Obsidian and the future. What can we expect?

[Labadal]

This is a question I ask myself, forum members and the developers.

 

I have bought and enjoyed every single game and DLC developed by Obsidian Entertainment. To say I am a big fan of the company is an understatement of epic proportions. But lately, I feel like they are slowly veering away from the games that made me become the huge fan that I am today. Namely, role playing games with choice and consequence, dialogue and replay value.

 

It began with Dungeon Siege III. I did enjoy playing it, completing it on both PC and PS3. The game came out three years ago and was my least favorite Obsidian game. Every previous game of theirs could easily make it into my all time favorite games list. Earlier this month, The Stick of Truth was released. I still haven't finished it but I have enjoyed it, yet it is alongside Dungeon Siege III one of my least favorite games of Obsidian Entertainment. I have enjoyed these two games, but the thing that I value most has been missing. The dialogue in Dungeon Siege III wasn't on par with their other games, it was more about hack n' slash, and I do love myself a good hack n' slash game every now and then, it's just not that type of game I want made by Obsidian Entertainment.

 

South Park is good, but feels more like a game that tries to make it easy for everyone to easily get into the game. There's not really any dialogue options and there isn't really much choice and consequence to speak of. The difficulty is most of the time non-existent.

 

Now we have these two MMO projects. I have no interest in MMOs, so it could be viewed as a selfish point of view that I think what they are doing is a waste of talent. I know why they are doing it, yet, it pains me to see. I might or might not try them out, but I can already tell that they won't be anything special to me. I've tried several MMOs and have never been able to stick with one for very long.

 

Now we have Pillars of Eternity. This beauty is what I have put all my faith in. I have very high expectations. I rarely hype myself up for game releases, this is an exception. In this game, I'm basically getting all the things I liked about many of their previous games and they have full control over it.

 

Then we have another Kickstarter that they are interested in doing. If this is another serious game with choice and consequence, everything else would be an extreme letdown. I don't care in what setting or which perspective (isometric, third person, first person), just give me another great rpg that I would not hesitate to have on an all time favorite games list again. It's sad to think that the last game that they made that makes it into that list was released in 2010, was successful and had an abysmal deal tied into its contract.

 

Now, I know that Obsidian didn't choose to have it this way. I have read about all the cancelled projects that sounded interesting. Not many development studios have had so much bad luck in this regard. But what happens if the next big project gets cancelled? Will the studio have to finance its existence with a Simpsons RPG, Dungeon Siege IV and more MMOs? I sure hope not. I really hope Pillars of Eternity and whatever the new Kickstarter games is does good enough to warrant sequels. If not, I don't know what to think anymore.

 

BioWare and Squaresoft already let me down. Black Isle and Troika shut down and so did others. I don't want this to be the fate of my favorite studio, I really don't.

 

 

[Hassat Hunter]

With 2 MMO's in development... the answer seem 'all bets are off now'

:/

[Gumbercules]

It could be that instead of mainly trying to do mainstream, AAA RPGs, their development will branch into two separate directions. On the one hand you'll have anything that will keep people employed and money coming in, up to and including a Real Housewives-themed Flappy Bird clone. On the other hand you'll have very focused, niche passion projects like Pillars of Eternity. If they're able to get work on big budget RPGs they'll take that as well, but obviously they can't solely rely on that anymore.

 

I like what I've seen of Pillars of Eternity more than any of their previous games, so if they keep doing that kind of stuff as well I'm not too bothered by the rest. Hopefully they'll be able to get to the point where they have 3-4 Kickstarter-scale projects simultaneously in development, across a variety of settings and genres.

[C2B]

They will still do everything they can/are allowed to do. Be that MMO's, AAA Games, Mid-Range

 

That was easy.

 

.

Edited March 20, 2014 by C2B

[Labadal]

They will still do everything they can/are allowed to do. Be that MMO's, AAA Games, Mid-Range

 

That was easy.

 

.

I do know that. I just look back at what we have gotten after Fallout: New Vegas and its DLC packs/Alpha Protocol . It hasn't been anything mindblowingly amazing even if I have enjoyed both DS3 and SP: TSoT. It's not that they aren't making good games. It's more of a selfish feeling, maybe. I don't mind them taking their time to different things to fund games they would like to make, but it takes time. It also means that I will skip some of their games. That's not something I was hoping would happen, but it is now a reality. Not the end of the world, I know, yet it's sad for a guy that has followed the studio since it opened.

