Interplay. Kickstarter? It is...a mystery!

[SeekDWay]

Personally, I wish that Obsidian would make a game for EA. Obsidian games are great in a lot of respects, but EA would hold them to higher standards in some areas that they lack in. For example, EA says that they aren't going to publish any more single player games only games, so they would not allow Project Eternity's shameful lack of multi player content. Also, I'm worried that Obsidian's profits will be sapped by piracy, and implementing Origin's always online DRM would help protect Obsidian's investment substantially. And finally, if EA was publishing Project Eternity, we might actually get some day one dlc. I know that some folks are satisfied to wait 6 months for new content, but I'd rather get my hands on it faster.

 

I live in Bulgaria, a country where my friends laugh at me for supporting stuff on kickstarter and buying games or other digital goodies. Beeing on the front seat of a "piracy for dummies" show for 20 years now, has thought me one thing - DRM is a joke... Once you see how easy piracy rolls, you eighter stick with only pirated content or you realize buying is supporting, wish the later was the case in my country, Russia, UK, China and some EU countries, but it is not. *Looks at the small roll of boxes on the shelf, nobs to self, smiles*

 

Publishing as a whole is a nasty combo of avoiding taxes and milking game studios or other artists, it's not what it is supposed to be, but that's the sad truth behind it currently.

Edited October 21, 2012 by SeekDWay

[Leferd]

Not certain why anybody would ever care about anything Interplay says or does anymore. They have nothing and will make nothing in their current condition, for good or for ill.

 

Funnily enough, re. OP, I can imagine a lot of publishers entertaining the possibility. After all, if they can get a dev to sign on, it's great for them.

 

It's pretty shady though, and underhanded. In essence using a proxy to fund the games they want to publish at zero to little cost to themselves and reaping the benefits while taking advantage of the actual developer.

 

 

[bobobo878]

Not certain why anybody would ever care about anything Interplay says or does anymore. They have nothing and will make nothing in their current condition, for good or for ill.

 

Funnily enough, re. OP, I can imagine a lot of publishers entertaining the possibility. After all, if they can get a dev to sign on, it's great for them.

I hate to say it, but the high point of Interplay's business over the past few years has probably been their legal defense of their fallout MMO, even though they lost.

 

 

Bethesda wants you to say, look it is only the word Fallout and that is all they get to do and they get to slap it on some game. What game do we slap that mark on?

Do we slap it on a game where people are losing their hair and as hair falls out we say, okay it is a Fallout game?

 

Do we put that on a game that says that there are people falling out of windows and when they hit the ground we kill them and we say that is a Fallout and they are falling out of cars or do we put it on some car racing game set in a time that is not an apocalyptic time like a Fallout game?

Seriously, when was the last time Interplay made a game more entertaining than their lawyer?

[kenup]

I hate to say it, but the high point of Interplay's business over the past few years has probably been their legal defense of their fallout MMO, even though they lost.

And that's the thing, who's going to defend them when they want to make Fallout into an MMO? Isn't bethesda taking the licence enough? Let's hope them, bethesda, hitting rock bottom from making MMOs out of both Fallout and TES will get the Fallout licence to someone competent.

[bobobo878]

I hate to say it, but the high point of Interplay's business over the past few years has probably been their legal defense of their fallout MMO, even though they lost.

And that's the thing, who's going to defend them when they want to make Fallout into an MMO? Isn't bethesda taking the licence enough? Let's hope them, bethesda, hitting rock bottom from making MMOs out of both Fallout and TES will get the Fallout licence to someone competent.

Ingenious! EA is probably going to recover from making the mistake of spending money developing an MMO sooner than Bethesda will, and after they shut down Old Republic, a lot of EA workers are going to need something new to work on, so why not have Bioware Austin make the next Fallout game?

[kenup]

I hate to say it, but the high point of Interplay's business over the past few years has probably been their legal defense of their fallout MMO, even though they lost.

And that's the thing, who's going to defend them when they want to make Fallout into an MMO? Isn't bethesda taking the licence enough? Let's hope them, bethesda, hitting rock bottom from making MMOs out of both Fallout and TES will get the Fallout licence to someone competent.

Ingenious! EA is probably going to recover from making the mistake of spending money developing an MMO sooner than Bethesda will, and after they shut down Old Republic, a lot of EA workers are going to need something new to work on, so why not have Bioware Austin make the next Fallout game?

Uh, Bethesda has already hired someone who worked on SWTOR to make a Fallout MMO. He has experience with RPGs(because everything is labelled such these days), FPS(duh!) games and monetization of Free-to-Play titles. I'm not commenting on the last part.

Edited October 21, 2012 by kenup

[Karkarov]

Wow this thread is so monumentally dumb I don't know what to say. Either way regardless of who the Publisher that made the offer was it is unlikely and known Developer would have accepted the deal.

