OT: Master of Magic 2 - now looking quite likely

[Arryn]

The "market" isn't in a cutback, per se. Its development resources (money, people) are being diverted away from PC games and towards console projects. What true cutbacks exist typically occur in companies that (in general) have lousy reputations to begin with, so their loss is nothing to shed tears for. Unfortunately, some of these lousy companies may own dev studios that do have good talent (Black Isle being canned by Interplay comes to mind), and that is something to cry buckets about.

With the large, loyal, and vocal JA community, it's madness for Strategy First to give the nod to an obscure (and worse, low-grade) Russian outfit when there are plenty of other shops (Russian and otherwise) with proven ability that would likely drool over the chance to work on JA3. It proves (to me at least) that SF doesn't give a damn about their customers and is only interested in doing things they can milk for money (as exemplified by the string of shoddy games SF has already put out).

EDIT: BTW, there *are* new companies popping up. However, it's mainly happening in Eastern Europe and Russia.

[ July 18, 2004, 01:13: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[Blitz]

The "market" isn't in a cutback, per se. Its development resources (money, people) are being diverted away from PC games and towards console projects. What true cutbacks exist typically occur in companies that (in general) have lousy reputations to begin with, so their loss is nothing to shed tears for. Unfortunately, some of these lousy companies may own dev studios that do have good talent (Black Isle being canned by Interplay comes to mind), and that is something to cry buckets about.

And of course, piracy is much harder in the console market, requiring not only a PC, but a highspeed connection, a console, and a mod chip. Despite the studies, I think this has a lot to do with the sluggish PC sales.

As for Black Isle getting canned, it's ourrageous. Any studio that produces the finest series ever in it's genre should never face the firing squad. The same thing happened with Sirtech (JA2 was by far the best squad-based TBS, fallout notwithstanding). Looking Glass is gone, despite the masterful Thief... which was never surpassed by two sequals. But the dissolusion of Black Isle, who produced in my opinion the finest PC game that didn't have Sid Meyer's name on it is a complete disgrace. Baldur's Gate 2 hasn't been surpassed by any RPG, despite advances in technology in the 5? years since it's release. That game was a brilliant fusion of RTS and RPG with enough TBS to satisfy even a nut like myself. The depth and replayability of the game was incredible... save for dynamic worlds like Everquest and UO, no game has held my attention for anywhere near as long... except perhaps the Civilization and Master of Orion series.

[ July 18, 2004, 01:28: Message edited by: Blitz ]

[Graeme Dice]

Originally posted by Blitz:
[QB]Baldur's Gate 2 hasn't been surpassed by any RPG, despite advances in technology in the 5? years since it's release.[/QB}

I thought you were going to talk about Fallout, since Black Isle developed that series. Baldur's Gate II was a Bioware product, and Bioware is still a very financially healthy developer located here in Edmonton.

[Blitz]

Black Isle's closure is a sad end for the once-great developer. BIS had a hand in some of the most acclaimed PC RPGs of the late 1990s, including the Fallout and Baldur's Gate series.

I believe Bioware was the publisher of BG2, not the developer.

[Blitz]

lack Isle Studios is the Role Playing Game Division of Interplay dedicated to making role playing games for console and computer systems. In addition to developing original titles such as Fallout, Black Isle also owns the exclusive license to produce all electronic entertainment games for the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Forgotten Realms and Planescape product lines.


developer

PC
Fallout 2
Fallout 3
Icewind Dale
Icewind Dale - The Ultimate Collection
Icewind Dale II
Icewind Dale: Heart of Winter
Planescape: Torment
Torn

PlayStation 2
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II

Xbox
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II

co-publisher

PC
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn

PlayStation 2
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance

Dunno. Maybe they worked together on it. I know the lead was from Black Isle. In any event them getting sacked was quite gay.

[Graeme Dice]

Originally posted by Blitz:

quote:

---

Black Isle's closure is a sad end for the once-great developer. BIS had a hand in some of the most acclaimed PC RPGs of the late 1990s, including the Fallout and Baldur's Gate series.

I believe Bioware was the publisher of BG2, not the developer.

---

Going by the credits in the BG2 manual, it looks like Black Isle Produced it, Interplay published it, and Bioware developed it. I believe that Black Isle was responsible for the infinity engine, but I could be mistaken. Bioware has all the BG games listed at their website as well, which is a bit of a further indication.

I'm just glad that the Fallout license has been picked up by somebody, even if it is Bethesda, as I'd rather see development work be done on it than have it sit in an unknown filing cabinet in some unknown location in Seattle like the rights for Betrayal at Krondor.

[ July 18, 2004, 02:11: Message edited by: Graeme Dice ]

[Arryn]

The Infinity engine that BG2 used is copyright from BioWare, and BioWare held the overall game's copyright.

Interplay's mismanagement of projects, and licensing disputes between Black Isle and WotC over AD&D, doomed Black Isle. And that's not even getting into issues of the internal politics and dynamics between Interplay and Black Isle.

EDIT: AFAIK, Black Isle was responsible for BG2's design (and other "high-level" issues) and BioWare was the shop that actually cranked out the code.

[ July 18, 2004, 02:30: Message edited by: Arryn ]