People News Rumor: Chris Taylor and Mark O'Green Back at Black Isle Studios?

[Crooked Bee]

Tags: Black Isle Studios; Chris Taylor; Herve Caen; Mark O'Green

RUMOR TIME. According to the information floating around the interwebs, Chris Taylor, lead designer of Fallout, and Mark O'Green, who wrote dialogue for Fallout, are allegedly back at Herve Cain's resurrected Black Isle Studios:

In the announcement today, the company announced the return of Black Isle Studios with veterans such as Christopher "Chris" Taylor (not to be confused with Chris Taylor of Gas Powered Games fame) leading the team. For those not in the know, Chris Taylor is the co-creator and designer of the Fallout franchise. His last game carried the codename 'Project V13' (Fallout Online) and unfortunately, will never see the light of day.​

Source.
Another source here.

And finally,

A source naming himself The Master with insider knowledge of Interplay Entertainment has sent a message:

"You will find the Chris Taylor (Lead Designer of Fallout) and Mark O'green (Dialog for Fallout) at Black Isle. Right now everyone is saying it's only Black Isle in name and that's simply not true. I know it for a FACT.
Just some food for thought.
Thanks,
The Master"​

Source: Duck and Cover. DaC's King of Creation also adds:

Black Isle are working on a game, but I can now confirm that it is not a new Plancescape or a new Icewind Dale. I can also confirm that this new game is directly related to a game that Black Isle has done in the past.​

All I can say is that, if this "FACT" is true, I feel sorry for Chris Taylor.

 

[Infinitron]

The Master

I guess that means Chris Taylor is Torgo. "I am TAY-lor. I take care of the place while The Master is waxing his moustache."

 

[Roguey]

"The Master" gives me Interplay-stockholder vibes.
http://www.google.com/finance?cid=662304
Yeah you enjoy that 2 cents a share. Totally going to go up.... someday....

 

[Raygun_elf]

I thought Interplay only had like 8 employees...

 

[J_C]

That many?

 

[Raygun_elf]

That many?

Think so, but they would likely be all oxygen-wasting admin/desk workers living off Interplay digital sales on GOG and steam, they most definitely don't have any developers.

 

[Sam Ecorners]

Chris Taylor has been at Interplay for years now, working on FOOL

 

[Brother None]

Chris Taylor and Mark O'Green have both been at Interplay/BIS since during FOOL's development. Haven't confirmed O'Green's presence in a while but when I checked (shortly before the BIS gravedig was announced) Chris was still there.

DaC reported it as if it was news, but it really wasn't, it was just kind of "they're still there, guys". Lords knows why they haven't bolted yet. Their source is an Interplay investor who doesn't really know anything more or less than most of us.

AFAIK the only RPG properties they still own are, what, Dark Alliance and Lionheart? Exciting.

 

[Hobz]

 

[Harg Harfardarssen]

Chris Taylor and Mark O'Green have both been at Interplay/BIS since during FOOL's development. Haven't confirmed O'Green's presence in a while but when I checked (shortly before the BIS gravedig was announced) Chris was still there.

DaC reported it as if it was news, but it really wasn't, it was just kind of "they're still there, guys". Lords knows why they haven't bolted yet. Their source is an Interplay investor who doesn't really know anything more or less than most of us.

AFAIK the only RPG properties they still own are, what, Dark Alliance and Lionheart? Exciting.

Not even sure about Lionheart. The SPECIAL system may have been part of the deal with Bethesda.

 

[Brother None]

Oh, they can't use SPECIAL anymore, Bethesda owns that. But they own the Lionheart title. Just not the character system.

They lost the rights to use AD&D too when it comes to Dark Alliance. Can still use the specific "Dark Alliance" part of it though.

So, two gutted-out IPs of games that weren't that good, is what they own. Oh, and Stonekeep, which they recently made a shitty-ass Wii version of. And...Torn?

 

[Infinitron]

 

[Mother Russia]

Torn...it's gotta be Torn.

Kickstarter inkoming!!

 

[Volrath]

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance III.

Have fun with it Chris!

 

[Mother Russia]

Oh dear God, it could also be Undermountain II....

 

[Dorateen]

I'm rooting for Torn.

 

[kris]

I put my money on nothing or grimoire, whichever is out first.

 

[Excidium]

Haha oh man. This can only end well.

 

[Whisky]

Obviously Herve needed to hire two more people to maintain the status of his mustache. It cannot go without combing for more than five minutes.

 

[Dangersaurus]

Is this the Starfleet Command 1 & 2 Chris Taylor? I remember that guy promised to literally eat dirt if they didn't meet some goal for a patch or something. When he lost the bet he was a pretty good sport and went through with it (IIRC he microwaved his dirt to kill off any creepy crawlies).