Bethesda to buy another IP?

[sarfa]

Haha. I forgot people liked the Baldurs Gate for the PS2. Hell I forgot they existed.

It was an Action RPG*- it did what it did very well.

Knowing Bethesda any IP they have obtained will be an RPG one, so that the inevitable first person shooter (with or without guns) they come out with can be spun as some sort of faithful sequel. They wouldn't want to stray from what they do best, after all.



*Remember that RPG can stand for "Role playing game" (Like Pendragon, Amber, Fallout) or "Roll playing game" (Like D&D 3 onwards, Morrowind, and Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance). Hence, in many ways the console Baldurs Gate did the whole P&P emulation better than many other RPGs. It perfectly emulated the d20 experience- a mechanicul system based on aquiring loot and XP with the goal of being able to kill more (not do more). Thats precisly what modern D&D ('the mother of all P&P games') is.

 

[Dionysus]

it could be Baldur's Gate. we all know neither BioWare nor Obsidian are working or will ever work on it. Atari owns the license and are planning a sequel. why they'd give it to Bethesda I don't know, but I there are a lot of things happening every day that I don't know of

Bethesda has no use for the BG license. They already have a well-known generic fantasy setting.

The goal is to bring in a different audience and avoid saturation. Fallout achieves that goal. Something like Shadowrun or World of Darkness would achieve that goal. BG, Planescape, and Arcanum don't bring much to the table.

 

[Ausir]

Arcanum is not a generic fantasy setting. It's first and foremost a steampunk setting. Of course, it's steampunk mixed with fantasy, but so is Shadowrun cyberpunk mixed with fantasy.

 

[Dionysus]

Arcanum is not a generic fantasy setting. It's first and foremost a steampunk setting. Of course, it's steampunk mixed with fantasy, but so is Shadowrun cyberpunk mixed with fantasy.

I didn't say that it was. I don't think that Planescape is generic fantasy either, but it is something they could do within the ES. Arcanum doesn't bring much to the table because it isn't very popular and the setting is too weird. Shadowrun merges two popular and appealing settings. Arcanum merges a popular setting with this weird Victorian steampunk thing. It's the sort of thing that is interesting to hardcore RPG fans because they are sick of generic fantasy, but I don't think it has broad appeal. It certainly didn't generate any sequels or spin-offs.

 

[Elhoim]

The most interesting thing to note, however, is that the developer is working on a "surprising" new game involving another developer's franchise.

Age of Decadence!!!1oneoneone

OMG!!!

 

[jero cvmi]

i have a nightmare it will be Bloodlines.
and there will be a FatMan in it, just to get on our nerves.

 

[Ausir]

Bloodlines is not a separate franchise, and the franchise it's based on has been discontinued.

 

[jero cvmi]

you're right, i meant Vampire: the masquerade.
and what do you mean discontinued? they cant' buy the copyright?

 

[Ausir]

The old World of Darkness, which Vampire: The Masquerade was part of, is not being published anymore, and was actually destroyed in the "Time of Judgment" campaign that brought the apocalypse to the setting.

Instead, in 2004 White Wolf created the new World of Darkness, which shares some similarities with the old one, but is pretty much a new setting, aside from also having vampires, werewolves, etc. The new Vampire RPG is called Vampire: Requiem.

If any new World of Darkness game were to be created, it would be based on the new WoD, not the old one.

 

[Zaii]

I was so damn optimistic about Fallout 3. I just don't think I could take Bethesda shitting all over another franchise I adore.

That comment says "another developer", so I'm hoping, praying it isn't Baldur's Gate. Or Zork. I love me some Zork.

 

[Public]

Didn't someone joke about them making an Arcanum sequel ? Scary if true. Really though, they're turning into the Kevin J Anderson of the Game industry - just working in other people's worlds (and doing a piss poor job of it sometimes)

Or Owe Boll of the game industry

But let us think about it for a second. Who had the rights to Arcanum or VTM? Those games were made by Troika, so Boyarsky, Cain and the other guy, so probably they have rights to them. I don't think they will sell them to Beth...

If Fallout 3 is any indicator, whatever franchise Bethesda is working on, it's in great hands.

In great hands? Dude, you want all the games to be like Oblivion? What a moron

 

[FeelTheRads]

Those games were made by Troika, so Boyarsky, Cain and the other guy, so probably they have rights to them.

Don't think it's possible that they have them. Arcanum is probably owned by Sierra and VTM... well, if they make a game it that setting is not like they'd be raping Bloodlines, they'd only rape the setting itself.

Of course, if they got Arcanum I think Leonard Boyarsky will have a fit.

 

[MrBumble]

But let us think about it for a second. Who had the rights to Arcanum or VTM? Those games were made by Troika, so Boyarsky, Cain and the other guy, so probably they have rights to them. I don't think they will sell them to Beth...

Actually, I'm pretty much sure that the rights belong to Sierra...

 

[Gizmojunk]

Wellp.... It looks like this marks the birth of Uwe Beth.

Harden your heart and tighten your belts, this may well get ugly.

(but with beautiful bloom).

~edit heh... :confess: I didn't catch sight of the last couple of posts... seems others made the same conclusion.

To me the idea that it could be VTM makes shocking sense given that they already have Vampires in their existing engine, and it would give them a chance to flex in the one thing they seem to excel at ~landscaping [medieval hamlets, 1860's London, 1920's, 1950's 1970's New York, !999, 2020 Los Angeles] ~I have to conceed that the areas would look the part, but I'm sure the game itself would just be a TES rehash

 

[AskWazzup]

Well, bethesda has become so talentless, that creating a new original setting is too hard and probably out of the question. So i wouldn't be shocked if this roumor is actually true.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that they won't rape another classic

 

[Ausir]

The rights to Arcanum belonged to Sierra, the rights to Vampire: The Masquerade belong to White Wolf, and were licensed by Activision, not Troika.

 

[Cimmerian Nights]

That comment says "another developer", so I'm hoping, praying it isn't Baldur's Gate. Or Zork. I love me some Zork.

Zork? You mean there's someone on these boards as old as I am?

Remember when Todd said RPGs are all about running around on horseback and hitting things with a sword? Mount & Blade?

I'd count BG out, since as already mentioned they have the "generic fantasy" IP and want to diversify. Besides, D&D is more than just a setting, after seeing what they did to TES, and Fallout, systems, they would probably gut D&D rules for the worse.

Cyberpunk/Steampunk would be a base they can cover.
Shadowrun?
Thief?

 

[Gizmojunk]

Lets all pray that its Riven

 

[BloodyPuppy]

Damn it, I just joked about an Arcanum sequel made by Beth. Is this like karmic retribution or some crap? God damn it...

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

Odell Lake.


they can have Odell Lake. nothing else.