 

Project Eternity isn't that far off, but what if it doesn't succeed? I do think it will do well, but the question is if it does well enough to give Obsidian the money they need for a sequel. They want to self-fund the sequel. it's easier said than done. Then we have the alleged second kickstarter game that is coming up. How much can they get there? So many questions for me personally. I'm a pessimist at hear, so these questions might not even need to be asked. 

[Undecaf]

They will still do everything they can/are allowed to do. Be that MMO's, AAA Games, Mid-Range

 

That was easy.

Of course they will.

 

What can be expected from now on is a bit more complicated question, though.

[C2B]

 

They will still do everything they can/are allowed to do. Be that MMO's, AAA Games, Mid-Range

 

That was easy.

Of course they will.

 

What can be expected from now on is a bit more complicated question, though.

 

 

Good, detailed Games made with effort. That, if not completly rpg's still feature some interesting systems.

 

Have no idea how AW will fare in that regard, but that is what I'm expecting from Obsidian since becoming a fan. 

Edited March 20, 2014 by C2B

[Undecaf]

 

 

 

They will still do everything they can/are allowed to do. Be that MMO's, AAA Games, Mid-Range

 

That was easy.

Of course they will.

 

What can be expected from now on is a bit more complicated question, though.

Good, detailed Games made with effort. That, if not completly rpg's still feature some interesting systems.

 

Have no idea how AW will fare in that regard, but that is what I'm expecting from Obsidian since becoming a fan.

Sure. However, the road has been a bit uneven recently to say the least and to trust a company logo on the box to deliver, is all. Unfortunate events, bad luck and everything, but nonetheless - it's a bit disheartening to look at where they are and know what they're capable of.

 

I'm not overly worried about this, though, projects come and go, just saying what things look like currently.

[C2B]

 

 

 

They will still do everything they can/are allowed to do. Be that MMO's, AAA Games, Mid-Range

 

That was easy.

Of course they will.

 

What can be expected from now on is a bit more complicated question, though.

Good, detailed Games made with effort. That, if not completly rpg's still feature some interesting systems.

 

Have no idea how AW will fare in that regard, but that is what I'm expecting from Obsidian since becoming a fan.

Sure. However, the road has been a bit uneven recently to say the least and to trust a company logo on the box to deliver, is all. Unfortunate events, bad luck and everything, but nonetheless - it's a bit disheartening to look at where they are and know what they're capable of.

 

I'm not overly worried about this, though, projects come and go, just saying what things look like currently.

 

 

Recently?

 

It has been uneven from the very beginning and NWN2 OC is arguably their worst game so far. If anything it has stabilized in a lot of ways, though the actual game opportunities have gotten worse compared to Star Wars or Forgotten Realms.

Edited March 20, 2014 by C2B

[Bryy]

I think making a thread speculating on if/when a company will go under or "sell out" is in bad form.

[Undecaf]

Recently?

 

 

Meaning more so than before. Edited March 20, 2014 by Undecaf

[C2B]

 

Recently?

 

Meaning more so than before.

 

 

KOTORII has/had half the game missing, NWN2 OC was a bad/mediocre game in general, Alpha Protocol was a complete mess from a gaming and development standpoint with one really big saving grace.

 

DSIII was a solid, good fun game (Sawyer agrees). F:NV was great and South Park is well liked and a big success.

 

Nope, unless we are counting expansion packs. As games they are a lot more solid. They're just not D&D, Star Wars D&D or Fallout (well except Fallout ) and their attached benefits (also in the gameplay department)

 

 

Which is certainly a thing to be disappointed about, but saying the games themselves are worse is a bit tinted.

Edited March 20, 2014 by C2B

[WorstUsernameEver]

More cartoon games, hopefully, because I really liked The Stick of Truth, and it turns out Obsidian managed to nail both the look and sound of the show. To be fair, they'd probably also need to get people who are as hands-on as Matt and Trey, which might not be easy with other properties.

[Labadal]

I think making a thread speculating on if/when a company will go under or "sell out" is in bad form.

