Company News Codex Scoop: Brian Fargo has acquired the trademark for Torment (but not Planescape)

[UnknownBro]

Great finding, kudos to that.
Personally I'm not a storyfag so... meh.

 

[Brother None]

Yeah, but I have honestly more confidence in MCA, Ziets and Fenstermaker to write this sort of thing (which probably won't happen at InXile).

Including having already proven they are capable of doing so with Mask of the Betrayer. Looking at the credits of InXile's writers (regarding CRPG) not so much except for Colin.....

Edit: Nothing against InXile, of course. Just saying.

Yip, I get what you're saying. Obsidian has some impressive people in place. And I do genuinely hope they'll share some resources. The two studios seem to be pretty tight so hopefully they can do a bit of dev-swapping on occasion, like MCA working on WL2. I'd certainly dig a Fenstermaker-written section for a new Torment.

Hopefully inXile's team can convince you they have the quality in-house to pull it off. I think they do, though it's an open question how one feels about Fargo hiring people who are book writers rather than game writers to work on these things. I'm fine with it as long as you have strong designers/producers to balance it out, but others may feel differently. Anyway, it is more than Colin, they do have other names that can make you go "oh, cool". Just this weekend I was mailing Colin all "he's working for you guys now? Saaaaaaahweeeeeeeeeeeet".

Can't reveal who it was about tho Please don't unleash Roguey on me

 

[Excidium]

OH GOD, PLANESCAPE TORMENT 2. Eh, not quite.

Looks just like promoting a future kickstarter to me.

 

[Gondolin]

The Codex is moving up in its little world.

 

[FeelTheRads]

I don't get it. What's in it for you to be you?

I thought it was obvious: I get off on ruining it for other people.

Hopefully inXile's team

So when are they gonna tell something about it? If they put together a team already I assume they started working on something and they don't sit around with a finger up their ass.

 

[IronicNeurotic]

Yeah, but I have honestly more confidence in MCA, Ziets and Fenstermaker to write this sort of thing (which probably won't happen at InXile).

Including having already proven they are capable of doing so with Mask of the Betrayer. Looking at the credits of InXile's writers (regarding CRPG) not so much except for Colin.....

Edit: Nothing against InXile, of course. Just saying.

Yip, I get what you're saying. Obsidian has some impressive people in place. And I do genuinely hope they'll share some resources. The two studios seem to be pretty tight so hopefully they can do a bit of dev-swapping on occasion, like MCA working on WL2. I'd certainly dig a Fenstermaker-written section for a new Torment.

Hopefully inXile's team can convince you they have the quality in-house to pull it off. I think they do, though it's an open question how one feels about Fargo hiring people who are book writers rather than game writers to work on these things. I'm fine with it as long as you have strong designers/producers to balance it out, but others may feel differently. Anyway, it is more than Colin, they do have other names that can make you go "oh, cool". Just this weekend I was mailing Colin all "he's working for you guys now? Saaaaaaahweeeeeeeeeeeet".

Can't reveal who it was about tho Please don't unleash Roguey on me

Kevin Saunders? In that case we know that he's working with InXile.

Also, we'll see. Wasteland 2 probably won't as it's not really comparable. So, I'm remaining sceptical till it's out.

Still, I'd rather they went with a original thing in the same vein. The Torment Part of Planescape was very much Chris's writing. Which may lead to disappointment and a possible worse game in the end (Due to *forced* game design goals)

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

I thought it was obvious: I get off on ruining it for other people.

Fair enough. I can respect that.

 

[Kirtai]

Well, he's certainly not taking any freedoms. Personal story... as opposed to what? The other millions of personal stories?

As opposed to all the epic journeys to fight some terrible evil that is a threat to all that is with the fate of the world in the balance that devs seem so in love with hopefully.

 

[evdk]

I thought it was obvious: I get off on ruining it for other people.

Ain't working out so well this year, eh?

 

[Rake]

Why? I mean, other than "Obsidian has MCA". Studio is just a studio, isn't it more important who gets to work on it?

Yeah, but I have honestly more confidence in MCA, Ziets and Fenstermaker to write this sort of thing (which probably won't happen at InXile).

Including having already proven they are capable of doing so with Mask of the Betrayer. Looking at the credits of InXile's writers (regarding CRPG) not so much except for Colin.....

Edit: Nothing against InXile, of course. Just saying.

This. It's not that i don't trust Colin and whatever team Brian will put together, but i think a cooperation between obsidian and inXile is the better solution.Better even from Obsidian doing it alone. I trust Brian more than Feargus in management/marketing

 

[CMcC]

Why? I mean, other than "Obsidian has MCA". Studio is just a studio, isn't it more important who gets to work on it?

