OT: Master of Magic 2 - now looking quite likely

[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:

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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.

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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 ]

[Blitz]

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.

Well the engine was frankly... outstanding. But it was the amazing amount of content that really made BG2 a winner. Things like kit classes, side quests, those annoying romances, an amazing villan (Irenicus best game baddie by far?), outstanding voice acting, situational events... that game offered so much. I'd happily plunk down $200 for BG3 with the same old engine and just a new story.

[Arryn]

I feel the same way about BioWare's latest Infinity-engined game, KotOR, and am delighted that we'll be seeing KotOR 2 next year (if it stays on schedule, and games rarely do).

All too often, what many devs (and too many players) think is that fancy graphics and intricate rules (complex character creation and advancement paths) makes for a good game. Lots of -- meaningful -- quests, an involved and intriguing plot, and high-quality voice acting are what make a great game. Everything else is ... window (Windows?) dressing. Just look at Beyond Divinity for an example of what *not* to do.

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally posted by 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.

Now that Im "in" the business and get the insider magazines I would have to disagree. Its true to a point but very few of the publishers can afford to get into consoles. They all are diversifying though. Some to board games, some to cell phone games, some to mmorpg. But nearly all of them (especially in the US) are definetly in cutbacks.

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).

Im sure thats factual enough although they would probably put it in terms of "supply and demand" and "market saturation" and "realistic returns for investors".

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

True. I havent been following those much. Oh well, world economy. They get our geeks jobs, and send our geeks wives.

[Arryn]

Gandalf,

The only thing I can add to your reply is don't rely overmuch on what you read in trade press (for any particular trade). I get rags for my trade (software consulting) and what I read rarely jives with what I see in the real world around me. The same was true when I was in network support a decade ago. A friend of mine is a hotel manager and what he reads in his industry's trade rags bears little resemblence to reality according to the stories he tells me.

Plus, limiting yourself to just what you read about US developers (even assuming it's true for them) is hardly representative of the broader context of the global economy. You'd see that your trade is prospering quite nicely if you'd cross that big chunk of water to our east.

And please, please don't remind me about outsourcing. My Last permanent job ended up in Calcutta. I'm am still quite sore (a massive understatement; I'm livid) about it.

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Gandalf Parker:
They get our geeks jobs, and send our geeks wives.

Actually, if they steal all your jobs, pretty soon they won't need to send you any wives because you'll be poor, and it'll be your turn to send THEM wives.

[major^3]

i hope bethesda does a good job on FO3... cuz if its in the same style of MOrrowind the whole feel is going to be ruined...

[Arryn]

Originally posted by major^3:
i hope bethesda does a good job on FO3... cuz if its in the same style of MOrrowind the whole feel is going to be ruined...

I doubt you have that particular issue to fear. FO is top-down isometric view and MW is first-person. If FO was made using a MW-style engine, it wouldn't *be* FO anymore, except in name. I don't honestly think Bethesda could be *that* stupid. The bigger worry is that they'd keep the format the same as in FO/FO2, but lose the irreverent, tongue-in-cheek humor that made the original so popular. IOW, put out a POS game like Lionheart (built using the FO engine by an "no-name" developer, instead of Black Isle, for Interplay), which was not only tedious and boring, but horrendously buggy (adding insult to injury).

But Bethesda does have a tendency to try to get things right, and to take however long it takes to do so (as opposed to rushing stuff to market). Morrowind (and their earlier games) may have their flaws, but they weren't *bad* games.

It's JA3 I'm worried about, not FO3. I see the same thing happening with JA3 that happened with Lionheart, and for the same reason.