I don't think they will go under and I absolutely do not think they are selling out. I think Obsidian will have to take on projects that might not be games that fans of the studio expected to see. (It has already happened.) As long as they work on games like Pillars of Eternity, I can live with some of their games not being of interest to me. I'm just disappointed to read that this is what they have to do to keep going for now. If only they could get another big deal going for a new game and not having it cancelled. Anyhow, asked them on twitter, and they seem to have a few things that are yet to be announced.

 

It's not the end of the world, and I do admit that the views I have in this thread are very selfish. I meant no disrespect to Obsidian at all. Their games are part of why I'm still gaming. And if this thread seems to be in bad form, that wasn't the intention either.

 

I simply hope that the studio gets some hits so they ultimately can work on whatever they want and avoid cancelled projects like in the past.

[Fëanor]

After both MMOs, I expect nothing. Obsidian is either a dying breed doomed to smaller KS projects or they're changing drastically.

[Undecaf]

 

 

 

Recently?

 

Meaning more so than before.

KOTORII has/had half the game missing, NWN2 OC was a bad/mediocre game in general, Alpha Protocol was a complete mess from a gaming and development standpoint with one really big saving grace.

 

DSIII was a solid, good fun game (Sawyer agrees). F:NV was great and South Park is well liked and a big success.

 

Nope, unless we are counting expansion packs. As games they are a lot more solid. They're just not D&D, Star Wars D&D or Fallout (well except Fallout ) and their attached benefits (also in the gameplay department)

 

 

Which is certainly a thing to be disappointed about, but saying the games themselves are worse is a bit tinted.

I'm talking about what games they've made and are making, and how they could be identified; not so much about their problems at making those games. DS3, South Park, AW, Russian MMO... Compare that to Kotor and NWN, and even New Vegas as what kind of games they were. Certainly you see where this is going. There's a clear path in how this has been evolving.

 

Anyway, like I said, it's not the end of the world, just a bit disappointing to see.

[C2B]

 

I think making a thread speculating on if/when a company will go under or "sell out" is in bad form.

I don't think they will go under and I absolutely do not think they are selling out. I think Obsidian will have to take on projects that might not be games that fans of the studio expected to see. (It has already happened.) As long as they work on games like Pillars of Eternity, I can live with some of their games not being of interest to me. I'm just disappointed to read that this is what they have to do to keep going for now. If only they could get another big deal going for a new game and not having it cancelled. Anyhow, asked them on twitter, and they seem to have a few things that are yet to be announced.

 

It's not the end of the world, and I do admit that the views I have in this thread are very selfish. I meant no disrespect to Obsidian at all. Their games are part of why I'm still gaming. And if this thread seems to be in bad form, that wasn't the intention either.

 

I simply hope that the studio gets some hits so they ultimately can work on whatever they want and avoid cancelled projects like in the past.

 

 

If it's any concellation, because of this game being what it is, all the rpg experts at Obsidian are working on Pillars of Eternity. This wouldn't really be the case otherwise.

[GhostofAnakin]

Do MMO's like that really make a lot of money?  Honestly curious.

 

I understand wanting a constant revenue stream.  I just didn't realize that these kinds of free-to-play-other-than-microtransaction games made that kind of coin.

[C2B]

 

 

 

Recently?

Meaning more so than before.

KOTORII has/had half the game missing, NWN2 OC was a bad/mediocre game in general, Alpha Protocol was a complete mess from a gaming and development standpoint with one really big saving grace.

 

DSIII was a solid, good fun game (Sawyer agrees). F:NV was great and South Park is well liked and a big success.

 

Nope, unless we are counting expansion packs. As games they are a lot more solid. They're just not D&D, Star Wars D&D or Fallout (well except Fallout ) and their attached benefits (also in the gameplay department)

 

 

Which is certainly a thing to be disappointed about, but saying the games themselves are worse is a bit tinted.

I'm talking about what games they've made and are making, and how they could be identified; not so much about their problems at making those games. DS3, South Park, AW, Russian MMO... Compare that to Kotor and NWN, and even New Vegas as what kind of games they were. Certainly you see where this is going. There's a clear path in how this has been evolving.

 

Anyway, like I said, it's not the end of the world, just a bit disappointing to see.

 

 

In terms of AAA you're most likely not going to see that anymore at all. New Vegas style (with better mechanics of course) is the best you can hope for AAA related.

