Game News Divinity: Original Sin 2 Kickstarter Update #48: The Final Update

[Infinitron]

Tags: Divinity: Original Sin 2; Larian Studios; Swen Vincke

The Divinity: Original Sin 2 Kickstarter campaign launched just over three years ago to great success. On Friday, the game's Definitive Edition will be released, bringing an end to this era in Larian's history. Swen has decided to mark the occasion with one last Kickstarter update - the last one ever. The update video is filmed in the same hotel room in Seattle where he stayed when the campaign was launched. Most of the video's length, however, is taken up by an amusing short film about the fate of Feedback Billy, the in-game character Larian created to gather feedback for the game's Xbox early access release. Billy doesn't shirk his vocations easily.

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Not only is this the last Divinity: Original Sin 2 Kickstarter update, but it's likely the last Kickstarter update for any Larian game, because according to Swen, their next games will almost certainly not be crowdfunded. The Definitive Edition will be released in a big livestreamed blowout at PAX West which will be attended by "a few surprise guests", but it doesn't sound like he's ready to discuss what those next games are just yet. In the meantime, the full changelog for the Definition Edition is available here.

 

[Big Wrangle]

Huh, that was kinda unexpected, devs that find the crowdfund mine never stop milking it. Though of course, they could be just keeping KS for their Divinity titles.

 

[Infinitron]

Swen was already uneasy with Kickstarter before D:OS 2, but was convinced to use it more one time. Larian is definitely too big to need it now.

For their next games, Larian will no doubt set up a site of their own where they can deliver development updates. Swen can make his amusing videos for a general audience instead of having to aim them at Kickstarter backers only.

 

[Shilandra]

So will mods for the original game work with the definitive edition?

 

[V_K]

their next games will almost certainly not be crowdfunded

Ok, wanna bet who's buying them out, Zenimax or Ubisoft?

 

[Kem0sabe]

Sven has zero talent for comedy, he's not funny... at all. He should stop with all this dumbfuckery

 

[oldmanpaco]

When is the PS4 version coming?

 

[Terra]

I'll definitely miss Swen's update videos if they're not returning to Kickstarter, he has always seemed very passionate about his games and brought some much needed levity to proceedings. I hope that he still produces some similar update videos to engage the community with future projects.

Larian's in a good spot right now and that in itself is a bit concerning given other crpg darlings of years gone by have been in similar positions then experienced rapid decline after chasing a bigger audience. Hoping that won't happen here.

 

[The Bishop]

Swen was already uneasy with Kickstarter before D:OS 2, but was convinced to use it more one time. Larian is definitely too big to need it now.

For their next games, Larian will no doubt set up a site of their own where they can deliver development updates. Swen can make his amusing videos for a general audience instead of having to aim them at Kickstarter backers only.

Yeah, they're not lacking visibility nowadays. Why share a huge percentage of money with some third party when you can just set up your own preorder/early access portal. Kickstarter is no longer a media darling it used to be anyway.

 

[The Bishop]

Ok, wanna bet who's buying them out, Zenimax or Ubisoft?

Why would anybody want to buy a quirky developer with no IP of notable value? It's not like buying a tech company so you can acquire their "technology". I bet Larian is just as clueless what made their games so crazy popular as everybody else. The thing about Larian that makes them really stand out is their passion. And you can't buy passion.

 

[abnaxus]

Sven has zero talent for comedy, he's not funny... at all. He should stop with all this dumbfuckery

Belgians gonna Belgian.

 

[V_K]

Ok, wanna bet who's buying them out, Zenimax or Ubisoft?

Why would anybody want to buy a quirky developer with no IP of notable value? It's not like buying a tech company so you can acquire their "technology". I bet Larian is just as clueless what made their games so crazy popular as everybody else. The thing about Larian that makes them really stand out is their passion. And you can't buy passion.

Buy that logic Paradox had no reason to buy Harebrained. Yet they did.

 

[The Bishop]

Ok, wanna bet who's buying them out, Zenimax or Ubisoft?

Why would anybody want to buy a quirky developer with no IP of notable value? It's not like buying a tech company so you can acquire their "technology". I bet Larian is just as clueless what made their games so crazy popular as everybody else. The thing about Larian that makes them really stand out is their passion. And you can't buy passion.

Buy that logic Paradox had no reason to buy Harebrained. Yet they did.

You couldn't have picked a worse example. Harebrained have access to Battletech/Mechwarrior, which is kinda huge, and no passion whatsoever.

 

[Zeriel]

Swen was already uneasy with Kickstarter before D:OS 2, but was convinced to use it more one time. Larian is definitely too big to need it now.

For their next games, Larian will no doubt set up a site of their own where they can deliver development updates. Swen can make his amusing videos for a general audience instead of having to aim them at Kickstarter backers only.

My guess is they'll continue to have early access games and make use of the beta-testing, they've talked about it a lot as a high-value proposition for them as developers.

They'll just omit the Kickstarting phase, and to be honest I think they always got as much if not more money from early access purchases as from KS.

 

[Drowed]

Sven has zero talent for comedy, he's not funny... at all. He should stop with all this dumbfuckery

It's less a matter of being funny, and more of being... Entertaining? English doesn't have an equivalent word for what I wanted to use here. Swen won't make you laugh out loud with his videos, because he really isn't a comedian. He's a performer, someone who is playing a role to keep you entertained and happy. And this, in my opinion, he does very well. The videos in which he appears are fun (even if not "funny"), which makes you want to watch them to the end. But certainly, humor and fun are very personal concepts, so I understand that for some people, his style may not make sense. Technically, it's the same humor thing we see in Larian's games - if you try to make a joke and no one laughs, you look like an idiot. Either you get it or don't.