People News SHOCKER: Chris Avellone leaves Obsidian Entertainment

[Jaesun]

I don't see him going to Bethesda or BioWare because he would have no creative control on any of those games. Because the Marketing department does.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

So, there isn't any communication from Obsidian on his departure for now.

Someone else saw from that linkedin link that he is supposed to have quit OE last month already.

Sounds like a butthurt and drama-induced move

I love Obsidian and don't want to trash talk them, but it is odd that only Bethesda, BioWare and inXile devs have been responding to the news on Twitter.

 

[Latro]

[

I love Obsidian and don't want to trash talk them, but it is odd that only Bethesda, BioWare and inXile devs have been responding to the news on Twitter.

it's like a twitter game dev version of the bachelor

 

[aratuk]

I meant previously well-established by other writers outside his circle. And Bard's Tale has always been a whimsical, shallow lore. Not MCA-like in any way.

'Shallow' lore could also be read as 'underdeveloped (so far)'. It wouldn't matter, if there's free rein to go in any direction. Combined with a very favorable compensation package (possibly including a stake in the company?), it could be enough to entice a move.

 

[deuxhero]

Maybe I can enjoy his work on something that doesn't have Josh "Yelling at my co-workers and enabling threats against the entire industry" Sawyer now.

 

[Immortal]

The fact I keep falling for this shit just goes to show how ridiculous the gaming industry has become in the last 2 years.

 

[Crispy]

'Shallow' lore could also be read as 'underdeveloped (so far)'.

Yeah, it's gotta be better than trying to come up with romance options between a T-62 and a Leopard I.

 

[Jarpie]

Didn't MCA write in facebook something like "Tearing something down you've spend long time building" or something along those lines sometime ago? I wonder if that's connected.

 

[M0RBUS]

Yeah, Van Buren at inXile seems like the most likely result of all of this.
Bethesda is out of question, the only real alternative is leaving the industry.

Jason D. Anderson is at inXile after all.
But Tim Cain is a Obsidian, so what the hell...

 

[Diablo169]

To be fair, and this may just be the booze talking I don't mind if he goes independent. Provided he gets to write how he wants when he wants I honestly dont care. As long as he doesn't end up at a Publisher driven studio. Inxile would be fucking awesome though.

 

[norolim]

It's your fault Darth Roxor. It's all your fault!

 

[pippin]

I don't see him going to Bethesda or BioWare because he would have no creative control on any of those games. Because the Marketing department does.

Bioware is a sinking ship though. EA, for some reason, doesn't seem to be uncomfortable with DAI's performance (perhaps they think of it as some sort of sleeper hit), but 1/3 of the people who worked on ME1 kept their jobs in ME3. I have a feeling Bioware will be doomed when Gaider leaves.
I'm not familiar with Bethesda's situation, but they seem far more healthier in comparison.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

Was Avellone even in the Pillars of Eternity video? Just took a quick look at his Facebook page and it just says 'Former Interplay designer'. Looks like a messy breakup. What was that Facebook status thing again?

 

[Lockkaliber]

I feel betrayed.

This is now the main theme of this thread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKMUz2o0NNw

 

[Azarkon]

Wasn't having fun anymore? He was a creative director of a company that couldn't really afford to be creative.

PoE is the biggest fucking mystary for me. It was Obsidian's chance to shine (and their strength was always storytelling and dialogues, not combat), yet Avellone - their best writer - was barely involved. I assumed that he was working on something that was more important to Obsidian (but not necessarily to Avellone), which suggested that unlike inXile, Obsidian wants (or have to due to their size) to remain a mainstream developer and whatever mainstream title Avellone was working on was more important than PoE.

In before we learn that whatever he was working on was cut too.

 

[Kem0sabe]

Dunno why people think it would be awesome for MCA to join inxile.

A mobile development studio with a culture of mediocrity until they discovered that people will throw money at anything if the right names are dropped.

 

[Kz3r0]

Guys, use common sense, this is an honest to the rage breackup, no official press release by Obsidian, practically a nuanced twitter dimissions take up by the press.
Furthermore, if was inXile this would have bben handled differently, Fargo would have hyped this to sky heaven, expecially during a Kickstarter campaign, probably not even him knew about this.
Bethesda is the only logical option, expecially after their timely wink-wink tweet.
By the end of the month we'll know by the way.

 

[Morality Games]

I feel betrayed.

This is now the main theme of this thread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKMUz2o0NNw

Try again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R42nlCEllzo

The real regret is Chris Avellone's that he wasted a decade of his life waiting for his job to get fun again.

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

Guys, use common sense, this is an honest to the rage breackup, no official press release by Obsidian, practically a nuanced twitter dimissions take up by the press.
Furthermore, if was inXile this would have bben handled differently, Fargo would have hyped this to sky heaven, expecially during a Kickstarter campaign, probably not even him knew about this.
Bethesda is the only logical option, expecially after their timely wink-wink tweet.
By the end of the month we'll know by the way.

If by "timely wink-wink" you mean "a big surprise" tweet it was a fake.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Dunno why people think it would be awesome for MCA to join inxile.

A mobile development studio with a culture of mediocrity until they discovered that people will throw money at anything if the right names are dropped.

Yet now the mobile development studio announced its third TB RPG and its future is all but secured, whereas Obsidian is working on a fucking tank MMO, card game, and its last 3 games are Dungeon Siege 3, Stick of Truth, and PoE, while struggling to stay afloat.

 

[Metro]

Guys, use common sense, this is an honest to the rage breackup, no official press release by Obsidian, practically a nuanced twitter dimissions take up by the press.
Furthermore, if was inXile this would have bben handled differently, Fargo would have hyped this to sky heaven, expecially during a Kickstarter campaign, probably not even him knew about this.
Bethesda is the only logical option, expecially after their timely wink-wink tweet.
By the end of the month we'll know by the way.

Do they often have press releases announcing someone's departure? Social media has basically replaced the need for that.

 

[Lockkaliber]

I feel betrayed.

This is now the main theme of this thread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKMUz2o0NNw

Try again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R42nlCEllzo

The real regret is Chris Avellone's that he wasted a decade of his life waiting for his job to get fun again.

Long live MCA-sama

 

[Jasede]

RIP Obsidian. If they weren't dead already this is the moment the last breath of merit has been expelled, like mist in winter. An era has ended and all we're left with is to watch the dead drift along the river. RIP.

If he joins Bethesda I am going to cry, though.
Unless he poisons all the employees and takes over.

 

[Kz3r0]

If by "timely wink-wink" you mean "a big surprise" tweet it was a fake.

Nonetheless this is not a friendly separation and Fargo would have handled this differently if he knew in my opinion.

 

[Malpercio]

Obv something is going on.

I don't believe in "amicable partings".