Yeah, but I have honestly more confidence in MCA, Ziets and Fenstermaker to write this sort of thing (which probably won't happen at InXile).

Including having already proven they are capable of doing so with Mask of the Betrayer. Looking at the credits of InXile's writers (regarding CRPG) not so much except for Colin.....

Edit: Nothing against InXile, of course. Just saying.

Did someone say Mask of the Betrayer? Funny, I was just talking to a guy who worked on that...

 

[IronicNeurotic]

Yeah, Kevin Saunders, confirmed.


Don't make it THAT easy.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

I'm relieved. Hopefully this might stop Trent Oster from getting his filthy hands on Torment.

 

[IronicNeurotic]

I'm relieved. Hopefully this might stop Trent Oster from getting his filthy hands on Torment.

He could still do it if he gets the license. Just not name it Torment.

 

[Brother None]

I do wonder if this bars Oster from doing an Enhanced Edition. I mean, obviously he can't do a "sequel" of any kind, which is what I was saying in the post Infinitron linked to from a while back, but an EE? I think he'd now need inXile's permission for that, but I'm not completely sure.

I say just fuse the teams that worked on Planescape: Torment and one NWN2: Mask of the Betrayer into one monstrosity and hand it to them.

EDIT: oh, and add some guys who worked on Sanitarium's graphics. Haha. Do it!!
EDIT2: the above is all just my opinion and not hints stop looking at me so suspiciously.

 

[IronicNeurotic]

Why? I mean, other than "Obsidian has MCA". Studio is just a studio, isn't it more important who gets to work on it?

Yeah, but I have honestly more confidence in MCA, Ziets and Fenstermaker to write this sort of thing (which probably won't happen at InXile).

Including having already proven they are capable of doing so with Mask of the Betrayer. Looking at the credits of InXile's writers (regarding CRPG) not so much except for Colin.....

Edit: Nothing against InXile, of course. Just saying.

Did someone say Mask of the Betrayer? Funny, I was just talking to a guy who worked on that...

On that note though, are you at least considering sharing resources with Obsidian/involving MCA?

Because otherwise you would seriously be better of doing something original with similiar goals since disappointment (deserved or not) is guaranteed if you market it as a PS:T *spiritual* successor. It may even hurt a potential kickstarter considering how much MCA is connected to the original game.

Not doubting your abilities, but just want to offer my opinion/perspective.

 

[quasimodo]

Inxile has shown themselves willing to go with TB combat while Obsidian went with RTwP. If Inxile does a new Torment maybe it will have decent combat

 

[evdk]

Did someone say Mask of the Betrayer? Funny, I was just talking to a guy who worked on that...

If this is a pre Kickstarter marketing campaign I'd like to let you know it is working. Take my money!

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

oh, and add some guys who worked on Sanitarium's graphics.

 

[Johannes]

I do wonder if this bars Oster from doing an Enhanced Edition. I mean, obviously he can't do a "sequel" of any kind, which is what I was saying in the post Infinitron linked to from a while back, but an EE? I think he'd now need inXile's permission for that, but I'm not completely sure.

I say just fuse the teams that worked on Planescape: Torment and one NWN2: Mask of the Betrayer into one monstrosity and hand it to them.

EDIT: oh, and add some guys who worked on Sanitarium's graphics. Haha. Do it!!
EDIT2: the above is all just my opinion and not hints stop looking at me so suspiciously.

So you'd have dialogue and graphics covered... Now what about the actual game?

 

[mondblut]

Yay for Torment with friends.

Anyway, one doesn't have to carry a Planescape logo to be set on the planes. There was a fuckton of planar splatbooks done outside WOTC under d20. "Beyond Countless Doorways" by the very same Cook and McComb, for one.

 

[Infinitron]

Inxile has shown themselves willing to go with TB combat while Obsidian went with RTwP. If Inxile does a new Torment maybe it will have decent combat

Yeah, except Colin has said it would be "Infinity Engine style" so I dunno.

 

[abnaxus]

Funny thing about Planescape is that in D&D 4th edition Azmodeus became a greater deity, and literally threw the Abyss into the sun. So no more Blood War and no more Nameless One.

Problem?

 

[Malpercio]

Either way, i don't think we'll see anything anytime soon.

 

[CappenVarra]

Published for opposition, you say? And how exactly does one go about filing an opposition to the application? Hmm...

After the mark is published in the Official Gazette, any party who believes it may be damaged by registration of the mark has thirty (30) days from the publication date to file either an opposition to registration or a request to extend the time to oppose. An opposition is similar to a proceeding in a federal court, but is held before the TTAB.

Quickly, how about a Codex fund-raiser for lawyer fees to file an opposition?