So who is working on the game?

[Leferd]

I am hoping that Sawyer's next project will be the historical turn based game inspired by Darklands and Ars Magica.

[Archaven]

I am hoping that Sawyer's next project will be the historical turn based game inspired by Darklands and Ars Magica.

 

You don't have to. They've hinted it couple of times. It's very much confirmed if you asked me. Tbh i prefer fantasy more but i don't mind giving historical one a try.

[Leferd]

It is far from confirmed and more than a year out from actually starting fundamental work on it if it does get a green light. Sawyer has just been publicly vocal for years in his active lobbying. Unless they go the crowdfunding route -- and it isn't likely to receive anything close to Eternity due to its unorthodox concept -- they'll need a successful pitch to secure appropriate financing.

[Flouride]

@Fluoride

 

I actually did a search and read up on Obsidian portfolio. Avellone was actually one of the founders and he has left. 200 headcounts are not a small number for a small-mid developer? If you do the maths, payroll per month probably exceed $1M excluding operating cost? Kind of having a genuine interest in how they operate if they have to keep relying on continuous incoming projects. They are considered "indie" devs so i'm wondering if they do have investors? "indie" probably means that they are not public listed.

 

I'm also quite excited on the project what Tim Cain is working on. I did watch the streaming and i think Feargus hinted a new game starting with the letter "I". I'm wondering what would it be . Anyway, i hope it's something to do with "fantasy"? I love fantasy that's why i backed this. But i'm guessing they are probably "tired" with fantasy? I really hope not.

 

100-200 is pretty normal for mid developer, that said there aren't that many left who aren't owned by a publisher. There used to be way more of those before the production prices for games went up.

 

Yes, their operating costs are somewhere around/over 1 million a month, according Feargus. Won't bother looking for the source, that was a long time ago. 

 

How they operate... Some of their income still comes from Pillars 1 and I doubt they even burned through what they made with the game. Other than that they sign on to a project for a fixed amount (might get bonus/royalties or might not). Both Tyranny and Armored Warfare were paid by publishers and that might be the case with Pathfinder as well. 

 

They've said when they started the Fig that they are looking to find investors through this for future projects.

 

I could just stand for Indiana, the internal project name they have for the project.

[Flouride]

 

I would imagine that a Cain and Boyarsky headed game won't be traditional.

 

Next game probably would be Turn-Based. I'm no big fan of Turn-Based on RPGs but my favorite franchise for TBS is Heroes & Might & Magic. Sadly that franchise is dead too on Ubisoft hand. And the second best TBS game that i love is King's Bounty.

 

I think Obsidian can expand their portfolio with similar games like Heroes of Might & Magic or Might & Magic franchise. Those were my favorites too.

 

 

I doubt they would use Unreal Engine for a turn-based game. There's been hints that Project Indiana uses UE and as such it most likely won't be turn-based that said, who knows if they release something smaller before that. 

[Leferd]

 

 

I would imagine that a Cain and Boyarsky headed game won't be traditional.

 

Next game probably would be Turn-Based. I'm no big fan of Turn-Based on RPGs but my favorite franchise for TBS is Heroes & Might & Magic. Sadly that franchise is dead too on Ubisoft hand. And the second best TBS game that i love is King's Bounty.

 

I think Obsidian can expand their portfolio with similar games like Heroes of Might & Magic or Might & Magic franchise. Those were my favorites too.

 

 

I doubt they would use Unreal Engine for a turn-based game. There's been hints that Project Indiana uses UE and as such it most likely won't be turn-based that said, who knows if they release something smaller before that. 

 

 

The new XCOMs use the Unreal Engine.

[Flouride]

It is far from confirmed and more than a year out from actually starting fundamental work on it if it does get a green light. Sawyer has just been publicly vocal for years in his active lobbying. Unless they go the crowdfunding route -- and it isn't likely to receive anything close to Eternity due to its unorthodox concept -- they'll need a successful pitch to secure appropriate financing.

