Development Info Aliens RPG cancelled, Obsidian fires staff, future in doubt

[zerotol]

Baldurs Gate 1 was published and rescued the crpg genre

Amen to that brother, dont let the retards get you, your word does bear some truth

I am still batshit insanely mad at Obsidian for Kotor 2 and his BUGS and unfinished content. WHY DID U RELEASE IT SO EARLY.

Why oh why tell me WHY

 

[Azael]

Fallout was released the year before BG, and BG fucking saved the CRPG genre? Please. It was highly succesful, sure, but if anything it ensured that the genre would be filled with derivatives of it rather than improving the formula from Fallout.

Oh and: "How do I get out of this chickenshit outfit? "

 

[Trash]

Well, this totally and utterly sucks. I like alien and was hoping this could turn into something sweet. Lets hope Obsidian doesn't go belly up now.

Fucking hell, this also affects the alien shooter from gearbox. That game does look incredibly sweet allready. What the fuck is happening at sega?

 

[Andrej]

Fuck. Fuuuuuuuuck. Fuck.

I suppose all we can do is build a fire and sing a couple of songs, how about that?

 

[The Feral Kid]

but if anything it ensured that the genre would be filled with derivatives of it rather than improving the formula from Fallout.
"

Derivatives like PS:T, Icewind Dale, and Arcanum. Arcanum not an IE game but Troika did successfully try to mimic the "scope" of BG games (even identical quests) and injected their own creativity. None of these would have been made unless for the success of BG series. Blaming BG for the tons of horrible games in the rpg industry today is retarded.

 

[Andhaira]

Sega should have stuck to Megadrive instead of oing with Saturn!

 

[Azael]

but if anything it ensured that the genre would be filled with derivatives of it rather than improving the formula from Fallout.
"

Derivatives like PS:T, Icewind Dale, and Arcanum. Arcanum not an IE game but Troika did successfully try to mimic the "scope" of BG games (even identical quests) and injected their own creativity. None of these would have been made unless for the success of BG series. Blaming BG for the tons of horrible games in the rpg industry today is retarded.

Torment used the same engine, but I wouldn't say it was a derivative at all, if anything the engine hurt the game more than anything else. Arcanum doesn't strike me as very similar to BG at all, what are those identical quests? For the record, I enjoyed both BG games, I just don't agree that they saved the RPG genre in any way. The credit it should be given is that it made RPGs based on D&D commercially succesful again.

"The Sarge is gone! Let's get the fuck outta here! "

 

[MetalCraze]

BG1 saved RPG genre from uninspired shit like Wizardry and Fallout more like.

 

[Trash]

What saddens me is that there have been more of these "oh shit another seemingly great game is cancelled" moments and threads than I can remember.

Really, it seems that the kind of games and companies I tend to get excited about seem to fail more often than not. From simtex's and their mech lords to Troika and their bid for fallout 3. Bah, the industry sucks.

 

[The Feral Kid]

Torment used the same engine, but I wouldn't say it was a derivative at all, if anything the engine hurt the game more than anything else. Arcanum doesn't strike me as very similar to BG at all, what are those identical quests?

How isn't a derivative when it uses same engine/combat, character interaction etc. And most important it enabled PS:T to be released. As for Arcanum, I talked about the scope being similar like a rich story-line, lots of side quests, recruitable NPCs with unique items/skills and personal quests, while it still maintained that unique characteristics that made Troika and the team that made Fallout special.

BG1 saved RPG genre from uninspired shit like Wizardry and Fallout more like.

Sure it wasn't Interplay's fault that Van Buren was axed or that we got PoS instead. It was BG and Bioware's fault of course. And Torn. That too. Anything else you feel aggrieved about and don't know who to blame? Maybe for the terrible weather where you live?

 

[someone else]

This news makes me rage with nerd.

 

[thesheeep]

Too bad. Would have liked to see a RPG in that setting. Oh well...

 

[Andhaira]

Torn was crap from all accounts anyway. Blackisle always erformed best when letting bioware do most of the designwork then building off that. Lionheart sucked as well if you recall.

 

[janjetina]

From what I read, Aliens RPG looked promising and I'm very sorry it has been cancelled. Now Obsidian has only shitty Alpha Protocol to fall back on. That spells doom for Obsidian, with the chances of a good mainstream RPG coming out in the near future approaching zero (Dragon Age still might be good, but Bioware has a few months to consolize it, assuming it was good in the first place).

Hopefully Obsidian will recover and make a good RPG in next 2-3 years, but I'm afraid it will go down Troika's path.

 

[Longshanks]

Torn was crap from all accounts anyway. Blackisle always erformed best when letting bioware do most of the designwork then building off that. Lionheart sucked as well if you recall.

