Obsidian and inXile acquired by Microsoft

[HoboForEternity]

So can cain, boyarsky and sawyer create tworoika games, invite MCA, ziets, gonzales to make journey to the center of arcanum?

 

[Wunderbar]

So can cain, boyarsky and sawyer create tworoika games, invite MCA, ziets, gonzales to make journey to the center of arcanum?

cain

boyarsky

sawyer

MCA

ziets

gonzales

that's shestyorka games, not tworoika.

 

[Sailor Woedica]

Hi Glacon!! You also like brockhampton? What did you think of Iridesence?? Unfortunately while Romil still does crazy good production I wasn’t the biggest fan of Bearface (this is mean but He kind of just comes off like not as good frank ocean) or Jobas corny lines ( though I’d never admit that on tumblr)!!! My favourite is Sat II, but I’m like obsessed with tracks off that project

Btw does anyone know what the sale means for Critical Role?! Matt uses the pillars soundtrack all the time and I’d hate if Microsoft stopped them from using it, they’re just on the open sea in Campaign 2 (don’t worry I won’t spoil anything) and I was chatting in the discord that he’d start using Deadfire’s soundtrack any episode now!!!!

 

[AwesomeButton]

Edit: No new info, just retelling the kotaku article

https://www.pcgamer.com/rumor-microsoft-is-close-to-buying-obsidian-entertainment/

Rumor: Microsoft is close to buying Obsidian Entertainment
By Steven Messner 14 hours ago

The deal is reportedly 90 percent complete, and is merely a "matter of when, not if."

Microsoft is reportedly close to finalizing a deal to purchase indie RPG developer Obsidian Entertainment based on three anonymous sources who spoke to Kotaku. While these deals sometimes fall apart at the last minute, one source told Kotaku that it was merely "a matter of when, not if." Another source said the deal was "90 percent" finished.

If this deal goes through, it would be a huge change for Obsidian Entertainment who has remained independent for 15 years while developing beloved RPGs like Knights of the Old Republic 2, Fallout: New Vegas, and the more recent Pillars of Eternity series. Fans of Obsidian will know that Pillars of Eternity, which was funded through Kickstarter in 2012, saved the company from a financial crisis that saw it almost go out of business. Obsidian was able to repeat that success with Pillars of Eternity 2, making it the biggest crowdfunding success since 2015.

Despite the success of Obsidian's recent games, being independent in this climate is a hard sell for a company with well over a hundred employees. In the last year, 10 studios have gone out of business, so it makes sense why Obsidian would seek the financial security of Microsoft.

What's interesting, though, is that Microsoft is the reason Obsidian Entertainment almost closed its doors in the first place. The two were working together on an Xbox One exclusive called Stormlands that Microsoft canned in 2012, forcing Obsidian to gamble on Kickstarter to raise the money for Pillars of Eternity. That was a long time ago, however, and Microsoft's Xbox division is now under new leadership.

This deal also makes sense for Microsoft, which has been on a buying spree over the last year with the purchase of four studios including Hellblade developer Ninja Theory and Forza Horizon 4 developer Playground. As sources told Kotaku, Microsoft has been looking to expand its PC audience—and what's more at home on PC than Obsidian's lineup of RPGs? What isn't clear, however, is what this deal would mean for Obsidian's currently unnamed RPG project that is being published by Take-Two Interactive.

We reached out to Microsoft, but a spokesperson told us they do not comment on rumors or speculation.

Xbox exclusive TB Pillars 3 incoming!

 

[Jenkem]

the codex did it.. they troika'd another company by not buying deadfire... thanks a lot you pieces of shit! go buy bard's tale IV NOW or we will never have any non-indie CRPGs again!

 

[AwesomeButton]

the codex did it.. they troika'd another company by not buying deadfire... thanks a lot you pieces of shit! go buy bard's tale IV NOW or we will never have any non-indie CRPGs again!

Grog the troll pet is saddened by this comment.

 

[Big Wrangle]

The real Troika 2 will be founded from Obsidian's eventual ashes by Chris, Josh, and Tim. And shut down after 3 games like last time.

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

And shut down after 3 games like last time.

And the 3 games will be worth it, like last time.

 

[fantadomat]

 

[Black]

Should've made turn-based games.

 

[Roguey]

TT1 is just being edgy, but really people shouldn't be saying stuff like that just days after the news of Telltale's closure.

