Obsidian working on next-gen console game

[Duraframe300]

April 2012 - currently | Art Director | Obsidian Entertainment, Irvine, CA
Unannounced Next-Gen Console title
Tools: 3dsMax, Maya, Photoshop, Flash, Illustrator, Z-Brush, Painter, Perforce, Vegas.

Was the unannounced title already worked on when you left Obsidian or did they sign after?

If you’re referring to the unannounced title that appears on Robert Nestler’s resume, then that is a new development, and it started after I left Obsidian. I am not sure if that is a signed project or just a pitch - could be either one.

 

[Excidium]

Yes?

 

[Azalin]

Yes?

Yes?

No?

 

[Duraframe300]

I'm usually on the obsidian forums active. That's why I've only been lurking here.

Possibility that this is a PS4 exclusive?

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

No worries, will be canceled around half-way through.

 

[Duraframe300]

No worries, will be canceled around half-way through.

Depending on how big the project is this would mean the end of Obsidian. They can't really take a hit like this again.

 

[Menckenstein]

Wasn't North Carolina or whatever their canceled next-gen console project?

 

[Duraframe300]

Wasn't North Carolina or whatever their canceled next-gen console project?

NC was already cancelled in April. Also second part of OP.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

No worries, will be canceled around half-way through.

Depending on how big the project is this would mean the end of Obsidian. They can't really take a hit like this again.

This is why Obsidian needs to slim down and go Larian. Semi-Self-funded, Semi-Self-published.

 

[DragoFireheart]

It will either cancel or the OE will blame the publisher for their bad coding team.

 

[Duraframe300]

No worries, will be canceled around half-way through.

Depending on how big the project is this would mean the end of Obsidian. They can't really take a hit like this again.

This is why Obsidian needs to slim down and go Larian. Semi-Self-funded, Semi-Self-published.

They can't. They're too big and due to that already have several liabilities like too big office space for example that has to be paid or looked out new for. In the end it would be better to just crush Obsidian and then "maybe" (a really big "maybe") founding a new smaller company. Furthermore theres no saying if several employees would even stay on. In the end you would be left with Avellone alone. And well, while Avellone's great and all he's really not all that adept when it comes to designing rpg systems.

Much more possible is that these people will go to facebook games, join Bioware or join Blizzard (where they will have no say).


Keep developing mainstream games while keeping a small (changing) team on the side that makes games with initial help through Kickstarter seems like the better method.


(It's entirly possible by the way that if the next big project gets cancelled guys like Sawyer and Cain go away. It already got Ziets.)

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Crushing Obs would be a disaster. People would leave/disperse left and right, and the tech and tools they worked so hard for many years are also gone. Nope.

 

[Infinitron]

Obsidian's elite developers should migrate en masse to Eastern Europe, drang nach osten style, and carve out a new empire there using cheap potato conscripts.

<insert photoshop of MCA in Teutonic Knight armor>

 

[Executer]

I'd like Obsidian to somehow work towards self publishing, possibly downsizing along the way. Owning their own IPs and building up the number of games they actually get continuous revenue on, sounds like a business model with a future unlike their current one.

Edit : MCA appears to be a bro, so I doubt we'll ever see his Kickstarter while he thinks Obsidian could go under.

 

[sgc_meltdown]

Oooh, Witcher spinoff!

 

[Duraframe300]

I'd like Obsidian to somehow work towards self publishing, possibly downsizing along the way. Owning their own IPs and building up the number of games they actually get continuous revenue on, sounds like a business model with a future unlike their current one.

Edit : MCA appears to be a bro, so I doubt we'll ever see his Kickstarter while he thinks Obsidian could go under.

Again, there's not just 1 talented guy at Obsidian. Downsizing could very well result in others leaving. As mentioned it already got Ziets. Would you still be interested in Obsidian if only MCA is left?
Also I doubt MCA thinks nor wants Obsidian to go under nor get much smaller. You don't refuse payment for a year, so that others can stay on if you think otherwise.

IMO, they should do both. Utilise the Kickstarter model to get a game out, then use the profits to self-publish their smaller titles. The money and their own IP's will also be useful leverage in publisher discussions for their next bigger titles.


Anyway, regarding Kickstarter. Avellone has been awfully quiet for a while now on the subject aside from "we're working on it". Which leads me to believe that they are coocking up something big.

 

[Angthoron]

Anyway, regarding Kickstarter. Avellone has been awfully quiet for a while now on the subject aside from "we're working on it". Which leads me to believe that they are coocking up something big.

"Koranum: Of Steam and Divinity Obscura"

 

[Executer]

I'd like Obsidian to somehow work towards self publishing, possibly downsizing along the way. Owning their own IPs and building up the number of games they actually get continuous revenue on, sounds like a business model with a future unlike their current one.