 

It sorta depends on Pillars 2 success as well. If they can sell around 0.5-1 million units at full price when the game comes out, they can fund few projects from that cash injection.

[Flouride]

 

 

 

I would imagine that a Cain and Boyarsky headed game won't be traditional.

 

Next game probably would be Turn-Based. I'm no big fan of Turn-Based on RPGs but my favorite franchise for TBS is Heroes & Might & Magic. Sadly that franchise is dead too on Ubisoft hand. And the second best TBS game that i love is King's Bounty.

 

I think Obsidian can expand their portfolio with similar games like Heroes of Might & Magic or Might & Magic franchise. Those were my favorites too.

 

 

I doubt they would use Unreal Engine for a turn-based game. There's been hints that Project Indiana uses UE and as such it most likely won't be turn-based that said, who knows if they release something smaller before that. 

 

 

The new XCOMs use the Unreal Engine.

 

 

Oh? I had no idea... I'll eat my words!

[injurai]

The Pillars II team certainly isn't funded on Fig funds alone. They are using the profits from Pillars I. The game has already been in development for at least a year now. But the kickstarter not only allows them a way to get feedback on development from the community, but to offset the risk of development.

[Flouride]

The Pillars II team certainly isn't funded on Fig funds alone. They are using the profits from Pillars I. The game has already been in development for at least a year now. But the kickstarter not only allows them a way to get feedback on development from the community, but to offset the risk of development.

 

Yup, they've sold around 800k-900k copies of the 1st game since it's release + the games they sold during the KS campaign. That's a truckload of profit for them right there. Enough to fund Pillars 2 and other projects as well (unless they were heavily in debt and paid that off). 

[injurai]

It'd be nice if they could eventually self fund a multiplatform rpg. Something to go toe-to-toe with CDPR and Bioware. If they focus on saving profts from PoE and using kickstarter to fund the PoE games. They could launch another self-owned ip that could reach more people and rake in more revenues. I think that is partially what they are hoping to achieve. So they don't want to use all their PoE profts on such a niche market, even though that's where their most dedicated audience is. The average consumer just buys what looks neat, instead of following the output of their favorite industry talent.

[Archaven]

It'd be nice if they could eventually self fund a multiplatform rpg. Something to go toe-to-toe with CDPR and Bioware. If they focus on saving profts from PoE and using kickstarter to fund the PoE games. They could launch another self-owned ip that could reach more people and rake in more revenues. I think that is partially what they are hoping to achieve. So they don't want to use all their PoE profts on such a niche market, even though that's where their most dedicated audience is. The average consumer just buys what looks neat, instead of following the output of their favorite industry talent.

I don't like how CDPR is doing especially with the Witcher franchise. Sure they earn a truckload of cash but the game was casualized badly and I don't want to see PoE heading that direction

[injurai]

 

It'd be nice if they could eventually self fund a multiplatform rpg. Something to go toe-to-toe with CDPR and Bioware. If they focus on saving profts from PoE and using kickstarter to fund the PoE games. They could launch another self-owned ip that could reach more people and rake in more revenues. I think that is partially what they are hoping to achieve. So they don't want to use all their PoE profts on such a niche market, even though that's where their most dedicated audience is. The average consumer just buys what looks neat, instead of following the output of their favorite industry talent.

I don't like how CDPR is doing especially with the Witcher franchise. Sure they earn a truckload of cash but the game was casualized badly and I don't want to see PoE heading that direction

 

 

You think? I don't think it was particularly "harder core" in it's earlier entries. So I don't really understand what you mean by casualized. If you were talking about Dragon Age or Mass Effect I would know what you mean. Not sure if you're a fan of Deus Ex (OG) but I thought that was properly "core" (ugh I am merely at a lose of good words to choose from, but you know what I mean.) I'm pretty excited to have something cyberpunk that draws upon an actual pnp game. If I recall in an interview with the founder. He said he only cares about making games that are rpgs first, and is only happy that they are able to reach a wide market and be profitable.

