Game News Obsidian 3rd project is totally unreal!

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Obsidian Entertainment

It's unreal! Literally! Obsidian is <a href=http://www.obsidianent.com/jobs/index.html>hiring</a>, and here is what the requirements are for many positions:
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<blockquote>Character Modelers - Strong working knowledge of the Unreal Engine and Unreal Technology a definite plus.
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Lead Designer, Systems Designer - Experience with Unreal engine technology
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Engine Programmer - Console programming experience, experience in cross-platform development, AI, physics, animation or network programming is a plus.
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Gameplay Programmer - Experience with UnrealScript is a plus.</blockquote>
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Hmm, a new BioWare RPG is using the Unreal 3.0 engine technology, Obsidian is hiring people who can work with the Unreal engine technology. Coincidence?
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[Screaming_life]

Interesting... hopefully they'll have full creative control, the less BioWare input the better.

 

[Slaytanic]

Action rpg anyone ?

 

[Volourn]

"Action rpg anyone ?"

Visceris anyone?

 

[Vault Dweller]

http://xbox.ign.com/articles/549/549541p1.html

In terms of the engine itself, our plan is develop what we call the "RPG layer" on top of Unreal Engine 3. This is the part of the game code that drives the features that people are so fond of in our prior games: things like real-time lip-synched fully voiced conversation systems, integration of game world data to create a living, breathing world, and a great story. We've had some very preliminary discussions with Epic about this addition to the engine, and we think there might be an opportunity for people to license this RPG layer from us (since we're the owner of it) after they've licensed the Unreal Engine 3 from Epic.

 

[Volourn]

"we're also working with a number of external developers who have licensed our own advanced RPG engine technology -- like the BioWare Aurora Engine or the BioWare Odyssey Engine -- for their own titles."

As VD wrote. And, it's obvious that obsidian is one of those 'external' dvelopers that BIO is referring to in that article. So, don't pull the stupid Visc shit and claim that just because it's URE that it'll automatically be an action game. That's plain retarded. Engines, by default, are malleable creatures.

 

[Screaming_life]

http://xbox.ign.com/articles/549/549541p1.html

In terms of the engine itself, our plan is develop what we call the "RPG layer" on top of Unreal Engine 3. This is the part of the game code that drives the features that people are so fond of in our prior games: things like real-time lip-synched fully voiced conversation systems, integration of game world data to create a living, breathing world, and a great story. We've had some very preliminary discussions with Epic about this addition to the engine, and we think there might be an opportunity for people to license this RPG layer from us (since we're the owner of it) after they've licensed the Unreal Engine 3 from Epic.

I'm not sure how i feel about this kind of thing... i mean unreal 3 looks amazing and they've even thought about seamless world stuff but the thought of loads of games being made with it doesn't feel quite right. Coupled with this "rpg layer" thing almost any kind of game could be made with unreal 3.

will the benefits mean that developers will have to concentrate on gameplay and story? or will we just see a bunch of fast development clone games?

 

[Major_Blackhart]

I realy dont get it. Who are they licensing what to? Their own IP to Obsidian, or to Epic, or what?

 

[squish]

Hmm, a new BioWare RPG is using the Unreal 3.0 engine technology, Obsidian is hiring people who can work with the Unreal engine technology. Coincidence?

Actually, yes. The projects we are hiring for have no connection to Bioware whatsoever. The Unreal engine is a pretty popular piece of technology to license these days, in case you hadn't noticed

 

[Vault Dweller]

Actually, yes. The projects we are hiring for have no connection to Bioware whatsoever. The Unreal engine is a pretty popular piece of technology to license these days, in case you hadn't noticed

Did you get that RPG Layer thingy from Bio? Anyway, tell us more!

 

[FireWolf]

Subtle inquiries, mr Dweller.

 

[squish]

squish wrote:
Actually, yes. The projects we are hiring for have no connection to Bioware whatsoever. The Unreal engine is a pretty popular piece of technology to license these days, in case you hadn't noticed

Vault Dweller wrote:
Did you get that RPG Layer thingy from Bio? Anyway, tell us more!

OK, let's try again:

Actually, yes. The projects we are hiring for have no connection to Bioware whatsoever. The Unreal engine is a pretty popular piece of technology to license these days, in case you hadn't noticed.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

nah, he means tell us about your game.

 

[Vault Dweller]

The projects we are hiring for have no connection to Bioware whatsoever.

What I meant was that licensing a piece of technology doesn't imply co-op development. You did license the engine after all, might as well get other tools too if they are any good.

The Unreal engine is a pretty popular piece of technology to license these days, in case you hadn't noticed.

More popular than Infinity Engine was some years ago? I do recall a shitload of similarly looking games, that's for sure.

 

[Ellester]

You would think they would have to license the Unreal engine straight from them (the name escapes me at the moment) instead of from Bio. So I’m guessing they didn’t go through bio.

Anyway, cool, I like it. I know we are graphics whores last, and prefer role-playing and story over graphics, but who’s to say graphics have to suck for an rpg. We all saw the Van Burren engine, which was all 3D. Maybe they could do something like that with the engine, instead of a Vampires type of view. If so that would be kick ass!

