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Ken Rolston un-retires for a big huge RPG

suibhne

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Paraphrasing a peppy press release, <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/">Gamasutra</a> <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=12833">reports</a> that <a href="http://www.bighugegames.com/">Big Huge Games</a> (makers of Rise of Nations and Rise of Legends) has lured Ken Rolston out of retirement to help develop an upcoming console RPG. But not so fast, faithful RPGistas! Turns out that <a href="http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php">Next Generation</a> discovered this game is PC-bound, too.

<a href="http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4772&Itemid=2">Speaking with NextGen</a>, BHG president Tim Train says that "that although the mystery RPG’s “native platform” will be consoles, a PC version is also on the cards." The article continues:
<blockquote>Having 25-year industry vet Rolston on board for the RPG is a big plus for Big Huge. Rolston’s success with The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and the follow-up Oblivion led him to complete retirement, according to Train. But the lure of gaming brought him back promptly.</blockquote>...since, apparently, Bethesda's not so much with "the lure of gaming" these days.
<blockquote>Rolston said in a press statement that he "couldn't resist" the idea of working with BHG.</blockquote>One possible translation: Rolston "couldn't resist" the idea of <i>not</i> ending his long and storied gaming career with Oblivion.

Thanks, babyarm.
 

Jim Kata

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I seem to recall his resignation read a lot like he was embittered by the way things were going but resigned to it as unavoidable or something. Maybe this means he will have a little more creative freedom to make stuff he might actually want to make?
 
Self-Ejected

dojoteef

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Interestingly, I am headed up there for a job interview next week. Maybe I'll get to meet him.
 

suibhne

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GL, dojo.

I don't know enough about Rolston's recent roles to be either optimistic or pessimistic about this game, but it's very clear that Rolston left Bethesda with some frustration. I know he had a major hand in Morrowind, but he seems to have been less happy with his more recent experiences at Beth despite also being credited as Lead for Oblivion.
 

Dgaider

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We had Ken Rolston come by a few months back to talk to us about his views on RPG's and the industry. He was exceptionally candid and had some brilliant thoughts on where RPG's should be going. I, for one, hope that he's been lured out of retirement by getting to make the RPG of his dreams. I'd buy it.
 

elander_

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I'm still pissed with the old man for defending the removal of the climbing skill from the Elderscrolls. That skill was so cool. We could crawl dungeons up from old pits, climb fortresses and houses to rob them.

Still he made an interesting work in Battlespire, Redguard and Morrowind with the help of some other great writers. He just didn't get any help in Morrowind in the gameplay area. I hope that in his new job he gets some talented people to work with him. I'm curious to know about his rpg vision.
 

cutterjohn

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His retirement statement sounded to me more like he was forced out of bethesda, and really gave me my first inkling that Oblivious might not be so hot after all.

BTW: The game has now been reported to be console targeted, with MAYBE a PC version. There goes whatever interest I may have had in it...
 

HardCode

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Dgaider said:
He was exceptionally candid and had some brilliant thoughts on where RPG's should be going.

I guess one of those thoughts was that RPGs should be going to consoles :roll: The game will suck as an RPG because RPG and console don't mix.
 

galsiah

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HardCode said:
...RPG and console don't mix...
Why not? (old thread links welcome)
I'm sure you can list many bad RPGs on consoles, but what are the reasons for their sucking? Developing for multiple platforms? Lack of mouse? Designed for broad console audience? Designed for sitting 10 feet away? Designed for quick play sessions?

I'm not saying they don't suck, but I'm curious to know the specific reasons. Most of the issues I can think of are interface related. Does an RPG live and die with its interface?
 

HardCode

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The console is a casual gamer environment. RPGs aren't casual games. Nuff said.
 

galsiah

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HardCode said:
The console is a casual gamer environment.
Is that still true, or is it simply that most console games are casual? Historically, the largest obstacle to more involved games was probably system resources, perhaps followed by interface. These are much smaller issues now.
If it's a question of target audience, it's worth considering that there are many improvements to RPGs which would attract most codexers, without putting off casual players. Many desired improvements aren't directly contradictory to casual requirements - they're just not made priorities. There's not much reason to think that this couldn't change.
 

HardCode

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In theory: Console games are the in-home arcade games. You turn on the TV, turn on the console, play the same game over and over for high score, and turn it off. No true "saving", maybe checkpoints or codes to enter. No longevity in games.

