Game News Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a huge success, has already sold nearly 500,000 copies

[duanth123]

The possible lesson here, IMO (and also from Tyranny even though it isn't technically a sequel): Less grimness. Audiences have had enough of GRIM WORLDS WHERE YOU WILL MAKE GRIM CHOICES.

Big, bright, colorful worlds don't even need to tell you you'll get to make choices. They seem to inherently convey escapism, freedom and possibilities. The open-ended sea exploration aspect of PoE2 bodes well in that respect, but you'll have to emphasize it.

So, you're saying Obisidian needs a Colour revolution?

As for the D:OS2 success, I'm not surprised, Swen is an infectious character and his Kickstarter vids were on point and entertaining. Feargus needs to go to CEO school of Swen.

Infinishill clearly hasn't played the game. There's a quest line and entire level in Act II that is legitimately disturbing, more so than in any CRPG I've played.

And incidentally better than the entirety of POE.

Edit: it'll start being old when you shut the fuck up about Tyranny.

 

[Cyberarmy]

I would like to see a sci-fi for a change instead of DK or DC though.

I'm OK for a sci-fi DK.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

Yeah, already thought about it - it could be a big impact for next TB RPG, like Copper Dream. Or maybe not.
But we definitely will see army of clones in next 2-3 year lol, like it was usual, we all know that thinking - Aha, we are doing to make our own Skyrim ---> something goes wrong ---> bunkruptcy...

This is what happens when creative decisions are made by cynical scums working in marketing not writers and designers.

 

[Bohrain]

The coming weeks will probably be filled with speculation what the other studios and publishers think is worth emulating in OS 2.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

The coming weeks will probably be filled with speculation what the other studios and publishers think is worth emulating in OS 2.

Imagine if entire industry starts emulating 3rd person dialogue system.

 

[JasonNH]

"I don't want to make games just to make money, I want to make money so I can make games." - Swen Vincke (somewhere at some point in time)

The future from Larian is bright.

 

[MicoSelva]

Congratulations to Larian and to them for fighting the good fight and not just making successful traditional RPGs, but actually moving the genre forward, without dumbing it down and/or compromising it by mixing with other genres.

 

[Bohrain]

The coming weeks will probably be filled with speculation what the other studios and publishers think is worth emulating in OS 2.

Imagine if entire industry starts emulating 3rd person dialogue system.

I can already see the next Bioware game having a narrator that shouts feminist drivel.

 

[Spectacle]

The coming weeks will probably be filled with speculation what the other studios and publishers think is worth emulating in OS 2.

Imagine if entire industry starts emulating 3rd person dialogue system.

I can already see the next Bioware game having a narrator that shouts feminist drivel.

And biodrones demanding that the narrator be romanceable.

 

[vivec]

Okay.

Now the real question:

What was the contribution of MCA?

 

[unfairlight]

Happy for the devs because if the game was good then good on them. Turn based RPGs generally aren't my thing though.

 

[Elim]

What would I give for an Ultima 7 remake in that engine...

 

[Murk]

Turn based RPGs generally aren't my thing though.

... you lost?

 

[~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸-AIN'T]

Let's be real. They're going to look at it and go, "Oh, so co-op and multiplayer shenanigans are what make RPGs viable."

I know a lot of people here don't want to believe this, but as far as I can tell this is a fairly accurate take on why both Div:OS games sold as well as they did. I only have anecdotal evidence, but I'm pretty sure that the ability to coop the game with your bros is a huge selling point that helps tap into a playerbase that normally would stay away from turn-based isometric RPGs. I have a friend who mostly plays stuff like CS:GO and PUBG, I rarely see him playing single player anything and especially not RPGs. Yet he played Div:OS1 a little while after release and he and the guys he plays PUBG with all bought Div:OS2 the day it was released and have been playing it non-stop since then. There are a lot of people out there who will buy your game if and only if it has a fun multiplayer mode.

Now, that certainly doesn't mean there aren't other lessons to take away from Larian's success also. The fact that they support coop wouldn't mean shit if the combat system wasn't so fun in the first place. Though I have complaints, the games (well 1 at least, I haven't played 2 yet) are pretty incline and enjoyable in singeplayer as well. That being said, I'd expect a lot more RPG developers to start putting coop in their games. And from a business sense at least, that's probably a smart thing to do.

 

[you know what time it is]

The possible lesson here, IMO (and also from Tyranny even though it isn't technically a sequel): Less grimness. Audiences have had enough of GRIM WORLDS WHERE YOU WILL MAKE GRIM CHOICES.

Big, bright, colorful worlds don't even need to tell you you'll get to make choices. They seem to inherently convey escapism, freedom and possibilities. The open-ended sea exploration aspect of PoE2 bodes well in that respect, but you'll have to emphasize it.

I get (more or less) what you mean, but this is worded so poorly (or very accurately in order to trigger as many people as possible).