Your post contains errors, please revise.

 

[Jazper]

'Marines, we are leaving!'

If this is true, I feel bad for the devs who losts their jobs, especially with the knowledge that their hard work will, most likely, never see the light of day. Working on an Aliens game must be a dream come true for many game devs.

 

[Micmu]

Not that I gave any more fuck for Aliens than for AP, but I'm really sorry for Obsidian; with MoTB they sure showed that they actually CAN DO.
Damn.

Fuck your lowest common denominator console action garbage with massive, massive costs where failure to deliver means imminent death.

 

[MetalCraze]

They can do - but they don't want to. And that's why they deserved this.

Nobody stops them from doing a good game without any unneeded for RPG genre fancy graphics, with a budget of Arcanum and the team of the same size as Troika - but whoops! It won't bring as much profit as a generic console shooter with stats (and will tank because Obsidian can't program and optimize for shit)

 

[Foamhead]

They can do - but they don't want to. And that's why they deserved this.

Nobody stops them from doing a good game without any unneeded for RPG genre fancy graphics, with a budget of Arcanum and the team of the same size as Troika - but whoops! It won't bring as much profit as a generic console shooter with stats (and will tank because Obsidian can't program and optimize for shit)

That's right they deserve to lose theirs jobs and not feed their families because you aren't getting your precious Might and Magic 1 and Wizardry clones. You remind me of an old hippie who thinks no music released after Woodstock is worth listening to. You never ever have anything remotely intelligent or constructive to say whatsoever do you? I'd tell you to go shoot yourself in the head but seeing at your skull is completely hollow the impact might cause your head to totally collapse around your neck.

 

[MetalCraze]

BAAAAWWWWWWWW

Wow your post is exceptionally intelligent too I must say - gosh I love fanboys of talentless studios.

Obsidian perfectly knew that it may end like this (because it often does) and they agreed to be hired by Sega to do a generic shooter with stats for consoles. They got what they wanted.

Also it is funny how big and mighty Obsidian is losing people while doing "high budget AAA console titles" while some backwater Stardock does niche games and opens a second studio right now - considering that Stardock has nearly the same amount of people as Obsidian.

But bawwww only console shooters with stats sell

Isn't it?

 

[Carlos' Bitch1]

They can do - but they don't want to. And that's why they deserved this.

Nobody stops them from doing a good game without any unneeded for RPG genre fancy graphics, with a budget of Arcanum and the team of the same size as Troika - but whoops! It won't bring as much profit as a generic console shooter with stats (and will tank because Obsidian can't program and optimize for shit)

While I don't agree with the first post telling you off, I have to say that they do not really have a huge choice in the matter old boy. I doubt Obsidian had the millions necessary to make an AAA (whatever that means these days..) game by themselves.

Many developers can tell you that placing an old school RPG in front of the marketing suits of a publisher is a guaranteed kick in the pants and a push down the stairs. Troika tried it on and were firmly, and probably not politely, given a "no thank you" at every turn.

Sega might even be up the spout, not necessarily Obsidian, whose games have, as a whole, sold quite well.

Stardock is a nice example to think about though.

 

[MetalCraze]

Troika failed because their games were buggy and required a skyscraper of patches, and because Arcanum got leaked 6 months before the release.

Again why should Obsidian do an AAA title? With motion capture, bumpmapping, bloom and other useless, unneeded shit?
Do a good rpg with shitty graphics and sell it to the niche and not to the oversaturated console shooter market where nobody needs your mediocrity because of other mediocrity there.
Considering that all that Obsidian does is cloning Bioware games. You get what you sow.

Again Stardock - 60+ people, opening 2nd studio. All that they do is niche games and some visual thingies for Windows.

Ah but niche won't get you two red ferraris, amirite?

 

[Hory]

Again Stardock - 60+ people, opening 2nd studio. All that they do is niche games and some visual thingies for Windows.

Every Stardock game is worse than MotB tho.

 

[Caveman]

This is like that thing Cleve was talking about.

 

[Smarts]

Also it is funny how big and mighty Obsidian is losing people while doing "high budget AAA console titles" while some backwater Stardock does niche games and opens a second studio right now - considering that Stardock has nearly the same amount of people as Obsidian.

Stardock is only able to develop and publish niche games and get by financially because of their steady line in Windows apps, you asshole. And Stardock only started publishing their own work because they found that when their niche games were published by a third party, their cut of the revenue was nowhere near adequate! Are you saying that the way forward for the industry is for all developer studios to stop making games, start producing utility software and hopefully sign a deal with Microsoft?