Just because new consoles add a hard drive to save the game, the principal is still the same for the platform. Look at it this way, it's something that uses another appliance in the house that you can waste (mindless) hours and hours on - the TV. So, most console gamers are heavy TV watchers. And there isn't much convincing to do to state the point that most heavy TV watchers aren't going to be into a long playing, intricate game like an RPG. The target audience is for those who "Plug in, play, quit. Start over again tomorrow for a new high score."
 

vortexv1

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Unnanounced rPG with focus on what? Focus on Consoles? No way, sir. I m out.

And to b honest Rolsoton is as guilty as anyone else for morrowind beeing generic and full of filler quests and for oblvion beeing dumbed down for console kiddies.
 

Dgaider

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baby arm said:
had some brilliant thoughts on where RPG's should be going
examples?
I would, but they're not my thoughts and I'd rather not speak on his behalf.

Still, it was quite refreshing and I suspect wouldn't have been entirely unpalatable to the Codex hivemind, either.

HardCode said:
Just because new consoles add a hard drive to save the game, the principal is still the same for the platform. Look at it this way, it's something that uses another appliance in the house that you can waste (mindless) hours and hours on - the TV. So, most console gamers are heavy TV watchers. And there isn't much convincing to do to state the point that most heavy TV watchers aren't going to be into a long playing, intricate game like an RPG. The target audience is for those who "Plug in, play, quit. Start over again tomorrow for a new high score."
It's as good an excuse for elitism as any, I suppose.

It'd be much easier to just boil it down to

audience = not me

but to each their own. :)
 

GhanBuriGhan

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HardCode said:
The console is a casual gamer environment. RPGs aren't casual games. Nuff said.
While I don't have a console and don't really want a console, that's still bullshit. ALL platforms including PC are casual gamer environments, first and foremost. That's why everybody whines at the Codex, remember? Let's not get into the stupid platform wars, OK?
 

HardCode

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How could a PC be a casual game environment when you need a sufficient amount of computer savy to play computer games? Most people can't even find their e-mail on a PC, let alone install and play games. Playing games on a console is as easy as hooking up a DVD player and starting a movie.

Oh, but what would be a non-casual gaming environment? Paint-ball in the woods?
 

Sir_Brennus

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GhanBuriGhan said:
HardCode said:
The console is a casual gamer environment. RPGs aren't casual games. Nuff said.
While I don't have a console and don't really want a console, that's still bullshit. ALL platforms including PC are casual gamer environments, first and foremost. That's why everybody whines at the Codex, remember? Let's not get into the stupid platform wars, OK?

Thanks for stating that or otherwise I had (again) to point out the fact that the only growing segments of PC gaming in the western world are browser games and coffee-break games, which are mostly considered "casual".
 

HardCode

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Dgaider said:
HardCode said:
Just because new consoles add a hard drive to save the game, the principal is still the same for the platform. Look at it this way, it's something that uses another appliance in the house that you can waste (mindless) hours and hours on - the TV. So, most console gamers are heavy TV watchers. And there isn't much convincing to do to state the point that most heavy TV watchers aren't going to be into a long playing, intricate game like an RPG. The target audience is for those who "Plug in, play, quit. Start over again tomorrow for a new high score."
It's as good an excuse for elitism as any, I suppose.

It'd be much easier to just boil it down to

audience = not me

but to each their own. :)

Elitism? Give me a fucking break. Just observe the world around you. TV is the ultimate in hand-holding. No interaction, no thought. It's the perfect medium for console games, which take no thought, just joystick sk1llz. Hell, I started my gaming career on the Atari 2600, so I think I am qualified as someone who grew up with both TV, early consoles, and PCs since the Radio Shack Tandy TRS-80 to qualify my above statement. Consoles games are mindless shoot-em-up/score a goal games, PCs are (should be) the thinking persons games. Perhaps if you developers realized this, the state of PC games wouldn't be the shit-case that they are today.

Always shoot for the lowest common denominator, right? Create games for both PC and console to make the most money. I'd call that elitist if anything. Satisfy the poor masses and buyer beware!

P.S. Any developer posting in a forum this late is going to write buggy code tomorrow :D
 

Lord Chambers

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HardCode said:
In theory: Console games are the in-home arcade games. You turn on the TV, turn on the console, play the same game over and over for high score, and turn it off. No true "saving", maybe checkpoints or codes to enter. No longevity in games.
Where'd this theory come from? Your ass?
 

Lumpy

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Sep 11, 2005
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So, if the game wasn't focused on console gameplay, why develop it mainly for consoles?
Oh, and I suppose he did a good job with Morrowind, at least lore-wise.
 

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