Chris Avellone hates Obsidian!

[Infinitron]

Their management, anyway: http://sugarbombed.com/forums/threads/chris-avellone-interview-part-1.21018/
 

SB: Hypothetically, if Obsidian were to make a hypothetical new Fallout spinoff, would you hypothetically want to go back to obsidian and have some involvement with it being that Fallout is so close to your heart?


CA: No. While I like the developers and wish them all the very best, there's too many other problems at the higher managerial level to ever consider stepping back, especially when you could make a step in a direction that mattered for the franchise. Even leads at Obsidian have said as much (most after departing), and they told me they felt helpless in their roles to do what they felt was the right decision.

SB: You’ve said that you don’t think Fallout will leave Bethesda’s hands again, and likely not go back to Obsidian. Do you think this would have anything to do with the quarrels Bethesda and Obsidian had during and after development (specifically the metacritic thing) and like I said before, they’re worried about being showed up so to speak? Because with Bethesda’s patterns, the next Fallout game by them likely won’t come out for a long time, so they probably want to fill that gap with something, no?

CA: I doubt Bethesda worries much about what Obsidian is doing (Bethesda's likely way too busy on multiple fronts), but only they could speak to that, I have no idea.
From an outside perspective, however, it appears when Bethesda likes working with a studio or see their potential, they seem to buy them (Arkane). They didn't buy Obsidian, though, even though Obsidian is eager to be bought based on recent interviews. It might be for the best - I don't know what would happen to the devs if Obsidian was bought, but the upper management would likely come out okay with that exit strategy.

SB: Let’s say Bethesda goes and tries to fill the wait for Fallout 5 with a Fallout MMO by The Elder Scrolls Online developer Zenimax Online Studios. Do you see any potential in this idea?

CA: I think a Fallout MMO would do well. Yes, RPG Codex, light your torches, I'll send you a map to my house.

[Serrano]

 

Yes, RPG Codex, light your torches, I'll send you a map to my house.

 

I love that guy

[pmp10]

 

 

SB: Hypothetically, if Obsidian were to make a hypothetical new Fallout spinoff, would you hypothetically want to go back to obsidian and have some involvement with it being that Fallout is so close to your heart?


 

CA: No. While I like the developers and wish them all the very best, there's too many other problems at the higher managerial level to ever consider stepping back, especially when you could make a step in a direction that mattered for the franchise. 

I seriously doubt taking Fallout in a different direction is an option.

Big settings only change when sales fall into reboot territory. 

[Lexx]

"especially when you could make a step in a direction that mattered for the franchise"

 

Anyone knows what that's supposed to mean?

[Keyrock]

 

 

 

SB: Hypothetically, if Obsidian were to make a hypothetical new Fallout spinoff, would you hypothetically want to go back to obsidian and have some involvement with it being that Fallout is so close to your heart?


 

CA: No. While I like the developers and wish them all the very best, there's too many other problems at the higher managerial level to ever consider stepping back, especially when you could make a step in a direction that mattered for the franchise.

I seriously doubt taking Fallout in a different direction is an option.

Big settings only change when sales fall into reboot territory.

Agreed. Why would Bethesda do a 180 when they're making money hand over fist with their increasingly FPS and devreasingly RPG offerings?

[pmp10]

"especially when you could make a step in a direction that mattered for the franchise"

 

Anyone knows what that's supposed to mean?

Maybe slowly moving away from post-apocalypse?

In Fallout 2 things were moving away from the bombs into a new wild west of sorts.

[Lexx]

Yeah but I think that was great. Fo3/4s ever ongoing apocalypse is just so lazy and out of place now, imo.

[kirottu]

That interview felt like it was done someone who wears Fallout pyjamas to bed. 

[Infinitron]

 

"especially when you could make a step in a direction that mattered for the franchise"

 

Anyone knows what that's supposed to mean?

Maybe slowly moving away from post-apocalypse?

In Fallout 2 things were moving away from the bombs into a new wild west of sorts.

 

 

I believe Chris advocated for the opposite at one point. He wanted to re-nuke the world.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Infinitron

[sorophx]

makes sense, since he likes exploration in FO3 more than in NV, while I think NV had more of a grounded in reality setting, which made exploring its world more interesting to me (see MrBToungue's video on the subject for details, I happen to completely agree with him on everything in regards to FO3 vs NV)

[Lexx]

I've read the interview now and I can't help but feel like MCA isn't happy about all this stuff.

 

Anyway, what I agree with, though, is the Jet thing. Myron was a big arse and he could as well just have stumbled over the recipe. Earlier than anyone else. He is also quite eager to follow the player away from his "prison" at the Reno stables.... He isn't dumb, so he might as well know that he won't be able to keep that lie up forever. Therefore the player taking him as a companion suits his interest (to survive) quite well.

[Zoraptor]

I mean it in the nicest possible way but you are such a 14 year old girl with your thread titles Infinitron.

 

From an outside perspective, however, it appears when Bethesda likes working with a studio or see their potential, they seem to buy them (Arkane).

 
Yeah, nah. Don't see that at all, except for a bit of the 'potential' part- Bethesda buys studios they think will make them money or which they can get cheap; and if we believe Human Head they're not averse to being... creative in their means of getting companies cheap.