Edit : MCA appears to be a bro, so I doubt we'll ever see his Kickstarter while he thinks Obsidian could go under.

Again, there's not just 1 talented guy at Obsidian. Downsizing could very well result in others leaving. As mentioned it already got Ziets. Would you still be interested in Obsidian if only MCA is left?
Also I doubt MCA thinks nor wants Obsidian to go under nor get much smaller. You don't refuse payment for a year, so that others can stay on if you think otherwise.

IMO, they should do both. Utilise the Kickstarter model to get a game out, then use the profits to self-publish their smaller titles. The money and their own IP's will also be useful leverage in publisher discussions for their next bigger titles.


Anyway, regarding Kickstarter. Avellone has been awfully quiet for a while now on the subject aside from "we're working on it". Which leads me to believe that they are coocking up something big.

I didn't know MCA was going without pay, I suppose he's doubly happy to be working with Fargo since they're paying him something. If he launches the kickstarter sometime soon I wonder if he'll be stretching himself too thin.

I like your plan as well but who knows what their financial circumstances allow, they may just need to decide what talented people they can cut loose while keeping a viable (if lesser) studio.

 

[Stinger]

I'm expecting the Kickstarter won't show up until after Avellone is done with design for WL2, seeing as he won't be involved beyond the writing.

I think design is the first 6 or so months so until then I wouldn't nag the guy about anything else.

Anyway, I'm glad they've found a replacement nextgen project to bounce back after that cancellation news. Hopefully they can rehire Ziets since he doesn't seem to have a job atm.

 

[treave]

Rather than going all out working on big huge AAA projects they might do better to assign a few staff to produce multiple small-scale 2D indie style "proof-of-concept" RPGs that can be more experimental and push the boundaries of the genre. It'd bring in some money at least. It seems like nowadays any game with a decent amount of creativity and style will net you more than 10k worth of sales easy.

 

[Infinitron]

I didn't know MCA was going without pay, I suppose he's doubly happy to be working with Fargo since they're paying him something. If he launches the kickstarter sometime soon I wonder if he'll be stretching himself too thin.

I like your plan as well but who knows what their financial circumstances allow, they may just need to decide what talented people they can cut loose while keeping a viable (if lesser) studio.

Note that MCA is a co-owner of Obsidian, so it's possible he gets some sort of dividend from every project they do (although I suspect he isn't)

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Rather than going all out working on big huge AAA projects they might do better to assign a few staff to produce multiple small-scale 2D indie style "proof-of-concept" RPGs that can be more experimental and push the boundaries of the genre. It'd bring in some money at least. It seems like nowadays any game with a decent amount of creativity and style will net you more than 10k worth of sales easy.

Indeed. That's what Double Fine have been doing now, making several smaller projects, and they have been quite succesful with it so far.

 

[Duraframe300]

I'm expecting the Kickstarter won't show up until after Avellone is done with design for WL2, seeing as he won't be involved beyond the writing.

Avellone only works two (or three? not sure) times a week on WL2 (and he is involved beyond the writing and not. He's "just" designing and writing an area in the game and maybe support other stuff). Not writing the overall plot or anything)

Otherwise he's helping out on the south park rpg, but he's probably pretty expendable there. So I think he still had "some" time working on it.

 

[J_C]

Rather than going all out working on big huge AAA projects they might do better to assign a few staff to produce multiple small-scale 2D indie style "proof-of-concept" RPGs that can be more experimental and push the boundaries of the genre. It'd bring in some money at least. It seems like nowadays any game with a decent amount of creativity and style will net you more than 10k worth of sales easy.

Indeed. That's what Double Fine have been doing now, making several smaller projects, and they have been quite succesful with it so far.

Beat me to it, I wanted to say the same thing. Imagine the great "indie-like" RPGs they could make. Just like Double Fine, they could experiment with different designs, graphic style and gameplay. One could only dream. They could have a larger team which makes a AAA RPG, but they should have 2-3 smaller, which makes smaller games to the digital platforms.

 

[Duraframe300]

Rather than going all out working on big huge AAA projects they might do better to assign a few staff to produce multiple small-scale 2D indie style "proof-of-concept" RPGs that can be more experimental and push the boundaries of the genre. It'd bring in some money at least. It seems like nowadays any game with a decent amount of creativity and style will net you more than 10k worth of sales easy.

Indeed. That's what Double Fine have been doing now, making several smaller projects, and they have been quite succesful with it so far.

Again, Obsidian's too big for that. They are nearly double the size of DoubleFine. And an AAA Project will always be more profitable. It's a good idea of course, but its also risky and you still need publishers for them. Double Fine has an excellent reputation they can bank on as well.

(Also, Double Fine had its own problems. Layoffs were closing in before their Kickstarter.)