Hob by Runic Games -- Developers of Torchlight

[Metro]

http://www.hobgame.com/

Hob is a vibrant, suspenseful adventure game. As players delve into the mysteries around them, they discover a planet in peril. Can it be mended, or will the world fall further into chaos?

Hob is presented without text or dialogue. Narrative is revealed as players explore and interact with their unfamiliar surroundings and the strange life forms that inhabit it. The third title from developer Runic Games, Hob is being developed for PC and console, featuring smooth controller gameplay, multi-layered puzzles, and striking visuals.

Complete with a website designed for touch devices.

I have zero interest in adventure games but I know some of you luvs 'em. Hopefully they make one worthwhile justifying the abandonment of the Diablo-clone genre. I guess it's obvious why Erich Schaefer and Travis Baldree left.

 

[pippin]

The premise is interesting, but you can see this is going to be tablet-friendly from a mile away.

 

[Metro]

A little bit more info. Apparently the two's parting wasn't entirely amicable and Rogue Galaxy (what Travis and Eric are working on now as 'Double Damage') was being worked on at Runic before they went in another direction. I can't see this adventure game taking years to produce. My guess is there was a conflict on what to do and they were like... yeah... we didn't start this studio to do fruity inclooooooooooooosive adventure games and left.

The deal they made with Chinese publisher Perfect World probably complicated Torchlight issues (they've now hired some shit mobile studio to poop out Torchlight Mobile as a F2P model). I'd be surprised if Max had much to do with this adventure game. RIP Blizzard North. I thought they stood a chance to build it up into something but I guess they felt trumped by Path of Exile and the upcoming Grim Dawn.

 

[Great Deceiver]

To be honest much of Torchlight and Runic Games in general was Travis Baldree, and Torchlight owes more to Fate than anything else. This coming from a huge Diablo 1/2 fan as well as Torchlight 2, I thought it was a really good game.

Expecting Runic to be much without Travis is wishful thinking. Not that I think Rogue Galaxy is interesting, it looks to be a dumbed-down Privateer-lite in the vein of Freelancer or later forgettable tripe such as Darkstar One.

The only moderately interesting action RPG in active development today is, for me, Grim Dawn.

 

[Abu Antar]

Rogue Galaxy?

 

[Metro]

Sorry, it's Rebel Galaxy.

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

I enjoyed both Torchlight games well enough. They were far from perfect but they got that "light-hearted goofy high-fantasy" thing down far better than WoW or its other derivatives.

I also always suspected that the company was run by complete fucking nutjobs. I mean, they thought they were going to be able to grow the Torchlight franchise into a WoW killer, so they've always been faintly... out of touch with the market.

 

[Infinitron]

http://au.ign.com/articles/2015/08/31/pax-2015-torchlight-3-isnt-happening-because-dev-is-burnt-out

PAX 2015: TORCHLIGHT 3 ISN’T HAPPENING BECAUSE DEV IS 'BURNT OUT'

Torchlight developer Runic Games is making Hob instead of Torchlight 3 for a couple reasons. Most notably, the team is "burnt out," and wanted to make something new. The other reason? Runic has no interest in trying to compete with Blizzard’s Diablo 3.

"We’re just burnt out," Runic Games President Marsh Lefler told IGN when asked why the team made Hob instead of Torchlight 3. "Let’s admit it, Diablo 3 is killing it right now. Diablo 3 is a really fun game. Not that Torchlight 2 isn’t a fun game, it is, but it’s just different. For us to try to compete with Diablo 3? We weren’t trying to compete before."

Lefler added that Diablo and Torchlight were different kinds of action RPGs, and that after a decade of making dungeon-crawlers, "we just needed a little break" to focus on "something we love" that’s even more different.

Maybe we’ll see Torchlight 3 once we’ve seen some distance from Diablo 3 and Runic’s new game, Hob, has released on PC and (unspecified) consoles.

 

[Delbaeth]

PAX 2015: TORCHLIGHT 3 ISN’T HAPPENING BECAUSE DEV IS 'BURNT OUT'

Next step, they'll fire someone?