[bobobo878]

I hate to say it, but the high point of Interplay's business over the past few years has probably been their legal defense of their fallout MMO, even though they lost.

And that's the thing, who's going to defend them when they want to make Fallout into an MMO? Isn't bethesda taking the licence enough? Let's hope them, bethesda, hitting rock bottom from making MMOs out of both Fallout and TES will get the Fallout licence to someone competent.

Ingenious! EA is probably going to recover from making the mistake of spending money developing an MMO sooner than Bethesda will, and after they shut down Old Republic, a lot of EA workers are going to need something new to work on, so why not have Bioware Austin make the next Fallout game?

Uh, Bethesda has already hired someone who worked on SWTOR to make a Fallout MMO. He has experience with RPGs(because everything is labelled such these days), FPS(duh!) games and monetization of Free-to-Play titles.

Wait, so they want their Fallout MMO to be just like SWTOR? Nice! Bethesda sure does know how to pick them.

[Hiro Protagonist II]

What's with all these conspiracy theory threads popping up.

[Lord of Lost Socks]

My God...

 

[kenup]

What's with all these conspiracy theory threads popping up.

 

Link

Bethesda Softworks Opens Battlecry Studios in Austin

Long-time Industry Veteran Rich Vogel to Head Development at New Studio

October 3, 2012 (Rockville, MD) – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, is pleased to announce it has established a new studio in Austin, Texas, Battlecry Studios, to be headed by long-time industry veteran Rich Vogel. Most recently, Vogel worked at Bioware where he served as the executive producer on the development of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Rich has a long history in the industry having worked on Ultima Online, and Star Wars Galaxies as well as other online and console titles during his 20+ years in game development. The new studio is currently hiring other experienced game developers to fill key roles for an unannounced project.

“I have always admired and respected Bethesda’s approach to making great, original games,” said Vogel. “It’s a belief and passion I share, and I’m looking forward to building a team of high quality developers who want to bring that same commitment and creative energy to the games we’ll be creating.”

“We are very pleased to have someone with Rich’s vast experience join us at Bethesda,” said Vlatko Andonov, President of Bethesda Softworks. “Rich has a history of building and managing talented development teams and bringing high quality games to market, and we look forward to working with him on a new exciting project.”

Battlecry Studios will be the second ZeniMax studio located in Austin, joining Arkane® Studios, whose highly-anticipated title, Dishonored™, ships this month. For more information about Bethesda Softworks and available jobs at Battlecry Studios, visit: http://jobs.zenimax.com/.

[Leferd]

Wow this thread is so monumentally dumb I don't know what to say. Either way regardless of who the Publisher that made the offer was it is unlikely and known Developer would have accepted the deal.

 

What kind of nonsense did you just type?

[Hiro Protagonist II]

What's with all these conspiracy theory threads popping up.

 

Link

 

Bethesda Softworks Opens Battlecry Studios in Austin

Long-time Industry Veteran Rich Vogel to Head Development at New Studio

October 3, 2012 (Rockville, MD) – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, is pleased to announce it has established a new studio in Austin, Texas, Battlecry Studios, to be headed by long-time industry veteran Rich Vogel. Most recently, Vogel worked at Bioware where he served as the executive producer on the development of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Rich has a long history in the industry having worked on Ultima Online, and Star Wars Galaxies as well as other online and console titles during his 20+ years in game development. The new studio is currently hiring other experienced game developers to fill key roles for an unannounced project.

“I have always admired and respected Bethesda’s approach to making great, original games,” said Vogel. “It’s a belief and passion I share, and I’m looking forward to building a team of high quality developers who want to bring that same commitment and creative energy to the games we’ll be creating.”

“We are very pleased to have someone with Rich’s vast experience join us at Bethesda,” said Vlatko Andonov, President of Bethesda Softworks. “Rich has a history of building and managing talented development teams and bringing high quality games to market, and we look forward to working with him on a new exciting project.”

Battlecry Studios will be the second ZeniMax studio located in Austin, joining Arkane® Studios, whose highly-anticipated title, Dishonored™, ships this month. For more information about Bethesda Softworks and available jobs at Battlecry Studios, visit: http://jobs.zenimax.com/.

 

I don't get it. What point are you trying to make?

[kenup]

That there is no conspiracy, other than the first post which we ignore.

[Mamoulian War]

Personally, I wish that Obsidian would make a game for EA. Obsidian games are great in a lot of respects, but EA would hold them to higher standards in some areas that they lack in. For example, EA says that they aren't going to publish any more single player games only games, so they would not allow Project Eternity's shameful lack of multi player content. Also, I'm worried that Obsidian's profits will be sapped by piracy, and implementing Origin's always online DRM would help protect Obsidian's investment substantially. And finally, if EA was publishing Project Eternity, we might actually get some day one dlc. I know that some folks are satisfied to wait 6 months for new content, but I'd rather get my hands on it faster.

