Company News Larian opens new office in Quebec, has two new RPGs in development based on the Original Sin engine

[Azeot]

D:OS would have been a hundred times better if it didn't have such a terrible writing. Even dragon knight saga's was (somewhat) more enjoyable. Please Larian, spend a few bucks more on that aspect of your games.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

Very Well! Continue the good fight with your software programmers!
Make the first game steampunk and the second about martial artists in Asia.

 

[Davaris]

Managing two offices so far apart is going to be challenging. Good luck Swen!

 

[mindx2]

Cool, their new office will only be about 2 1/2 hours from where I live. Time to get my passport renewed as I will dutifully make the trip to stalk harass interview them for our Prestigious Magazine when their next KS or non-KS game is announced. Just need to make sure it coincides with Swen being there.

 

[Night Goat]

It's p. cool of Swen to admit that D:OS has flaws. You never see AAA devs do that.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

Hmm, mid sized company (with a history of problems with scope management) going international.

Well at least we got D:OS out of them.

Yep, that's the end of Larian. I really don't see why Game Dev companies don't stay small and just keep making one game every year or so, rather than this need to SPEND ALL THE MONEY and make five games at once. All of which end up sucking. Rather than having the extra money to spend on making one or two games decently.

 

[Infinitron]

Rather than having the extra money to spend on making one or two games decently.

Well, they are making two games.

 

[Gragt]

Damn, couldn’t it have been Mexico?

 

[DeepOcean]

Wild West RPG, Sci Fi RPG, historical RPG, Demonic RPG, Space Opera RPG, Spy RPG, Urban Fantasy RPG, Horror RPG... please... I beg you... no more elves... please...

 

[naossano]

More than five games would be an issue, but if i were a publisher (dunno if Larian are also that), i would certainly want to have my teams work on more than one game at once.
If one of those make no sells, i could still get on my feet with another one.
If they all sell nothing, then it's end of business. But at least, i can afford one of them not selling much.
If i publish only one game and it doesn't sell, i am screwed.

 

[J1M]

Hmm, mid sized company (with a history of problems with scope management) going international.

Well at least we got D:OS out of them.

Yep, that's the end of Larian. I really don't see why Game Dev companies don't stay small and just keep making one game every year or so, rather than this need to SPEND ALL THE MONEY and make five games at once. All of which end up sucking. Rather than having the extra money to spend on making one or two games decently.

They are hiring lots of people in Quebec because the provincial government will subsidize ~30% of the cost of game company employee salaries there.

They are adding two teams while paying for 1.4 new teams.

 

[GarfunkeL]

And what with Bioware layoffs now that DA3 shipped...

D:OS has pretty impressive engine, so it only makes sense to pair an impressive engine with equally impressive content. Moving development outside of Belgium is likely to reduce development costs as well.

They are not moving away from Belgium - they are opening a new branch at Quebec.

 

[kazgar]

And don't forget the obvious symmetry between poutine and belgian fries, an important link that will only help the two studios get fat work together.

 

[I'm Big Into Anal]

larian are bros all the best to them begorrah

 

[set]

this is so larian can take advantage of laid off bioware workers?

 

[kreepr]

this means they'll need someone to help Kirill considering that they (unfortunately) slapped some of his unreleased works in a unfortunate way.

in other news, i see Swen finally switched to a bearable comment system on his blog.

 

[VioletShadow]

Should have stayed small, Swen. Tsk tsk, let's hope for the best I guess.
:mrfussy:

 

[Sensuki]

Mmmmm

 

[Sordid MCA/Prosper Hybryd]

Everything will be fine. Swen is bro of incline. He can do it. There is no need for panic.

Spoiler

 

[Onholyservicebound]

I'd apply if they were looking for a french team, but Quebec? The home of SJWs, shit music and awful rpgs? Nosiree

SJWs? French Canadians Frogs are the most intolerant cunts around.(other two things are true though.)

 

[Sensuki]

Quebec has some great music actually

 

[jdinatale]

Any chances of a waifu simulator in the D:OS engine?

 

[Nihiliste]

Not going to comment on opening a new office when I know nothing about the economics of the company but it definitely does sound like a familiar strategy that's typically been a losing one for small-mid sized studios. Hope it all works out for them.

Quebec has some great music actually

Would brofist if I could.

 

[Invictus]

What is it with the doom and gloom? Sven knows that to remain independent he has to grow his company and I think it is great. By growing his business not only will we get more quality games but he will have the means to take some "risks" (non fantasy settings) and probably be succesful.
Along with Fargo I will always back his stuff so lets hope he uses some of his magic.
I would like a JÁ kind of WW2 game in that Engine, or a futuristic Blade Runner kind of game

 

[jdinatale]

What is it with the doom and gloom? Sven knows that to remain independent he has to grow his company and I think it is great. By growing his business not only will we get more quality games but he will have the means to take some "risks" (non fantasy settings) and probably be succesful.
Along with Fargo I will always back his stuff so lets hope he uses some of his magic.
I would like a JÁ kind of WW2 game in that Engine, or a futuristic Blade Runner kind of game

Serious question, why couldn't he just move into a bigger office in Belgium and hire more employees there? Is it because Montreal is a more central location to draw talent from? I don't see why one has to open a new office in a location halfway around the globe.