 

In fact I'm not sure any other company was acquired by Zenimax/ BSW after working with them except for Arkane; Rage (iD) was going to be published by EA not Beth, Battlecry was created by BSW, Tango & Machine Games were both bought out almost immediately after being founded. Indeed, in the past ~ten years they've only bought one out of six studios they've worked with (Arkane; Obsid, InXile, [brink devs whose name temporarily escapes me], Human Head, Rebellion) and I'm pretty sure I'm missing a few from the unbought list.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Zoraptor

[Amentep]

Indeed, in the past ~ten years they've only bought one out of six studios they've worked with (Arkane; Obsid, InXile, [brink devs whose name temporarily escapes me], Human Head, Rebellion) and I'm pretty sure I'm missing a few from the unbought list.

 

InXile (Hunted: The Demon Forge), Behaviour Interactive aka Artificial Mind & Movement (WET), Mad Doc Software (Star Trek, bought by Rockstar), Headfirst (Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, went bankrupt)?

[WorstUsernameEver]

The title of the thread is pretty childish, but to be fair, there's no beating around the bush that the interview is very critical of Obsidian (mostly upper management, though apparently Chris also has some problems with the creative output on New Vegas.)

[Infinitron]

New Vegas is Obsidian's most popular and successful game - a true phenomenon. That kind of popular appeal is something that Chris usually has respect for. That he can't find a way to say something positive about it is a major indicator of sour grapes.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Infinitron

[Zoraptor]

 

Indeed, in the past ~ten years they've only bought one out of six studios they've worked with (Arkane; Obsid, InXile, [brink devs whose name temporarily escapes me], Human Head, Rebellion) and I'm pretty sure I'm missing a few from the unbought list.

 

InXile (Hunted: The Demon Forge), Behaviour Interactive aka Artificial Mind & Movement (WET), Mad Doc Software (Star Trek, bought by Rockstar), Headfirst (Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, went bankrupt)?

 

 

InXile's already on the list after Obsid. Couldn't forget Brian, after all, especially in a thread started by his arch nemesis.

 

If I only missed three I'm pretty pleased, though I should have had remembered Mad Doc since I knew a couple of people who worked there from Looking Glass/ Irrational.

[Tale]

 

 

"especially when you could make a step in a direction that mattered for the franchise"

 

Anyone knows what that's supposed to mean?

Maybe slowly moving away from post-apocalypse?

In Fallout 2 things were moving away from the bombs into a new wild west of sorts.

 

 

I believe Chris advocated for the opposite at one point. He wanted to re-nuke the world.

 

That I can buy. I felt New Vegas was very wild west, so I can't parse the idea that it was ignored if that was the desired direction.

 

Sad to hear all this, though. I've been thinking this time that Avellone simply didn't like being in the management role where he was supervising others instead of working on content directly. Sounds like there's more to it.

 

I'm also disappointed, but not unsurprised, to hear Obsidian is looking to be bought. It would bring some financial stability, but I've seen too many studios turn into shadows of their former selves after such a thing.

[WorstUsernameEver]

Ah, they didn't buy Behaviour Interactive, but they did basically just get people from there for their new BGS office after collaborating with them on Fallout Shelter and Fallout 4. Not that I think it's very relevant to this discussion, just a cool tidbit that I don't see mentioned very often.

[Volourn]

It's funny he says this because he WAS upper management considering he was a co owner. But, ouch.

[sorophx]

That he can't find a way to say something positive about it is a major indicator of sour grapes.

that's what surprised me the most. it seemed as if he was trying to avoid saying bad things about NV even. yeah, I get it, it's too much like New Reno, and Chris was damaged by his experience working on New Reno apparently, but still... is the game's location so important he just can't ignore it?

[Infinitron]

They wouldn't have been able to use Hoover Dam (a Van Buren plot element) if it was New Reno. It's too far away. You'd think Chris would want to bring in as much of Van Buren as possible.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Infinitron

[Amentep]

 

 

Indeed, in the past ~ten years they've only bought one out of six studios they've worked with (Arkane; Obsid, InXile, [brink devs whose name temporarily escapes me], Human Head, Rebellion) and I'm pretty sure I'm missing a few from the unbought list.

 

InXile (Hunted: The Demon Forge), Behaviour Interactive aka Artificial Mind & Movement (WET), Mad Doc Software (Star Trek, bought by Rockstar), Headfirst (Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, went bankrupt)?

 

 

InXile's already on the list after Obsid. Couldn't forget Brian, after all, especially in a thread started by his arch nemesis.

 

If I only missed three I'm pretty pleased, though I should have had remembered Mad Doc since I knew a couple of people who worked there from Looking Glass/ Irrational.

 

 

Can't see how  I missed that you had InXile there since it was the first one I looked for.

[Flouride]

Another interview of Avellone being sour grapes, at this point it's starting remind a feud between two once BFF's at high school.

I find it sad/funny especially since he was part of the so called upper management. Apparently he couldn't sell his or his creative leads ideas to the other owners. In some ways he failed as well if he can't sell these brilliant ideas to the other owners.

[sorophx]

They wouldn't have been able to use Hoover Dam (a Van Buren plot element) if it was New Reno. It's too far away. You'd think Chris would want to bring in as much of Van Buren as possible.

I'll be repeating myself, but I think that with all DLCs NV essentially *is* Van Buren

[Lexx]

No it really is not. The DLCs have hardly anything in common with Van Buren, and so does New Vegas. It takes a few basic elements, but other than that it's really not the same.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Lexx