Development Info The Black Hound lives!

[spacemoose]

I SURE CAN

 

[FrancoTAU]

You'd have to think the modding community was taken into account when Obsidian got the D&D license to do a game. However, Josh is an employee so he might not be totally immune like the random schmoe

 

[doctor_kaz]

I would get excited about this, but with only one person working on it, it means that it probably won't be anywhere near as ambitious as Jefferson would have been as an actual product, and it's going to take forever to finish. We'll all be playing it in 2010 or somewhere around there. It also means that another Baldurs Gate game isn't being made commercially. Considering that both BG1 and BG2 were huge selling blockbusters (especiallly by PC standards), I find this to be very strange and puzzling.

 

[suibhne]

It also means that another Baldurs Gate game isn't being made commercially. Considering that both BG1 and BG2 were huge selling blockbusters (especiallly by PC standards), I find this to be very strange and puzzling.

Not necessarily. Like Josh says, the rights are probably held by Atari (since Interplay lost them), and they could always aim for another D&D blockbuster to stem the bloodtide of their mortal wounds. If Josh is doing this only after trying to shop TBH to Atari, tho, you're obviously correct, and I agree it would be puzzling; BG3 seems as much of a "slam dunk" as Atari could want these days, especially if they could contract with an already-existing partner (Obsidian) in possession of a year or more of design work already completed.

 

[Volourn]

"No, they won't, unless he makes it a commercial endeveur."

I didn't say they would. i said *if they choose*. Read, please.

 

[Lumpy]

I would get excited about this, but with only one person working on it, it means that it probably won't be anywhere near as ambitious as Jefferson would have been as an actual product, and it's going to take forever to finish. We'll all be playing it in 2010 or somewhere around there. It also means that another Baldurs Gate game isn't being made commercially. Considering that both BG1 and BG2 were huge selling blockbusters (especiallly by PC standards), I find this to be very strange and puzzling.

I don't know - VD has been working on AoD since 2004. He was the only writer, had no previous experience, and had to work on a lot of other design ideas. And AoD is nearly finished.
So how unreasonable would it be that Josh, having plenty of experience, some design docs, and the engine already built, could finish the mod in 2-3 years?

 

[doctor_kaz]

It also means that another Baldurs Gate game isn't being made commercially. Considering that both BG1 and BG2 were huge selling blockbusters (especiallly by PC standards), I find this to be very strange and puzzling.

Not necessarily. Like Josh says, the rights are probably held by Atari (since Interplay lost them), and they could always aim for another D&D blockbuster to stem the bloodtide of their mortal wounds.

It would make sense, wouldn't it? But very little of what Atari has done with the D&D license makes sense. I think that it's likely that nobody is working on a commercial D&D game right now. Bioware isnt. Obsidian isn't, unless it's a NWN2 expansion pack. Troika's gone. Who's left? In the meantime. there's probably another D&D RTS, an expansion pack for D&D Online, a D&D button masher for consoles, and a D&D card battle game for the PSP. Atari is run by complete retards

 

[suibhne]

Not necessarily. Like Josh says, the rights are probably held by Atari (since Interplay lost them), and they could always aim for another D&D blockbuster to stem the bloodtide of their mortal wounds.

It would make sense, wouldn't it? But very little of what Atari has done with the D&D license makes sense.

As they say in France - tooshay. :wink:

The only announced upcoming D&D title is that D&D Tactics game for PSP, which is turn-based (not card-based, thank god) and might not actually be half-bad. But they clearly haven't done themselves any favors with tying that D&D Online albatross around their necks.

 

[Volourn]

That 'albatross' is making them money. R00fles!

 

[suibhne]

Considering the development costs and ongoing support bills, probably not as much as ToEE made them.

Seriously, MMOs are extremely expensive, and they're not a short-term cost; the continuing support costs are massive (tho subscription profits can also be significant if you have a reasonably large subscriber base). You have data on DDO's profitability?

 

[Volourn]

"Considering the development costs and ongoing support bills, probably not as much as ToEE made them. "

Likely a lot more considering it's still going strong while TOEE was praticlaly dead on arrival.

Do a search. It's no WOW (not much is); but it's doing decent business.

btw, This doens't mean I like the game. I tried the 7 day trial for like 2 days and that was enough for em to throw it in the trash.

 

[doctor_kaz]

That 'albatross' is making them money. R00fles!

Yeah right. That's why they are desperately trying to give away month trials and that must also be why they created single player content for it to get people to play it.

 

[suibhne]

Do a search. It's no WOW (not much is); but it's doing decent business.

Well, I'm asking because I did try a search. It was off the Top 10 lists at least as fast as ToEE, maybe even faster, and I can't find any information on continued sales. And yeah, I know Amazon stats aren't that helpful, but one of ToEE's SKUs is doing the same as DDO at Amazon and the other SKU is doing far better than DDO.

Please share your wisdom. :wink: