RPGs sell, right?

[Klapseninsasse]

There's one thing I really don't understand. Everytime Bioware or Bethesda bring out a new RPG, those games dominate the charts. Mostly they even become the game of the year. And since every other genre now has RPG elements in them, I guess that people love RPGs. So why aren't all the other awesome RPG trademarks continued? Like Ultima, Dungeons&Dragons, Might&Magic and so on? Who's keeping their fingers on them? And why don't they just sell the name to developers who are interested in continuing those, if they don't want to take the risk?

[Τhe Rolling Cheese Wheel]

Първоначално публикувано от Dead Serious:

There's one thing I really don't understand. Everytime Bioware or Bethesda bring out a new RPG, those games dominate the charts. Mostly they even become the game of the year. And since every other genre now has RPG elements in them, I guess that people love RPGs. So why aren't all the other awesome RPG trademarks continued? Like Ultima, Dungeons&Dragons, Might&Magic and so on? Who's keeping their fingers on them? And why don't they just sell the name to developers who are interested in continuing those, if they don't want to take the risk?

Correction, good open world RPG sells.

Ultima is currently under EA's fingers. Probably dying from shortness of breath.

[Thordred]

And THIS[www.lordofultima.com] is what EA did to the Ultima franchise. :(

We see new Dungeons&Dragons games quite frequently: Daggerdale (2011), Neverwinter Nights 2 (2006), Icewind Dale II and Neverwinter Nights (2002), etc...

As for Might&Magic... there's a fan-made sequel[www.thegaminguniverse.org] in development.

[Keonyn ♣]

Unfortunately D&D hasn't released a decent game since ID2 and the first NWN. And has been mentioned, EA has all but destroyed the Ultima franchise at this point, and what little is left is a joke that resembles what it once represented in name only.

The main reason people jump at BioWare and Bethesda's work is because of the great open world concept that they so effectively employ. When the JRPG took over the RPG world the games became incredibly linear, so the RPG genre really began to stagnate. Bethesda, and later Bioware, really breathed life in to the genre by presenting games that not only had fantastic gameplay, but presented an amazing open world environment and flexibility and freedom that RPG's had really been lacking. That is really why people flock to those RPG's, because they present a true RPG experience as opposed to the linear and relative lack of freedom people got used to from the likes of Final Fantasy which dominated the RPG market for so long.

[PentaPenta]

Първоначално публикувано от Keonyn:

Unfortunately D&D hasn't released a decent game since ID2 and the first NWN. And has been mentioned, EA has all but destroyed the Ultima franchise at this point, and what little is left is a joke that resembles what it once represented in name only.

The main reason people jump at BioWare and Bethesda's work is because of the great open world concept that they so effectively employ. When the JRPG took over the RPG world the games became incredibly linear, so the RPG genre really began to stagnate. Bethesda, and later Bioware, really breathed life in to the genre by presenting games that not only had fantastic gameplay, but presented an amazing open world environment and flexibility and freedom that RPG's had really been lacking. That is really why people flock to those RPG's, because they present a true RPG experience as opposed to the linear and relative lack of freedom people got used to from the likes of Final Fantasy which dominated the RPG market for so long.

Besides, how many games can you put 600 hours into and still not beat it?

[Tito Shivan]

Първоначално публикувано от Keonyn:

That is really why people flock to those RPG's, because they present a true RPG experience as opposed to the linear and relative lack of freedom people got used to from the likes of Final Fantasy which dominated the RPG market for so long.

Certainly, if i wanted to be herded from encounter A to encounter B, i'd go back to my old Pen&Dice RPGs. I know a few DM pretty adept at that adventure concept.

[Lisp Witch]

Първоначално публикувано от steventheslayer:

Besides, how many games can you put 600 hours into and still not beat it?

nethack (telnet 204.236.130.210), dungeon crawler stone soup (it's still the original) ehmmm...

mainly roguelikes

[Klapseninsasse]

At the time, where EA released the news, that Black Isle Studios will only be doing the PS2 spin-offs of their franchises, I knew that it'll all go down the drain. I couldn't think of a reason, why they would do that. They had such a large fanbase back then. So why would they just piss in our faces? And now they just re-release Torment, ID and BG every year and hope to milk the franchises some more. It's awful.

The main problem with Bethesda and Bioware is, that they can only release a game a year. Man, they should just get more employees and get more games done. Would be awesome, if EA would give Ultima to Bioware. And Bethesda should take everything else. Wizardry and D&D and M&M.

I've heard that there's quite a big buzz around D&D Online. Has anyone played that? I never tried it, because I usually don't like MMOs. But maybe it's not even that bad.

I recently played a game called Avadon, it's an indie RPG. That game would need just a little more budget. Beautifully hand-drawn graphics and a bit more music, that would make it perfect.

[Τhe Rolling Cheese Wheel]

Първоначално публикувано от Dead Serious:

At the time, where EA released the news, that Black Isle Studios will only be doing the PS2 spin-offs of their franchises, I knew that it'll all go down the drain. I couldn't think of a reason, why they would do that. They had such a large fanbase back then. So why would they just piss in our faces? And now they just re-release Torment, ID and BG every year and hope to milk the franchises some more. It's awful.

The main problem with Bethesda and Bioware is, that they can only release a game a year. Man, they should just get more employees and get more games done. Would be awesome, if EA would give Ultima to Bioware. And Bethesda should take everything else. Wizardry and D&D and M&M.

I've heard that there's quite a big buzz around D&D Online. Has anyone played that? I never tried it, because I usually don't like MMOs. But maybe it's not even that bad.

I recently played a game called Avadon, it's an indie RPG. That game would need just a little more budget. Beautifully hand-drawn graphics and a bit more music, that would make it perfect.

... bioware is owned by EA.

[Klapseninsasse]

Първоначално публикувано от The Rolling Cheese:

... bioware is owned by EA.

I know?

[Τhe Rolling Cheese Wheel]

Първоначално публикувано от Dead Serious:

Първоначално публикувано от The Rolling Cheese:

... bioware is owned by EA.

I know?

Point is giving bioware the order to make ultima games won't change the fact that EA will be breathing down their necks the entire time and thus produce a poor game.

[Klapseninsasse]

Първоначално публикувано от The Rolling Cheese:

Point is giving bioware the order to make ultima games won't change the fight that EA will be breathing down their necks the entire time and thus produce a poor game.

I think, EA learned alot of their mistakes in the last few years, so I - at least - hope, that they wouldn't pressure up Bioware. Well, we would know, if the game would actually happen :(

[Keonyn ♣]

I think Bioware has a certain degree of freedom as of yet, but I'm sure they're just one poorly performing release away from being shaken up by EA and turned in to just another paint-by-the-numbers game producing arm of their master.

[Klapseninsasse]

I hope they will realise that they need to give freedom to creative people, or else they will never live up to their potential.

[Keonyn ♣]

EA, and companies like them, doesn't think like that. They buy up successful studios and franchises, make them in to cash cows and milk them for what they're worth and move on to the next one when that one stops producing the numbers they're looking for.

[Klapseninsasse]

Yeah, I know that, I also read everything that Kotick said, but EA changed alot. Activision Blizzard still acts this way though. I strongly believe that no game company can keep up this way. They will not stay at the top by being uncreative. And publishers started to realise this.