 

But I only made the comparison to elicit the sort of hope I have for Obsidian's financial future. I'd love for them to be able to own an ip that get's to see AAA production values.

[kanisatha]

 

The Pillars II team certainly isn't funded on Fig funds alone. They are using the profits from Pillars I. The game has already been in development for at least a year now. But the kickstarter not only allows them a way to get feedback on development from the community, but to offset the risk of development.

 

Yup, they've sold around 800k-900k copies of the 1st game since it's release + the games they sold during the KS campaign. That's a truckload of profit for them right there. Enough to fund Pillars 2 and other projects as well (unless they were heavily in debt and paid that off). 

 

Yeah Feargus confirms in the GameBanshee interview that PoE1 sales post-release are over 900,000 units and that including the KS campaign sales the total is over 1 million. Surely PoE2 will sell even more. Btw, Feargus also confirms in this interview that PoE3 will happen.

[Flouride]

Added:

 

James Melili as Effects/VFX Artist

Nina Huynh as Technical Animator

Seth McCaughey as Senior Animator

 

 

Source: Twitch stream

Edited March 9, 2017 by Flouride

[Flouride]

*bump*

Zachary Spurlock got promoted from Animation Intern into a Junior Animator.

[AndreaColombo]

Kate Dollarhide is part of the narrative team, although I do not know her title.

[Flouride]

Kate Dollarhide is part of the narrative team, although I do not know her title.

 

Dollarhyde*

 

She is a junior narrative designer. Added her to the long list of devs.

[Flouride]

Also added Aaron Dubois as Senior VFX Artist since according to that Eurogamer studio tour all of Obsidian's VFX Artists work on Deadfire (among every other game they make at the studio).

 

Not 100% sure about him though. He has some other games listed on Mobygames after 2015, but his LinkedIn still claims he works at Obsidian. Might have been one of people getting laid off after Armored Warfare since he worked on it.

Edited September 20, 2017 by Flouride

[AndreaColombo]

No wonder Deadfire's VFX look so good!

[Eric Fenstermaker]

I'm on this thing! I wasn't sure if I could confirm officially anything in public yet (I'm used to keeping everything under wraps until someone gives the okay, I guess), but then today I learned it's been public since like May. So I guess I can! Plus, who cares?

 

Writing Eder, as previously noted, as a contract writer. Also did story and world development back in preproduction when I was the narrative lead in-house.  Memories.

 

Peace and twin-rorschach-bear-high-fives to all of you.

[Flouride]

I'm on this thing! I wasn't sure if I could confirm officially anything in public yet (I'm used to keeping everything under wraps until someone gives the okay, I guess), but then today I learned it's been public since like May. So I guess I can! Plus, who cares?

 

Writing Eder, as previously noted, as a contract writer. Also did story and world development back in preproduction when I was the narrative lead in-house.  Memories.

 

Peace and twin-rorschach-bear-high-fives to all of you.

 

Added you to the long list of developers

 

Also added Tony Evans. His involvement was revealed by Josh in one of those recent interviews at Usgamer (if I recall correctly).

[TheisEjsing]

I'm on this thing! I wasn't sure if I could confirm officially anything in public yet (I'm used to keeping everything under wraps until someone gives the okay, I guess), but then today I learned it's been public since like May. So I guess I can! Plus, who cares?

 

Writing Eder, as previously noted, as a contract writer. Also did story and world development back in preproduction when I was the narrative lead in-house.  Memories.

 

Peace and twin-rorschach-bear-high-fives to all of you.

I think I speak for most people when I say, that we're grateful that you're writing Eder again. Super rad!

[AndreaColombo]

I think I speak for most people when I say, that we're grateful that you're writing Eder again. Super rad!

 

Totally!

[Flouride]

Added Brian Heins as Senior Designer.  Unless he is splitting time on Tyranny and Deadfire it seems that his work on Tyrany has concluded.