 

[hello friend]

'Bout time. I enjoyed Diablo 1 and 2 for what they were, but none of these games - Torchlight, Fate, Path of Exile, etc etc ever came close. Might try that Grim Dawn or whatever it's called but I'm not holding my breath.

Actually Magicka was entertaining enough.

 

[Metro]

Lol... burnt out. More like the people responsible for the good parts of Torchlight have left the studio. If they don't attract the hipster crowd who buy not-games like Hob they'll be bankrupt within two years.

 

[Latelistener]

http://store.steampowered.com/app/404680

Spoiler

 

[Metro]

Worth noting a couple of weeks ago Max Schaefer left Runic to found a new studio (Echtra or something) where they'll be working on more arpgs and not hipster adventure games. Joining him are some Blizzard guys Tyler Thompson and David Glenn. Runic is basically dead.

 

[grudgebringer]

Worth noting a couple of weeks ago Max Schaefer left Runic to found a new studio (Echtra or something) where they'll be working on more arpgs and not hipster adventure games. Joining him are some Blizzard guys Tyler Thompson and David Glenn. Runic is basically dead.

Damn shocking news to me. Why Runic were silent about that?

http://2p.com/44268274_1/Max-Schaef...ew-Studio-May-Make-a-New-MMOARPG-by-JoeLW.htm

Max Schaefer Has Left Runic Games; His New Studio May Make a New MMOARPG

Without official statement or notice, Max Schaefer has actually left Runic Games. Reported by MMORPG.com, he has founded a new studio called Echtra Inc., with 2 other veterans: Tyler Thompson (ex-Blizzard developers who led Diablo: Lord of Destruction) and David Glenn (ex-Blizzard Art Director for Diablo 1 and 2).

MMORPG.com talked to the team at Echtra Inc. and learned something new.

• Echtra is from Old Irish literature and means "Adventures in the Other World"
• While we don't know what type of game is being made, it's probable that it will be "action-y" and "RPG-y"

They wrote "the team is not quite ready to speak more about the project but something is coming that will be sure to please RPG, MMO and ARPG fans everywhere." (source: MMORPG.com)

Now 3 of the major founders of Runic Games have left the company (Travis Baldree and Erich Schaefer left in 2014). The renowned studio is currently working on Hob and Torchlight Mobile, both of which have stayed silent for a long time. I don't know if it's connected to Max's departure. I hope the 2 games haven't halted or cancelled.

 

[Latelistener]

After a success of Torchlight II one would expect that things would, should have gone differently.
It probably won't affect Hob, and I'm still looking forward to it, but the "news" are just depressing.

 

[Metro]

Runic was probably silent about it because they've now lost their major developers. Not something you want to really promote as a studio. No idea who is left there that's worthwhile. Not entirely sure what happened but I'm guessing at some point Max and Erich lost creative/directional control so decided to leave. The Torchlight 'franchise' had already been pilfered by Chinese publisher Perfect World. After Torchlight 2, but prior to this Hob game Max said in an interview he wanted to do another arpg but with crafting/building elements sort of like Minecraft or Terraria.

 

[grudgebringer]

Schaefer teaming up with ex-blizzard devs makes me optimistic this time. Art direction on Diablo 1/2 was huge.

 

[Latelistener]

That's true, we need to look forward. Besides, we still have PoE, Grim Dawn, Wolcen, Exanima, etc.

 

[Metro]

Yep. Runic isn't Runic anymore. Echtra is Runic minus Travis and Eric. And, who knows, maybe when Travis and Eric (as Double Damage games) finish their current project they'll merge with Max and the Blizzard guys.

 

[Latelistener]

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

I can hear Matt Uelmen is still providing his musical talent to Hob. At least something of value to look forward to.

 

[vortex]

11 Minutes of Hob's Gorgeous Forest - PAX West 2016

 

[Metro]

Looks like Baby's First Torchlight with an emphasis on puzzles. So... basically shit for the mainstream/tell-me-a-story iOS crowd.

 

[vortex]

 

[toro]

It's shit but it looks better than Torchlight 2. I guess this is an improvement for Runic games.