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Company News RPGPOCALYPSE: Obsidian and inXile have been acquired by Microsoft

Darkzone

Arcane
Joined
Sep 4, 2013
Messages
2,323
Microsoft has made an another bad deal, like the thing with Nokia and the Windows Phone. And either they are attracted by decline or Wasteland 4 FP ARPG incoming.
 

Deleted member 7219

Guest


It's going to be great.

I'm not an Xbox guy, though. So I hope everything Obsidian make will also be released on PC.
 

RegionalHobo

Scholar
Joined
Oct 2, 2018
Messages
294
it was that or play the do or die game with the next release for both companies.

i think it was for the better. now they'll have at least some chances to create one last gem before the inevitable end
 

Tel Prydain

Augur
Joined
May 31, 2010
Messages
123
It all depends on whether Microsoft gaming division has dropped the "gears halo if it's not shooter we don't like it" mantra of old, it seems that this is the case.

They're all about niche games for gamepass now. They want AA or B games that can attract specific communities... like Cuphead, State of Decay or Ori.

Could be a good move for MS, they buy two studios on the cheap who have some name power in the RPG space, and then slowy streamline it into their RPG divsion (which then will make action rpgs after some time, and then whatever is current, there's no money in classical RPGs)

A - PoE1, Torment, Wasteland 2, Original Sin 1/2 are all on Xbox... so what a 'console' RPG even is, is changing.
B - They want a range of genres to trick lure people into using gamepass, so they're not going to want to create one kind of game

My guess: Obsidian have worked on bigger projects like FO:NV, Dungeon Siege, South Park, Alpha Protocol, etc... so they'll get upscaled to produce AA console-style RPGs like Bethesda or Bioware. inXile will become the niche dev for isometric RPGs. I wouldn't even be surprised if long-term MS tried to move PoE over to inXile get Obsidion focused on whatever Mass Effect wannabe MS have them making.

After so much talk about Kickstarter being their sole intended model, now i wonder if Fargo intended that from the start.

I wouldn't have thought so... I think that it's pretty clear they were in big trouble.


I The thing is - Microsoft was used to a world where their own studios make a game and it sells 5 millions plus, but it's not the case anymore.

I mean... that's not the case now. Now they're apparently happy with a train wreak like 'State of Decay'. They just want all genres covered to help sell gamepass.


Does this mean that Pillars will no longer be on steam?

If Minecraft and Ninja Theory are any guide, the older stuff will still be available where it is now, news stuff will focus on Windows Store and Gamepass.
 

Daemongar

Arcane
Joined
Nov 21, 2010
Messages
4,706
Location
Wisconsin
Codex Year of the Donut
Haven't logged in all weekend and I miss this... Well, at the end of the day, well, they'll all be fired or dissolved, but it means 2-3 years of big money. Let's hope for the best...
 

Prime Junta

Guest
After sleeping on this shocking news, I do have to admit to a little bit of wistfulness at this news.

After all these years I have developed ... emotions ... about Obsidianites, current and former. There is something to that family metaphor. Feargus is kind of like that one uncle that should under no circumstances be left alone with children. MCA is the dazzlingly exciting, interesting cousin who just keeps getting better when he gets drunker, until somebody has to carry him off, and everybody's really worried about when he's not there. Then there are the gay uncles, the progressive aunts, the dry pedantic cousin who keeps droning on about his esoteric hobbies... yeah, it will be a bit sad to see that colourful cast of characters ground down into a uniform corporate paste, unless they've escaped it already.

Still it was a good ride while it lasted, bumps and all. But it is time for a new leaf to be turned in the annals of RPGs, and this is as good a way as any to turn it.
 

Bohr

Arcane
Joined
Nov 20, 2012
Messages
1,878
Don't worry, if everything goes to shit, the employees will quit and create new AA-studios.