 

There's a reason Pillars exists. And the whole discussion around it. Big publishers just won't go for that style anymore to make big bucks. Mid-Budget games? Kickstarter? Yes. But that's all you can realistically hope for.

Edited March 20, 2014 by C2B

[C2B]

Or you mean something different in which case that's a dumb argument because you're ignoring the reasons those games came to be and cancelled projects.

[Undecaf]

 

 

In terms of AAA you're most likely not going to see that anymore at all. New Vegas style (with better mechanics of course) is the best you can hope for AAA related.

 

There's a reason Pillars exists. And the whole discussion around it. Big publishers just won't go for that style anymore to make big bucks. Mid-Budget games? Kickstarter? Yes. But that's all you can realistically hope for.

 

 

Not asking for miracles; just hoping for something decent. I know how the market is (or seems to be for the most part -- Ubisoft did publish MMX).

 

 

Or you mean something different in which case that's a dumb argument because you're ignoring the reasons those games came to be and cancelled projects.

 

I'm not arguing. I've no desire to change your mind about anything, just trying get my point of view through whether or not you agree with it.

[C2B]

 

 

 

In terms of AAA you're most likely not going to see that anymore at all. New Vegas style (with better mechanics of course) is the best you can hope for AAA related.

 

There's a reason Pillars exists. And the whole discussion around it. Big publishers just won't go for that style anymore to make big bucks. Mid-Budget games? Kickstarter? Yes. But that's all you can realistically hope for.

 

 

Not asking for miracles; just hoping for something decent. I know how the market is (or seems to be for the most part -- Ubisoft did publish MMX).

 

 

Or you mean something different in which case that's a dumb argument because you're ignoring the reasons those games came to be and cancelled projects.

 

I'm not arguing. I've no desire to change your mind about anything, just trying get my point of view through whether or not you agree with it.

 

 

1. Yes, but MMX is far from a AAA game. Mid-Budget. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of that and that IS the market that is going to be interesting for the likes of us in the upcoming years.. AAA style we'll get what we get. Obsidian is now working on more than they ever have, so I'm sure there will be always something for everyone.

 

2. Then you don't mean something different. Forget that post.

Edited March 20, 2014 by C2B

[Hassat Hunter]

Yeah, the canceled projects...

 

Sure expect SEGA is sad now that Alien: Crucibles was let go, seeing how bad the replacement was which they put effort on.

 

It's not exactly hidden publishers are somewhat stupid... and generally go for easy money (see Call of Duty). It will be interesting to see what happens now the deck of cards has fallen of the once mighty franchise.

[Undecaf]

 

 

1. Yes, but MMX is far from a AAA game. Mid-Budget. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of that and that IS the market that is going to be interesting for the likes of us in the upcoming years.. AAA style we'll get what we get.

 

 

Yes it is. Very far; and gladly so. I'm not particularly keen on AAA titles anyway; they always seem too scattered around with their focus.

 

Of course, though, that comes with it's own set of hopes and expectations -- DS3, for eg.,  was a mid budget game (yes?), but I wouldn't consider it a home run from any angle. Anyways, we'll see where this train goes eventually; it's not in the sunniest of places right now and there's no predicting if it will stop next, but... eventually.

[Labadal]

 

 

I think making a thread speculating on if/when a company will go under or "sell out" is in bad form.

I don't think they will go under and I absolutely do not think they are selling out. I think Obsidian will have to take on projects that might not be games that fans of the studio expected to see. (It has already happened.) As long as they work on games like Pillars of Eternity, I can live with some of their games not being of interest to me. I'm just disappointed to read that this is what they have to do to keep going for now. If only they could get another big deal going for a new game and not having it cancelled. Anyhow, asked them on twitter, and they seem to have a few things that are yet to be announced.

 

It's not the end of the world, and I do admit that the views I have in this thread are very selfish. I meant no disrespect to Obsidian at all. Their games are part of why I'm still gaming. And if this thread seems to be in bad form, that wasn't the intention either.

 

I simply hope that the studio gets some hits so they ultimately can work on whatever they want and avoid cancelled projects like in the past.

 

 

If it's any concellation, because of this game being what it is, all the rpg experts at Obsidian are working on Pillars of Eternity. This wouldn't really be the case otherwise.

 

That is a very good point. 

 

That's why I'm excited about it in the first place.