 

eew, just the thinking about PE being available on Origin exclusively published by EA made me to throw up... And Day 1 DLC... It is no content, its a customer ripoff... I rather wait 6 months for a proper content with which you spent 40+hours for double price of the DLC...

 

If EA would be behind this kickstarter I doubt the game would raise more than 100k... I know I would rather quit gaming than to pay EA single dollar again...

 

Glad you are not being serious... but still I am feeling so much dirty, just thinking about that...

Edited October 21, 2012 by Mamoulian War

[Ausir]

I only wonder why Chris Taylor and Mark O'Green are still staying at Herve's Interplay, even after the cancellation of their Fallout Online (which was doomed from the start).

[Haerski]

@OP: Oh my god, never thought that, but it's so obvious! It has to be true, though we'll never know. Those talks probably were highly confidential.

 

My feelings towards todays Interplay are mix of compassion and shame. They were such a big player in business decade or two back it's pity seeing them in such a deep pit. But that doesn't stop them from acting like they still matter something. Lawsuit with Bethesda was good example: How did they think they could produce even half-decent Fallout MMO with resources they got? Or even win lawsuit against one of the biggest gaming-corporations of our time?

 

And now their senior necromancer has obviously managed to resurrect Black Isle back to life... with two workers from original BIS. We don't know yet, but my guess is it's just a zombie: Yep, it's moving, but mind and spirit are long gone and not coming back.

 

What do Bioware, Blizzard, High Voltage, Planet Moon, Shiny, Snowblind, Treyarch and Volition have in common? They were all once published by Interplay!

And today they all could buy Interplay anytime they wanted, but why bother when all valuable IP is already sold?

[Ausir]

I would gladly back a Kickstarter project from Chris Taylor and Mark O'Green, but I'd prefer it to be done outside Interplay.

 

Maybe inXile and Obsidian should pool their money to buy the Black Isle trademark from Herve, if only to spare it from being used for crappy games?

Edited October 21, 2012 by Ausir

[Zoraptor]

I hate to say it, but the high point of Interplay's business over the past few years has probably been their legal defense of their fallout MMO, even though they lost.

Lost? They managed to take something they had no real possibility of making and hence had no prospect of retaining the rights to and got Bethesda to pay them a seven figure sum to settle. Sure, Bethesda got to write a nice statement saying that they won a Glorious Victory but paying $$$ for something you should have got for free and would have done if you were half way competent is hardly winning.

[Veeno]

Also, I'm worried that Obsidian's profits will be sapped by piracy, and implementing Origin's always online DRM would help protect Obsidian's investment substantially.

 

 

 

DRM will never manage, nor has it ever managed, to stop pirates from pirating a video game (unless the video game is multiplayer only with only official servers as an option). The only thing DRM does is encumber the people who purchased the game and actually legally own it, for pirates it does absolutely nothing.

 

And THAT is why Project Eternity, being DRM-free, will probably not lose nearly as much profit to piracy as DRMed games, because more pirates than you'd think pirate DRMed video games as a sort of a protest against DRM.

[Haerski]

I hate to say it, but the high point of Interplay's business over the past few years has probably been their legal defense of their fallout MMO, even though they lost.

Lost? They managed to take something they had no real possibility of making and hence had no prospect of retaining the rights to and got Bethesda to pay them a seven figure sum to settle. Sure, Bethesda got to write a nice statement saying that they won a Glorious Victory but paying $$$ for something you should have got for free and would have done if you were half way competent is hardly winning.

I don't know what were the exact details of contract between Interplay and Bethesda (I think Interplay had certain timeline to develop their game which they failed to do) and was the lawsuit legit or not, but 2 million dollars sure isn't lot money in this scale. Not for Bethesda nor did it help Interplay for very long. They probably had already lost nearly that sum in development of their Project V13, which was to be Fallout Online.

Edited October 21, 2012 by Haerski

[Grimlorn]

Personally, I wish that Obsidian would make a game for EA. Obsidian games are great in a lot of respects, but EA would hold them to higher standards in some areas that they lack in. For example, EA says that they aren't going to publish any more single player games only games, so they would not allow Project Eternity's shameful lack of multi player content. Also, I'm worried that Obsidian's profits will be sapped by piracy, and implementing Origin's always online DRM would help protect Obsidian's investment substantially. And finally, if EA was publishing Project Eternity, we might actually get some day one dlc. I know that some folks are satisfied to wait 6 months for new content, but I'd rather get my hands on it faster.

[DocDoomII]

@Grimlorn: yes, we got it 2 pages ago. That's sarcasm.

[Veeno]

Oh come on, I was expecting some responses too.

[DocDoomII]

Oh come on, I was expecting some responses too.

You were too serious and realistic. Didn't seems like sarcasm. Sorry.