Game News Obsidian can't deliver, so Aliens RPG goes elsewhere?

[DarkUnderlord]

Tags: Obsidian Entertainment

It looks like we may still get an Aliens RPG, just not being made by Obsidian <a href="http://weblogs.variety.com/the_cut_scene/2009/02/segas-aliens-games-are-not-cancelled-may-get-new-developers.html">if this latest rumour is true</a>:
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<blockquote>However, I've just spoken to a source in a very good position to know what's up with both games who told me that they're definitely not canceled. Production is expected to continue and the games, both of which are well into development, will come out. But quite possibly not with the developers they're at. It's looking like it could be a "Splatterhouse" situation (if you don't know what that means, <a href="http://kotaku.com/5149892/namco-confirms-ditching-splatterhouse-developers">find out here</a>).
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My source described the situation at both Obsidian and Gearbox as "fluid," having to do mainly with the quality of the work. Sega, apparently, is not seeing what it wants on the schedule it wants to see it. Which is probably why, as Joystiq reported, it has pulled funding and those developers are hurting.</blockquote>
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I wish I had secret sources. Also if true, it means Obsidian clearly have some internal management issues they desperately need to resolve. They must not <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCRUM">scrum</a>.
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Spotted @ <a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com">GameBanshee</a>

 

[OSK]

Both Obsidan and Gearbox? That leads me to believe it's probably a failure on Sega's part.

 

[Fat Dragon]

They've released so little information on the Aliens RPG that I really just can't give a shit about it being canned or given to another developer.

 

[Seboss]

Maybe that's the whole point.
We've known about this game for maybe two years, and we've yet to see a concept art, an interview, let alone a screenshot.
It seem Feargus and co still slip up on schedules pretty bad.

 

[PlanHex]

Sega probably complained because the quality was too high and would make their other releases look bad.

 

[Forest Dweller]

Maybe that's the whole point.
We've known about this game for maybe two years, and we've yet to see a concept art, an interview, let alone a screenshot.
It seem Feargus and co still slip up on schedules pretty bad.

I was always under the impression that Obsidian were following the "only hype one game at a time" routine that a lot of other studios have done. I suspected that we wouldn't get any info on it until after Alpha Protocol had shipped.

But what you said could also be possible.

 

[Lurkar]

Sorry, I'm still far more inclined to believe Sega fucked up then Obsidian. Sega simply has a much higher record of fucking up.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

I hate to say this, especially about devs because my instant reaction is to blame the publisher, but this might actually be a management issue within Obsidian Entertainment more than anything else.
It's very possible they bit off more than they could chew with the Aliens RPG, and while promising the moon and delivering a rock may work with politicians, it doesn't pan out in the real world where results is expected.
As to what 'management issues' means, I'm not entirely sure myself, but most likely simply in terms of poor leadership and improper usage of time i.e. no good internal schedule or even simply nothing really supportive from the upper echelons as to how they wanted development to proceed.
However, I doubt we'll really know. With Troika, it was a combination of unrealistic goals and shoddy negotiation on Troika's part and publishers behaving poorly (to a degree). I can only assume something of a similar notion here. However, at the same, even with funding for Bloodlines pulled by Activision, Troika still managed to release it, though it might have been Troika requesting even more cash and Activision not wanting to shell it out. Can't remember.
At the same time, there doesn't seem to be that type of situation here developing (yet), so I think all we can do is speculate.

 

[POOPERSCOOPER]

I feel like its unlikely that this story is true but just a twist on the "on hold, so we can reevaluate our options" type of corporate phrase. I think it would take longer for another team to even pick up where they left of which would likely be a completely new game.

Either way it's probably a big smack on Uncle Furgus's baby cheeks.

 

[phanboy_iv]

Both Obsidan and Gearbox? That leads me to believe it's probably a failure on Sega's part.

 

[Tigranes]

This rumour is pretty 'old' as well (i.e. surfaced soon after the initial rumours), so who knows.

Even without knowing wtf Obsid was doing with it, tho, would you really want some random outsource dev (or, uh, Sega's internal team) instead of Sawyer?

 

[Andhaira]

Sega should have stuck with sonic the hedgehog.

 

[Brother None]

Sorry, I'm still far more inclined to believe Sega fucked up then Obsidian. Sega simply has a much higher record of fucking up.

Really? Because, from the technical state of their games on release, you'd conclude Obsidian has generally been really good at sticking to budgets and deadlines?

