lot more info there as well. It goes on to talk about how BIO has 'provisions' to continue patching the game though..

 

 

btw, BIO hasn't confirmed (or denied) this info yet so at this time it's a rumour; but... I don't know what to say...

 

 

Hmm...

I really don't feel like reading through an IRC log, so bear with my lazy ass. Who are these DLA people anyway?

A major NWN1 modding team. According to them, they were hired by BIO to work on Premium Modules. Some of their stuff has been released with other ones like the boss monsters found in Inifinity Dunegons (the newest mod). Apprarantly, DLA had their own PM due out; but that was a put a stop to it. They now plan to release it as a free module in September.

 

Also, according to DLA, one of the main reasons is Atari's perception that BIO's continued support of NWN1 will intervere in NWN2's success (yeah, uhuh, NWN2 is a guaranteed 1mil+ seller). Also, that the horses that BIO was seemingly going to release in a future patch really got under Atari's skin espicially after the removal of rideable horses in NWN2, and they feared the 'bad publicity' at E3.

 

DLA couldn't talk about it all until recently (according to them) because they were under a NDA which was recently lifted..

 

Like I said, this is DLA's musings only.

Edited May 27, 200619 yr by Volourn

In brief, DLA is the team that were working on bringing DragonLance Adventures to NWN. They were so good, they were hired by BioWare for their content to be used in official Premium Modules. If you go here, you'll see 7x of the bosses plus tilesets and more in the latest Infinite Dungeons official Premium Mod come from DLA.

 

They are no longer working on DragonLance but have become a semi-professional game art house.

 

According to Steel_Wind (the DLA team lead), Atari won't let BioWare release any more patches or official modules for NWN1, because they are wary of the sales impact on NWN2.

 

The veracity of the claim is unproven, but Steel-Wind isn't any random fool and as you can see, has worked on BioWare's latest NWN stuff.

Meh. Dhruin > Volourn

You replied as I was typing. I have to learn to type faster.

They lifted the NDA before making a public announcement themselves? WTF?

 

Anyway, this is a problem why? The premium module part I can't talk about, as I'm a cheap bastard that doesn't purchase those anyway, but does the game still need to be worked on in form of further patches? Honest questions, really. It's not like they are planning on shutting down the MP central server, right?

 

Not a surprising move, anyway. From what I read, Atari isn't doing too hot, and they'll use any excuse they can find to cut their expenses. Not that NWN support and premium module release would really interfere with NWN2 sales but a great portion of the modding community is going to migrate to NWN2 either way. Not to mention the player base. "

Of course, you type a lot better than I do so you still get the edge. "

 

 

"Not that NWN support and premium module release would really interfere with NWN2 sales but a great portion of the modding community is going to migrate to NWN2 either way. Not to mention the player base. "

 

Agreed. Which is another reason why this move (if true) is silly on Atari's behalf.

 

 

"They lifted the NDA before making a public announcement themselves? WTF?"

 

I would not be surprised that Atari had no plans to announce this at all. The quieter the better for them. Of course, the NDA may have been with BIo and if so, who knows. *shrugs*

Edited May 27, 200619 yr by Volourn

Is it a big deal? Well, yes and no. No, if you aren't interested in Premium Modules or the new content in patches. The game works perfectly well but each patch usually adds new features or base monsters.

 

It's "yes" if you look at the bigger picture of a licensor interfering with a very successful community. I'm not a huge BioWare fan but they deserve credit for their ongoing support of NWN and we shouldn't be pleased when a licensor (apparently) stops that. How do gamers win from that?

It was inevitable but I think it is kind of lame of Atari to pull the plug on NWN 1 if this is true. Has Atari put any money in the Live team efforts in the recent months anyway? I don't think they have. Besides why kill a commercial success when the sequel is just around the corner. Use the original to promote the sequel. Cheap publicity the way I see it.

 

Lame arse Atari, if true and if it is true I don't see why people even bother doing business with an outfit like that.

Is it a big deal?  Well, yes and no.  No, if you aren't interested in Premium Modules or the new content in patches.  The game works perfectly well but each patch usually adds new features or base monsters.

 

It's "yes" if you look at the bigger picture of a licensor interfering with a very successful community.  I'm not a huge BioWare fan but they deserve credit for their ongoing support of NWN and we shouldn't be pleased when a licensor (apparently) stops that.  How do gamers win from that?

Good point. Can Atari actually prevent BIO from continuing support of the game, even if it's BIO that will assume the expenses from now on (this assuming it was Atari that funded all of that until now)?

Edited May 27, 200619 yr by 213374U

"The game works perfectly well but each patch usually adds new features or base monsters."

 

Espicially since rideable horses seem to be the fire that lit this storm off as Atari (accoridng to DLA) didn't want talk of free rideable hores in NWN1 intervere with their NWN2 E3 hype (espicially with the announcement ahwile back of no ridebale horses in NWN2).

 

Gah.

 

 

"Can Atari actually prevent BIO from continuing support of the game, even if it's BIO that will assume the expenses from now on (this assuming it was Atari that funded all of that until now)?"

 

Accoridng to the chat logs, BIO has a 'clause' that allows them to continue patching it. However, it sees that most (if not all) the Live Team has been moved to other games...

 

 

 

 

P.S. I guess this means I won't be looking forward to a PM Expansions Pack Part 2 in stores any time soon. Damn.... Wanted to try POTSC... Geh.

Edited May 27, 200619 yr by Volourn

I think that Atari funded the first or two patches from each installment release, not counting the Premium Mods, but more than likely I am wrong. Still, it seems a stupid move on Atari's part, if this is true.

The Live Team has been disbanded. Someone better tell Mr. Bartel

"The Live Team has been disbanded. Someone better tell Mr. Bartel"

 

LOL :D

I guess we don't know the details of the contracts, but ultimately, I'd be surprised if the contract didn't give the licensor full ultimate control. Remember when Troika used to say they couldn't release patches (either ToEE or VtM) without approval from the licensor because it was their property? And how any D&D game needs to get everything approved by WoTC? Even the latest Infinite Dungeons module apparently had a boss pulled because of Eberron/FR crossover.

Good point, Alan. Until we get official word from Bioware itself this is just more useless speculation.

 

I hate speculation.

? Speculation is what the internet is about! "

Exactly. The Internet is useless.

I guess we don't know the details of the contracts, but ultimately, I'd be surprised if the contract didn't give the licensor full ultimate control.  Remember when Troika used to say they couldn't release patches (either ToEE or VtM) without approval from the licensor because it was their property?  And how any D&D game needs to get everything  approved by WoTC?  Even the latest Infinite Dungeons module apparently had a boss pulled because of Eberron/FR crossover.

I've seen devs put out "unofficial" and "beta" patches out before, when publishers refused to fund any more patches. Those were basically direly needed bug fixes, though, not content patches. I doubt BIO would risk that when the game doesn't actually need more patches.

Exactly.  The Internet is useless. 

Porn.

Exactly. The Internet is boring.

Ahem. I like porn as much as the next fellow (if not more ); but back on topic:

 

I tend to like Atari. I think they've done a great job supprting BIO's support of NWN. If this is true, it sucks big time, and makes me like them (if I even still do) a lot less.

 

R00fles! :D

Edited May 27, 200619 yr by Volourn

Heh. Can you imagine the flak if NWN1 ended up having free supported horses 'NWN1 had horses, why can't NWN2???'

 

Though, if you're already working on it and Atari pulls the plug, the smart thing for Atari to do is transfer all that work and get it out eventually on NWN2.

Either NWN sure is showing its age or the artwork those guys did is terrible. Those screenshots look like ass.