Speaking of Tyranny, grimness of the setting didn't affect its sales, it was their whole shtick in the first place, the problem was - they didn't deliver on that front (and many others, like encounters, enemy variety and so on), game fell flat when it came both to choices and to actual characters inhabiting said 'grim' world and their motivations. Funnily enough the game ended up having less choices than say PoE, BG or any similar games, where you had 3 main options (beacon of light, reasonable dude, muhahah evil nonsense), here you only have the last two. It had a chance to explore a fairly interesting setting, but failed miserably at doing so.

 

[Infinitron]

Let's be real. They're going to look at it and go, "Oh, so co-op and multiplayer shenanigans are what make RPGs viable."

I know a lot of people here don't want to believe this, but as far as I can tell this is a fairly accurate take on why both Div:OS games sold as well as they did. I only have anecdotal evidence, but I'm pretty sure that the ability to coop the game with your bros is a huge selling point that helps tap into a playerbase that normally would stay away from turn-based isometric RPGs. I have a friend who mostly plays stuff like CS:GO and PUBG, I rarely see him playing single player anything and especially not RPGs. Yet he played Div:OS1 a little while after release and he and the guys he plays PUBG with all bought Div:OS2 the day it was released and have been playing it non-stop since then. There are a lot of people out there who will buy your game if and only if it has a fun multiplayer mode.

Now, that certainly doesn't mean there aren't other lessons to take away from Larian's success also. The fact that they support coop wouldn't mean shit if the combat system wasn't so fun in the first place. Though I have complaints, the games (well 1 at least, I haven't played 2 yet) are pretty incline and enjoyable in singeplayer as well. That being said, I'd expect a lot more RPG developers to start putting coop in their games. And from a business sense at least, that's probably a smart thing to do.

Wasteland 3 is already doing this.

 

[I'm Big Into Anal]

more like 'echo through your BALLS' amirite chaps hahaha

oh, thread has gone three pages oops

disregard

 

[Mastermind]

I DO have to say, Thanks to Larian, and the good success of this game, Publishers now might see a TURN BASED game as something that can be a Profitable venture.

And this is all due to Swen (and his team) and all the people who kept backing this series.

THIS is actually a moment of pure INCLINE, and a possible hope for the future.

Thank you Swen and your team. I wish you all the best of luck on this game

civ/xcom already existed. and there were a ton of shitty facebook TB games making lots of money

 

[sser]

Awesome. All but guarantees Divinity OS3 will be in first-person.

 

[Sentinel]

Okay.

Now the real question:

What was the contribution of MCA?

Writing Origin Story of Fane, whatever that means. Might mean the background info at character creation and his origin story there, or his actual questline. Taking his precedents as a kickstarter reward in the past, it's probably the former.

 

[Ulfhednar]

Fargo must feel like John the Baptist to Sven's Jesus.

When the messengers of Fargo had left, He began to speak to the crowds, "What did you go out into the Wasteland to see? A cRPG shaken by the wind?" ...
So Fargo began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the Torment to come? ...
"Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the cRPG genre; so every cRPG that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

Fargo the Baptist said, 'I am a voice of one crying in the Wasteland, 'Make straight the way of the Divinity!' as Feargus the prophet said.'"

After this Sven and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. (Fargo had not yet been put in prison).

Fargo's disciples came to him, saying, “Fargo, he who was with you on turn-based cRPGs, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” Fargo answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. ‘I am not the Divine, but I have been sent before him.’ ... “Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. Sven must increase, but I must decrease.”

 

[Bohrain]

Okay.

Now the real question:

What was the contribution of MCA?

He wrote Fane the undead companion.
Not his best work I'd say. The character is the last existing member of his race and forgotten culture and also a genius of his time, which makes him too much of an unique snowflake. He does have the human flaw of being completely ignorant of existing social norms and customs to a comical degree, but it comes off in a way I can't appreciate.

 

[Infinitron]

Okay.

Now the real question:

What was the contribution of MCA?

He wrote Fane the undead companion.
Not his best work I'd say. The character is the last existing member of his race and forgotten culture and also a genius of his time, which makes him too much of an unique snowflake. He does have the human flaw of being completely ignorant of existing social norms and customs to a comical degree, but it comes off in a way I can't appreciate.

Chris Avellone on his work on D:OS 2:

To clarify - I didn’t design the undead race, only one undead’s backstory, not sure how much survived (not in a bad way).

I've seen another writer on Twitter (who is not Chris Avellone) claim to have actually written Fane.

 

[fantadomat]

I have mixed feelings on this one.The game is a buggy mess with boring combat and bad writing (a lot of sjw shit).But it have nice exploration,a bunch of interesting interactions and it is playable/finishable without cancer infestation.Also i like larian studio and their games.Both Divine divinity and Beyond divinity have rally good atmosphere and unique setting/world.Also Dragon commander is a fun game only that it have that shit strategy element.

 

[Zed]

Sales are a lot better than expected, but nothing like Skyrim's, so I won't be eating shit.

I'm glad for Larian, they deserve success.

I've got a mixed opinion of the game, but overall it's fun.
The narrator is garbage (has to be muted), fights are too long, writing is inconsistent, and the RNG loot is bullcrap.
Those are the big and noticeable negatives. Most everything else is decent, good, or great.