I feel like its unlikely that this story is true but just a twist on the "on hold, so we can reevaluate our options" type of corporate phrase. I think it would take longer for another team to even pick up where they left of which would likely be a completely new game.

Very true. With the complexity of an RPG project coupled with the fact that this is on a new, inhouse engine, there's no cost-beneficial way for another team to take it over. Of all the rumours, this one seems most unlikely.

 

[Arcanoix]

Even without knowing wtf Obsid was doing with it, tho, would you really want some random outsource dev (or, uh, Sega's internal team) instead of Sawyer?

My own sources confirm whats been discussed in this article, and yes, I'd trust a disgruntled programmer over Sawyer any day. Sawyer accepted a good chunk of change to go to the AGDS 2006 expo in Singapore. Fucking Singapore? Singapore has nothing to do with gaming!! From what my sources say, Sega started watching closely just how many "trips" and "vacations" developers from Obsidian took. You don't spend publisher funding on bullshit, you spend it on your developers payroll.

 

[Andhaira]

Honestly, I blame Torn for all this. They should never have gone for it. Nor should thye have made Lionhert.

Just stick to Icewindale series and the dark alliance series.

 

[MLMarkland]

My own sources confirm whats been discussed in this article, and yes, I'd trust a disgruntled programmer over Sawyer any day. Sawyer accepted a good chunk of change to go to the AGDS 2006 expo in Singapore. Fucking Singapore? Singapore has nothing to do with gaming!! From what my sources say, Sega started watching closely just how many "trips" and "vacations" developers from Obsidian took. You don't spend publisher funding on bullshit, you spend it on your developers payroll.

The information contained in this post is complete nonsense and has nothing to do with reality. Regardless of what is actually happening with the Aliens project (which I won't make any comment on because that is not my job) I will say that it definitively has absolutely nothing to do with "trips" and "vacations." It's just absurd. Sawyer is one of the hardest working guys in the game business and most of the developers at Obsidian follow his lead and work as hard as they possibly can.

Let me give you a case example of the kind of developer Sawyer is:

When Alexander Brandon departed for a new gig in Texas it temporarily left Aliens without anyone working on Audio (for a very brief time while Audio folks finished up some work on Alpha Protocol before one of them moved over to Aliens).

Sawyer took it upon himself to learn the audio pipeline, clean up a bunch of VO files and get them through the pipeline and into the game. He's the project director and he's doing some guerilla cover work when necessary, learning whatever he has to do to get it done. That's the kind of guy you want in charge of your game. That's the kind of leader that gets in the trenches with his troops, rather than sitting back in the executive chair and calling the shots.

Take your libel (or slander, I'm not up on Internet forum defamation case law) elsewhere.

 

[made]

My own sources confirm

You don't say.

 

[Monolith]

Also if true, it means Obsidian clearly have some internal management issues they desperately need to resolve.>

Yeah, making quality games.

 

[MetalCraze]

Also if true, it means Obsidian clearly have some internal management issues they desperately need to resolve.>

Yeah, making quality games.

Yeah when it comes to making quality games Obsidian has issues.



Knowing how Obsidian developers handle 'already finished' engines and also considering the very weak components of X360 which require giantic optimization SEGA probably just looked at their terrible very own buggy shit and went "wtf is this guys?"

If only everyone from the low-level devs was like Sawyer Obsidian would never deliver their games in the state they usually come in.

 

[Volourn]

How's Troika doing nowadays?

 

[DarkUnderlord]

Sawyer took it upon himself to learn the audio pipeline, clean up a bunch of VO files and get them through the pipeline and into the game. He's the project director and he's doing some guerilla cover work when necessary, learning whatever he has to do to get it done.

So you're saying Obsidian left the Aliens RPG understaffed and lacking in trained and qualified personnel? :D

 

[Claw]

Oh, snap!

 

[MetalCraze]

Evil Sega fucking up my Obsidian lol

 

[janjetina]

This section should be renamed to "RPG Codex news and rumors comments", as this a piece of "news" is just a rumor written by a nobody on an irrelevant blog.

 

[Helton]

Dear Mr. Sawyer, You don't know who I am but I know who you are and I know what you done. You had sex with my mother and then you stole my dad's money all away. So he got angry and he killed my mother and then he killed himself, too. All I know is your name. But one of these days I'm going to find you and I'm going to give you this letter so you'll remember what you done to me. You killed my parents, Mr. Sawyer.