Game News Divinity: Original Sin has sold 160,000 copies, already approaching profitability

[Darkzone]

Larian has set a pretty high bar for the rest of the Kickstarter RPG-projects to look up to, IMO.

Larian has a very good chance to become the next Kickstarter love child.

Who said anything about selling? I meant licensing it to an external developer (like Larian).

Todo this would be probably very good for this franchise and for EA.

 

[Morality Games]

I don't know if there's a serious chance of EA relinquishing their grip on Ultima, but it's certainly more likely today than it was two years ago.

Not sure I see that. EA almost certainly resents the growth and success of these indie RPGs as impediments to inflating the value of their own in-house RPG studio, as if more were needed on top of their own institutional shortcomings.

Besides, none of the executive personnel at EA are willing to be responsible if they sell a long dormant franchise and a business rival turns it into the next Skyrim. The shareholders will be out for blood. It's what we call a "career ending move."

Who said anything about selling? I meant licensing it to an external developer (like Larian).

They tried to make an Ultima game in-house. It bombed. Might be a good time for a change.

I think the sweet spot for cooperation has passed.

 

[Perkel]

Why the fuck people want to even get Ultima license in first place ? There is nothing interesting about ultima lore nor it represents anything more that RPG in which you can make bread and shit like that. Name also doesn't matter anymore beside few neckbeards and whole britania needs you thing is cringe worthy now.

Now Arcanum license would be actually amazing to get.

BUT

I think Larian just needs new world from ground up. Divinity is already tied to funny fantasy RPG where with new IP they could create more serious game with better story to rival Obsidian and that doesn't mean Divinity needs to die. They can release them back to back.

 

[ZoddGuts]

Clearly Larian is after the Wheel of Time license. Obsidian did nothing with it anyways.

 

[Athelas]

Why the fuck people want to even get Ultima license in first place ? There is nothing interesting about ultima lore nor it represents anything more that RPG in which you can make bread and shit like that. Name also doesn't matter anymore beside few neckbeards and whole britania needs you thing is cringe worthy now.

Uhm...money? Just name-dropping an oldschool franchise can get you millions, as many of the succesful Kickstarters have shown.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

So is this game any good?
Never bothered looking at it.

As I said go and watch Marbozir's videos on the game, you might find out by yourself. Well if you can go past the terrible polish accent that's it.

Where's that at?

 

[Perkel]

Uhm...money? Just name-dropping an oldschool franchise can get you millions, as many of the succesful Kickstarters have shown.

Why they need to namedrop Ultima ? Even EA knows Ultima name doesn't sell jack shit coppies anymore. Ultima as brand is dead

 

[sea]

Awesome! Congrats to Larian for their success, and I hope there are many more to come.

 

[lurker3000]

Jesus Steam gets 30%? I didn't know it was that high.

 

[Infinitron]

Jesus Steam gets 30%? I didn't know it was that high.

But pretty low compared to brick-and-mortar retail, which is what all these devs are used to. I'm sure they're quite happy with it. GOG takes the same, btw.

 

[Humanity has risen!]

Why would they care about getting another license, the Divinity world with the clever dialogue and awesome British voice acting is more than fine enough as it is for countless other games and it is 100% theirs.

 

[DwarvenFood]

Fucking happy for them. Well deserved, one of the better, if not best, Kickstarter releases to date.

 

[Korron]

Good for them. This game has some fucking legs, and I'm blown away so far. Shadowrun was a cheap facsimile tugging on my dic... nostalgia strings. Even if they executed in a timely manner, and it was enjoyable for what it was. This game might actually sit side by side with the greats though.

 

[Perkel]

But pretty low compared to brick-and-mortar retail, which is what all these devs are used to. I'm sure they're quite happy with it. GOG takes the same, btw.

You also need to count taxes. I doubt they are getting even 60% from each coppy

 

[Morality Games]

Jesus Steam gets 30%? I didn't know it was that high.

Can't put a price tag on one stop shopping for tens of millions of people + saved expenses on lack of physical media.

 

[Minttunator]

Couple of days after launch and it's still on top in Steam!

 

[J_C]

So, the DLC appeared on the GOG page, maybe this means that the game is patched as well. Could someone tell me what is the version number of the Steam version right now?

 

[Icewater]

1.0.47.0

Spoiler

I'm playing it right now.

 

[tuluse]

But pretty low compared to brick-and-mortar retail, which is what all these devs are used to. I'm sure they're quite happy with it. GOG takes the same, btw.

You also need to count taxes. I doubt they are getting even 60% from each coppy

Are you implying there is some other way to sell games where you don't have to pay taxes?

Traditionally, game devs made approximately $12 from a $60 game, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZWaBnpSvUk#t=1151

 

[Admiral jimbob]

Why would they care about getting another license, the Divinity world with the clever dialogue and awesome British voice acting is more than fine enough as it is for countless other games and it is 100% theirs.

Agreed. The setting suits them to a T, and they can still go in whatever direction they want with it. I have absolutely no interest in the Ultima setting and I don't see what other licenses they could bring their own clever humour and good-hearted charm to in the same way.

Plus, I spent 60 hours chasing Damian and only got to beat up his dead girlfriend, I've been waiting three years to get even with him by now

 

[Trash]

Biggest reason I did not support their kickstarter was my disappointment in Dragon Commander. Very nice to see this apparently turned out pretty damn well.

 

[toro]

Biggest reason I did not support their kickstarter was my disappointment in Dragon Commander. Very nice to see this apparently turned out pretty damn well.

The D:OS campaign was before the Dragon Commander fiasco.

It's ok to be cheap but don't try to lie about it.

 

[Morality Games]

But pretty low compared to brick-and-mortar retail, which is what all these devs are used to. I'm sure they're quite happy with it. GOG takes the same, btw.

You also need to count taxes. I doubt they are getting even 60% from each coppy

Are you implying there is some other way to sell games where you don't have to pay taxes?

Traditionally, game devs made approximately $12 from a $60 game, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZWaBnpSvUk#t=1151

A lot of that isn't applicable to online sales thanks to expedited distribution and production offered by a digital service. Also worth noting that taxes apply to Larian's "profit", not to the price tag of their game.

That is, Valve gets $12 of each $40 sale and then Larian gets a "35%" tax out of their $28 share.

That's a lot less odious than losing 75% out of the core sale. A difference of $10 profit to a $16 profit.

 

[tuluse]

A lot of that isn't applicable to online sales thanks to expedited distribution and production offered by a digital service.

What? That's the whole point of the slide.

Also worth noting that taxes apply to Larian's "profit", not to the price tag of their game.

That is, Valve gets $12 of each $40 sale and then Larian gets a "35%" tax out of their $28 share.

That's a lot less odious than losing 75% out of the core sale.

Thanks for explaining basic concepts to me. Of course it doesn't actually work that way. First Larian gets to deduct expenses ie the 4+ million development cost of the game.

 

[Morality Games]

A lot of that isn't applicable to online sales thanks to expedited distribution and production offered by a digital service.

What? That's the whole point of the slide.

Also worth noting that taxes apply to Larian's "profit", not to the price tag of their game.

That is, Valve gets $12 of each $40 sale and then Larian gets a "35%" tax out of their $28 share.

That's a lot less odious than losing 75% out of the core sale.

Thanks for explaining basic concepts to me. Of course it doesn't actually work that way. First Larian gets to deduct expenses ie the 4+ million development cost of the game.

Feisty, aren't we? I don't think anything I said excluded that contingency, so I'm not sure why you've taken the tone of a counter argument.