Will Obsidian end up with another Jefferson?

[Morgoth]

All rumors indicate that Obsidian is working on a fantasy RPG, using the Onyx engine. Rumors also say it might be BG3, a Dark Sun game, or any other setting using D&D.

 

Now it seems Hasbro wants to withdraw it's partnership with Atari, the current D&D license holder and publisher of Obsidian's NWN2.

 

Spotted @ Bluesnews

PAWTUCKET, RI--(Marketwire - December 16, 2009) - Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) today filed a complaint in the District Court of Rhode Island against Infogrames Entertainment S.A., a.k.a Atari, S.A., alleging fraud and five different breaches of their licensing agreement for the Dungeons & Dragons brand.

 

Dungeons & Dragons is owned by Hasbro's wholly-owned subsidiary Wizards of the Coast, who discovered earlier this year that Atari may have entered into an unauthorized sublicensing relationship with Namco Bandai Partners (NBP) for the Dungeons & Dragons digital game rights. NBP is a competitor for both Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro, and such an agreement is prohibited under the contract between Hasbro and Atari.

 

"While unfortunate that we had to take this action, it is crucial for us to protect the Dungeons & Dragons brand," said Greg Leeds, President of Wizards of the Coast. "We have been working for several months now to reach resolution with Atari, and they have left us with no other choice than to pursue legal action."

 

Hasbro is seeking compensatory damages for economic losses suffered as well as a termination of the licensing agreement.

 

Any reason to be worried about? Or is that all bollocks and Obsidian ain't working on a D&D game at all?

[Humodour]

**** D&D, create your own worlds, Obsid. They're cheaper, richer, and less prone to licensing disputes.

[Morgoth]

**** D&D, create your own worlds, Obsid. They're cheaper, richer, and less prone to licensing disputes.

But they're also riskier to produce. And we're currently not exactly living in times that encourages publishers to finance risky games/new IPs.

[Monte Carlo]

I guess it's easier to get the money together using a big-name brand like D&D.

 

Although I couldn't be less excited about a 4E D&D game, which as far as this Grognard is concerned ain't even a D&D game anymore. It's like saying that because there's beef in it that a McDonald's burger is the same as a filet mignon.

 

Yeah, try and get something going using an original IP and ruleset already.

 

Cheers

MC

Edited December 18, 2009 by Monte Carlo

[Gorth]

What I wouldn't give for a well made Warhammer (fantasy or 40k, take your pick) crpg...

[Morgoth]

What I wouldn't give for a well made Warhammer (fantasy or 40k, take your pick) crpg...

Yeah, roleplaying with angry, militant Inquisitors and Space Marines....think of the possibilities!

[Mamoulian War]

What I wouldn't give for a well made Warhammer (fantasy or 40k, take your pick) crpg...

Yeah, roleplaying with angry, militant Inquisitors and Space Marines....think of the possibilities!

 

 

i rather wish someone would make sequel to Chaos Gate

 

 

EDIT: Anyway, if it looks like Atari is having problems with D&D IP, it is time to make my own critical rebuild patch for NWN2... don't wanna play the game unpatched after they lose the case and have to remove the support

Edited December 18, 2009 by Mamoulian War

[Malcador]

What I wouldn't give for a well made Warhammer (fantasy or 40k, take your pick) crpg...

 

If they made Dark Heresy a cRPG, that'd be pretty sweet.

[Flouride]

Well Obsidian ain't owned by Atari like Black Isle was by Interplay, so there might be a chance they (Obs and Atari) could work out a deal with Hasbro & whoever gets the rights next. I'm not sure how it would go legally though if Atari would lose the license. It ain't Obsidian's fault Atari ****ed up, so shouldn't they come up with some solution that doesn't harm the 3rd parties?

Edited December 19, 2009 by Gorth
Problems with the language

[Humodour]

**** D&D, create your own worlds, Obsid. They're cheaper, richer, and less prone to licensing disputes.

But they're also riskier to produce. And we're currently not exactly living in times that encourages publishers to finance risky games/new IPs.

 

The creative side of things I highly doubt, but yes the lack of brand familiarity is certainly a valid point (if only in the current economic climate).

