Interview Feargus chats with GameSpot - part 2

[Ausir]

Tags: Fallout 3 (Van Buren); Feargus Urquhart; Obsidian Entertainment

<a target=_blank href=http://www.gamespot.com/>GameSpot</a> have posted the <a target=_blank href=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/fallout3/news_6086129.html>second part</a> of the interview with <b>Feargus Urquhart</b>, this time mostly about his new company - <a target=_blank href=http://www.obsidianent.com/>Obsidian</a>, and his plans for the future. Here's a bit on why he left Black Isle:
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GS: When you left Black Isle Studios in April 2003, you said it was because "[BIS parent] Interplay has a direction that it wants to pursue concerning projects and I have a direction that I want to go." What was that direction?
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Feargus Urquhart: Interplay wants to focus on console titles and I don't think that the future of gaming is entirely on the console. I enjoy developing games for both the console and the PC and abandoning one completely for the other is not a direction that I would like my career to go.
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Also, in <a target=_blank href=http://www.rpgcodex.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=2954&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=25>this thread</a> in our own forum, Feargus posted more on developing console vs. PC games. Here's a bit:
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If I budgeted a product like Fallout right now and I had a technology base (like an engine), I would say someone could get it done for between $3M and $4M. It could even be as cheap as $2M or $2.5M with some careful re-use of assets. Now that is just the development budget though, that doesn't include all the other costs of getting a game on the shelf like QA, Audio, Localization, Marketing, PR and payoffs to the mob
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.nma-fallout.com">No Mutants Allowed</A>

 

[Lemon]

could we start posting direct links?

 

[Ausir]

Ooops
Fixed.

 

[Seven]

Didn't this same thing happen the last time?

Well it's good to know that their first project will be released prior to 2010. LOL
Still though, the thought of seeing non-rpg's from'em (in the possible distant future) is scary and intriging: Make a TB strategy game that's a cross between MOO3 and Galciv, and then make it fun. Only then will I be impressed.

 

[Feargus Urquhart]

MOO3

Uhhh.... I'd hope to make a, hmmmm, how do I say this - game that makes sense compared to that thing.

 

[Seven]

Yea, MOO3 was micromanagement hell, plus the AI didn't follow dev plans, plus missiles with infinite range, and beam weapons that had too much range, and then there was all that other stuff that never worked, and...