Should make for interesting times in the news forum, at least :salute:

RPG Codex 2020: RPGPROLAPSE: Former Obsidian and inXile devs escape their dark fate
 

Diggfinger

Arcane
Joined
Jan 6, 2014
Messages
1,200
Location
Belgium
Am I tripping or I always see Carrie Patel with different hair color?

Don't be shy, tell her how you feel

h067A969D
 

Ruzen

Savant
Joined
May 24, 2015
Messages
238
What I think about all this that Microsoft is not planning any new console for about 5-7 years. So, let me share my two cents here. They already announced Age of Empires series getting a full remake (even the HD version of Age of Empires 2 is getting a remake) and they making the 4th game with "partnering" Relic. So that means they are interested in making another PC game: Company of Heroes 3. Relic already had plans for releasing CoH3 around 2020ish and even asked for a new office building from Sega...anyways I'm getting side stacked. See to me they are partnering all those PC first companies. Doesn't mean that Obsidian can't make games for consoles but you just won't try to gather all these "Hardcore PC" studios just to prepare your new console.

About the purchase. I believe it was good for the best. Inxile needed a publisher to fire-up the burned out crew. Obsidian was desperately seeking a sugar daddy for some time and they were heading the direction of doing drugs, drinks and one night stands. Just like the previous time they did! They think they are the gods and lived a rock-n-roll lifestyle for a short period of time and they spent all their resources and woke up in an alley next to a dumpster with a big hangover. Maybe this time Microsoft can restrain this spoiled child and turn into a man.
 
Unwanted

a Goat

Unwanted
Dumbfuck Edgy Vatnik
Joined
Jun 15, 2014
Messages
6,941
Location
Albania
What I think about all this that Microsoft is not planning any new console for about 5-7 years.
You seem to fail to realise what "new console" means these days. There won't be any "new" console as they're now using slightly modified AMD x86-64 architecture, therefore making them quasi-PC's. What you will see however are gradual upgrades and new models, with the oldest models losing support progressively as the new ones are being adopted(with backwards compatibility being there).
 

Chippy

Arcane
Patron
Joined
May 5, 2018
Messages
6,037
Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Shhhh...nobody tell Microsoft that their usual buisness plan of buying up developers and running them into the ground while trying to profit from their last drops of blood, sweat, and fan loyalty won't really work in Obsidian's case because half the community hated POE. I'd say the same about InXIle, but I still haven't got around to playing their last few games...which I backed.

I might get around to it once I'm done with Kingmaker.
 

J_C

One Bit Studio
Patron
Developer
Joined
Dec 28, 2010
Messages
16,947
Location
Pannonia
Project: Eternity Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath
Shhhh...nobody tell Microsoft that their usual buisness plan of buying up developers and running them into the ground while trying to profit from their last drops of blood, sweat, and fan loyalty won't really work in Obsidian's case because half the community hated POE.
Another poor soul who thinks that Obsidian's community only consists of the Codex. Sssshhh...the game sold a million and people liked it.
 
Unwanted

a Goat

Unwanted
Dumbfuck Edgy Vatnik
Joined
Jun 15, 2014
Messages
6,941
Location
Albania
Shhhh...nobody tell Microsoft that their usual buisness plan of buying up developers and running them into the ground while trying to profit from their last drops of blood, sweat, and fan loyalty won't really work in Obsidian's case because half the community hated POE.
Another poor soul who thinks that Obsidian's community only consists of the Codex. Sssshhh...the game sold a million and people liked it.
The "game" released 3 years ago
 

J_C

One Bit Studio
Patron
Developer
Joined
Dec 28, 2010
Messages
16,947
Location
Pannonia
Project: Eternity Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath
Shhhh...nobody tell Microsoft that their usual buisness plan of buying up developers and running them into the ground while trying to profit from their last drops of blood, sweat, and fan loyalty won't really work in Obsidian's case because half the community hated POE.
Another poor soul who thinks that Obsidian's community only consists of the Codex. Sssshhh...the game sold a million and people liked it.
The "game" released 3 years ago
And? And why put the word game into quatiton marks?
 

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