[Kelverin]

So this **** up the NWN2 expansion they are making?

[Humodour]

So this **** up the NWN2 expansion they are making?

 

They aren't making one.

[Mamoulian War]

So this **** up the NWN2 expansion they are making?

 

If obsidz or anyone else were doing something like this, it can for sure freeze any work involved in the IP

[Kelverin]

So this **** up the NWN2 expansion they are making?

 

They aren't making one.

Sure about that?

[Humodour]

So this **** up the NWN2 expansion they are making?

 

They aren't making one.

Sure about that?

 

No, I was hoping you'd feel wronged that I contradicted you and provide me with proof that they are. Call me lazy.

 

But I certainly wasn't aware of it, and it doesn't make much sense given how old NWN2 (and the engine) is, that there has already been 2 expansions, and that the last expansion was fairly lacklustre (in quality and probably also sales). I haven't played it, admittedly.

 

I do note however that Obsidian is working on at least 2 others projects besides Alpha Protocol, so something is certainly in the works.

[Kelverin]

SoZ is awesome! The sales......

[Mamoulian War]

SoZ is awesome! The sales......

 

agreed on the 1st part, the sales were never announced, but many rumours says SoZ was more profitable than MotB... No clue if these rumours reflect reality, but i am kinda more inclined to believe them...

[Sannom]

Somehow, I think that if Feargus really found time to involve himself on that project, it's probably something that is more "personal" to Obsidian, not another license. Like I said, I really believe the deal for New Vegas is just one part of their current relationship with Bethesda, and that Obsidian get the rights for the SPECIAL set of rules for one of their own IP.

 

That is, of course, all wishful thinking.

[Monte Carlo]

Obz reminds me of those expert, but not-very-well-known screenwriters they parachute into ailing movies to sharpen things up, or make the sequel more awesome.

 

Shame they won't unleash them on Dragon Age 2, they'd sort it out. Oh yes, they would.

[bhlaab]

**** D&D, create your own worlds, Obsid. They're cheaper, richer, and less prone to licensing disputes.

But they're also riskier to produce. And we're currently not exactly living in times that encourages publishers to finance risky games/new IPs.

 

That's nonsense. Dragon Age and Mass Effect aren't tied to D&D and do just fine.

 

In fact, I'd say it's riskier to license D&D at this point because it's not exactly compatible with the Xbox crowd.

[Pop]

Dragon Age and ME both had considerable corporate PR backing in the forms of EA and Microsoft, respectively. They were also created after Bioware's mythic reputation had already been forged, post-KOTOR. If Obsidz had made a LOTR-esque high fantasy in the vein of Dragon Age they wouldn't have gotten nearly as far as Bioware has.

 

Anyway, I don't think it's even worth considering whether Obsidz has "another Project Jefferson" on their hands, as that relies on speculation on top of yet more speculation - one, that they're working under an exogenous IP, and two, that the IP is on shaky legal ground.

 

Anyway, as anyone who's halfway familiar with the gaming industry can attest, cancellations happen all the time for all sorts of reasons. Obsidz has one game in the can and by all accounts another one doing well on the assembly line. If their third unannounced project is axed, I doubt they'll be mortally wounded.

[Monte Carlo]

^ Pop, do you think that the vice-like grip D&D has had on CRPGs is finally on the wane? I personally think this would be a good thing, but without the brand how do developers get the suits to agree to big CRPG titles nowadays?

 

DA is a hit, especially on the console (where D&D has only ever been marginal). I'm hoping that other companies are looking at DA and thinking that maybe they could throw their hats into the ring. Of course, we've got Blizzard and D3 but that's aimed at a different audience (is D3 going out on console too?) and some indie Euro CRPGs, but what about the niche that Bio / BIS used to occupy?

[Aristes]

What I wouldn't give for a well made Warhammer (fantasy or 40k, take your pick) crpg...

Say it, brother!

[Oner]

What I wouldn't give for a well made Warhammer (fantasy or 40k, take your pick) crpg...

Say it, brother!

LET ME PREACH HIS NAME!

[Aristes]

AMEN! hehe

 

Ahem, I think we should take a serious look at MC's 'men fighting in tunnels and wenching in taverns' game.