 

[Visbhume]

It is me, or the Half-Life 2 engine is not getting licensed a lot?

 

[Major_Blackhart]

Gabe prolly charges waay too much.

 

[Greatatlantic]

I believe the sequel to Arx Fatalis has licensed Source. I also want to say I read about an MMO that licensed Source.

it may be an issue of cost, or it just may be an issue of proven technology versus "X-factor" engine.

 

[Sol Invictus]

Don't be such a Visceris, Slaytanic. There's no reason to think that Obsidian's upcoming game is going to be an Action RPG, though it may be one, the use of the Unreal 3 engine isn't an indicator of that. According to the most recent developments, the UE3 engine has a myriad of capabilities, and many companies are using it to develop RPGs, MMORPGs, action games and so forth. Here's some of its features in Unreal Tournament 2007, which uses UE3.

* Features eight teams, each with unique armor.
* Conquest maps are "potentially as large as three onslaught maps with assault-like objectives and even a form of limited resource management planned"
* "there may be the option to treat a conquest match like a long term war, so you can play, take a break, and then go back and play more later"
* "you can use your stats to find similarly abled opponents"
* "pre-game lobbies" will be present in some form
* "clan pages and other sites will be able to be viewed from within the game"
* "conquest will take advantage of the Unreal Engine 3's ability to seamlessly stream maps by putting you in a battlefield the size of several maps stitched together"
* "players will battle on one of two teams, each sides terriroty will look physically different, as you take a territory it will convert to the otherteams structures and physical surroundings"
* "conquest should appeal to a wider gaming audience and provide a place where longer-term strategy, teamwork, and face-to-face fragging all meet"
Quote: The article refers to the game as "the next Unreal Tournament", suggesting that the game's full title is as yet undecided. Midway have previously confirmed that no new UT titles will be shipping in 2005, so it's likely that this game will bear the name "Unreal Tournament 2006" or "Unreal Tournament 2007".

Likewise there's no reason to assume that the game Obsidian is making has any connection with the UE3 game that BioWare is developing.

 

[Sol Invictus]

The projects we are hiring for have no connection to Bioware whatsoever.

What I meant was that licensing a piece of technology doesn't imply co-op development. You did license the engine after all, might as well get other tools too if they are any good.

The Unreal engine is a pretty popular piece of technology to license these days, in case you hadn't noticed.

More popular than Infinity Engine was some years ago? I do recall a shitload of similarly looking games, that's for sure.

Do not be so daft, VD. He means what he said, that the games they are developing have absolutely nothing to do with Bioware whatsoever. I'm sure that covers the "RPG layer" question.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Likewise there's no reason to assume that the game Obsidian is making has any connection with the UE3 game that BioWare is developing.

Well, considering that the first 2 projects are sequels to Bio games, there was a good reason to assume that the projects are related. Also, there is nothing negative about that. Considering that there is a good relationship between the companies, it would make sense for them to share experience and techniques.

Do not be so daft, VD. He means what he said, that the games they are developing have absolutely nothing to do with Bioware whatsoever. I'm sure that covers the "RPG layer" question.

Don't be so daft yourself. Tools are tools, game concepts are game concepts. Two different things. Besides, the original squish's statement replied to the possibility of Obsidian working with Bio, or handling another Bio project. The follow up question about tools was something else, so squish didn't have to be such a dick about it, not after working with Bio tech for years.

 

[Sol Invictus]

Well, I suppose the assumptions were made only naturally due to their past involvement with BioWare projects, but I'd like to think that the Codex gives Obsidian the benefit of the doubt.

It's good that you weren't trying to be insulting, though, but Obsidian might have taken the whole BioWare relationship thing the wrong way due to their experiences with Visceris/Hades One on the ObsEnt forums who usually refer to them as "BioJr." among a variety of other stupid nicknames, and discrediting their games as "mindless action RPGs" before any details are even released, hence Volourn's comment that Slaytanic was behaving like Visceris.

 

[Volourn]

"discrediting their games as "mindless action RPGs" before any details are even released, hence Volourn's comment that Slaytanic was behaving like Visceris."

Yeah, I was referring to the 'mindless action RPG thing'. Viseries has this thing where *anything* made by the URE must be an action/FPS. The remark here rmeidne dme of that hence my 'Don't be a Visceris' remark.

URE does not have to be used as action engine. Engines are malleable. Anyone who has seen the IE gof rom 2E to 3E with IWD2 should see that afterall that transition was one of the few things that IWD2 did right, imo.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I'd like to think that the Codex gives Obsidian the benefit of the doubt.

It's not about benefits of the doubt. There is nothing wrong or shameful in Bio-Obsidian relationship, especially if we consider Troika's demise. Perhaps, teaming up and making two different games using the same engine is the way to go (BG vs PST, KOTOR 2 vs KOTOR 1, etc).

 

[Claw]

It's good that you weren't trying to be insulting

VD doesn't have to try, it comes naturally to him. :D