Funny you should mention this.
https://twitter.com/ChrisAvellone/status/1049882025082200064 https://twitter.com/ChrisAvellone/status/1049881280215699456

"On Thursday, Telltale held a meeting to tell its employees that negotiations with AMC were going well and that management expected confirmation of funding within a few weeks. One employee said it was painted as a done deal." (1/2)

Wisdom: Even if sources believe it to be true, don't believe anything in the game industry - esp. from eager owners grasping for a payout, regardless of their employees' hopes - until ink is put to paper. It's just common sense. (2/2)

Funniest outcome: Deal doesn't go through and Obsidian Entertainment suffers massive layoffs with only Indiana's team as the survivor.

 

[AwesomeButton]

Funniest outcome: Deal doesn't go through and Obsidian Entertainment suffers massive layoffs with only Indiana's team as the survivor.

That's cold.

 

[Sigourn]

This breaks the Obsidian.

I doubt Microsoft will be interested in cRPGs that barely make any money. The only road left is mainstream RPGs, and I'm honestly not sure how they will tackle that.

 

[Latelistener]

Which doesn't mean he wouldn't stay on as studio "creative director", but I doubt that position will continue to exist in its current form after the massive management turnover and cash injection sure to follow a Microsoft acquisition.

If he stays though I can see him becoming the studio head quite easily in a couple of years. He has the necessary qualities, he's been there for more than a decade and people know him more than anyone else in Obsidian. Given proper structure he can even lead projects if he'll want to (see Arkane).

Depends what MS wants from a head. Sawyer has never shown anything but active contempt for the business side of running a game studio.

Finances can be always run by someone else. If Josh wants to start another studio he'll have to do the same anyway, as he doesn't want to be a manager as he stated in that "leaked" bit from Steam. At least that was the mistake Troika made: the trio wanted a studio but they didn't want to manage and they had no experience in it.

 

[whydoibother]

Oh well, Microsoft can't possibly do a worse job at running Obsidian than Obsidian did.

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

First order of business: reassign Cainarsky from Mass Effect with geometric shapes to DLC campaign for Minecraft.

 

[Steezus]

This breaks the Obsidian.

I doubt Microsoft will be interested in cRPGs that barely make any money. The only road left is mainstream RPGs, and I'm honestly not sure how they will tackle that.

Jank ass Dungeon Siege clones, here we come!!

 

[Valtiel]

this is like when brockhampton got signed to RCA records and ameer got cancelled from the group. BH changed but some change can be good, and i'm sure obsidian has an iridescence quality album (game) in them when They move over to Microsoft. Sorry about any spelling i'm posting on my phone

Who would have thought Brockhampton and CRPG had this much in common from all along, guees i've been blind all this time

 

[Quillon]

One day without interwebz and this happens

Inb4 Avellone send them a series of detailed emails explaining why the company is poorly managed.

He's the one behind the curtain, when its done MS will give Obs' reins to Avellone, he'll enter the studio and tell Feargus "I think you don't want be an owner anymore"

 

[Sailor Woedica]

Yes Valtiel!!! Which is one of the reasons my tumblr is dedicated to them and cool 90s aesthetics stuff like Pillars of Eternity!

 

[flyingjohn]

Seems like a bad deal for Microsoft.
They get a studio known for a niche genre not suited for consoles and shit management.
It would be better if they decided to buy Larian,you get a popular multiplayer rpg series,which works for consoles.

 

[Kyl Von Kull]

Seems like a bad deal for Microsoft.
They get a studio known for a niche genre not suited for consoles and shit management.
It would be better if they decided to buy Larian,you get a popular multiplayer rpg series,which works for consoles.

I mean, they'd actually have to pay for Larian; Obsidian they can get for peanuts. Plus, Obsidian has way more experience working on console games than Larian does.

 

[Nano]

Lmao. ResetEra's fanboyism for Obsidian goes so far that gave up their usual left leanings and don't give a fuck about any of this. Dude that posted this pissed off a bunch of people.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/ko...-acquire-obsidian-entertainment.73777/page-63

Friendly reminder that Obsidian is a shady company that has covered up sexual harassment claims, blatantly lied to employees about work conditions then laid them off the next week after assuring no layoffs were happening, fired employees who filed workers compensation claims, fired women coming back from pregnancy, lied to contractors then let them go, among other things.

 

[Spectacle]

Seems like a bad deal for Microsoft.
They get a studio known for a niche genre not suited for consoles and shit management.
It would be better if they decided to buy Larian,you get a popular multiplayer rpg series,which works for consoles.

I mean, they'd actually have to pay for Larian; Obsidian they can get for peanuts. Plus, Obsidian has way more experience working on console games than Larian does.

I don't think Swen would sell anyway. Larian exists to let him make the games he wants to make, and giving up control of the company would defeat that purpose.

 

[Roguey]

fired employees who filed workers compensation claims

What? It's not like they're operating heavy machinery or falling off high places here.