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Larian founder Swen Vincke wants more studios to make CRPGs after Baldur's Gate 3's success

Draugoth

Gold Member
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Following the win for Ultimate Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards 2023, Larian Studios founder and CEO Swen Vincke spoke with GamesRadar+ to talk about the game and his hopes for the CRPG sub-genre following the BG3's success.

We've always been very focused on just making our game, and a lot of people have attached a lot of things to that because the game turned out the way that we wanted it to be. So I hope there will be more games like a CRPG type of game. It's a game I like to play, and a lot of people in the industry like to play as well. So, If those games come out, and they don't have a story that we know already, I think that will be great. I look forward to those types of games.
 

RedC

Member
Funny enough, Microsoft has the studios and the money to do this with Obsidian, InXile, and even Bethesda, however they're all focused for their next releases which seem all similar to Bethesda first person RPG's in Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2, Clockwork Revolution, and The Elder Scrolls 6.
 
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The Fuzz damn you!

Gold Member
With almost 90% of console gamers effectively locked out of InXile, Obsidian and Bethesda games, it is inevitable that someone will step up to take advantage of the demand. Hopefully they match those studios’ historic quality!
 
We're definitely going to see an impact from BG3's success in other AAA games. Like how Assassin's Creed Odyssey was The Witcher 3-lite.
No, because the industry makes this game look like a UFO... The game will not be equaled for a very long time, if ever... It's the kind of exception that comes out every 10 years...
 

RedC

Member
No, because the industry makes this game look like a UFO... The game will not be equaled for a very long time, if ever... It's the kind of exception that comes out every 10 years...
No, it's iteration that a studio focuses on, refines, and gets better with each release.

Larian couldn't make Baulder's Gate 3 without a foundation of Divinity: Original Sin and iterating on it with part 2 which was then iterated on with Baulder's Gate 3.
 
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WitchHunter

Banned
"the game turned out the way that we wanted it to be"
ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
uuuuuuuuuuure... If they start spawning more studios... (that's nowhere mentioned in the article btw) well, good luck with that. They couldn't iron out this game and now want more?

No, because the industry makes this game look like a UFO... The game will not be equaled for a very long time, if ever... It's the kind of exception that comes out every 10 years...
Ever? You drinkin the koolaid? Don't believe everything you read. The only strong part of BG3 were the voice actors and the mocap. Rest was ridiculously underdeveloped and half of the gameplay was waiting for monsters to take their turns... ... in 2023... Wow, what a breakthrough! I'd say that was a 🤡fest. But of course everyone giving the fellatio because everyone else is giving the fellatio. Aha very good game, yes, everyone told me, it was groundbreaking. So it's groundbreaking!
 

Labadal

Member
Not enough for the big pubs. And smaller pubs can't afford to create such a game. They have like four or five teams spread across the world.

Don't get me wrong, western rpgs are 50% of my played games, and jrpgs are other 50%. I am hapoy for its success.

If you look at the crpg scene, though, you will notice that there are many great looking crps on the horizon. They just have the budget or exposure of Larian.
 

quest

Not Banned from OT
Funny enough, Microsoft has the studios and the money to do this with Obsidian, InXile, and even Bethesda, however they're all focused for their next releases which seem all similar to Bethesda first person RPG's in Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2, Clockwork Revolution, and The Elder Scrolls 6.
You know inexile and brian fargo wanted to do clockwork revolution. It was pitched by fargo himself. Same with Obsidian entertainment they wanted to do avowed, grounded, outer worlds 2 and Pentiment. I rather see those studios do games they want than management to tell them what to make.
 
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poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
FFS, WTF is a CRPG? Is the 'C' for 'Classic' or 'Computer'? IDK WTF BBQ.
Pretty sure it is for 'computer' but then the people who made the best CPRG say it isn't a CRPG because the C stands for classic and their game isn't a classic RPG. Except it kinda is a classic RPG as well.
 

RedC

Member
You know inexile and brian fargo wanted to do clockwork revolution. It was pitched by fargo himself. Same with Obsidian entertainment they wanted to do avowed, grounded, outer worlds 2 and Pentiment. I rather see those studios do games they want than management to tell them what to mske.
Agreed, I want these studio to do what they want too.

However I know Obsidian and InXile are big fans and have decades of expertise on CRPG's and Baulder's Gate 3 success may encourage them to make a AAA CRPG now that they have Microsoft's backing.
 

Hugare

Member
Unfortunately, its an anomaly

What publisher will greenlit a game like this? EA? Ubisoft? Take2?

And what team will develop it? They dont have any experience with a game like this

This was lighting in a bottle. Other devs may try, but they will fail miserably.

Takes more than just manpower and money to make a game like this
 

Puscifer

Member
Publishers typically do not like bankrolling AAA cRPG. The last one we got before BG3 was Dragon Age Inquisition. Looks like the next Dragon Age is selling out and becoming an Action RPG like Final Fantasy.
Honestly I would rather that. Ever since they abandoned gameplay in 2 it's felt like it was straddling (badly) this line between an ARPG and turn based CRPG.
 
I have an idea, I could try, but I am poor, and have no time for this due to studies. Maybe in the future, but the scope will be limited since it will be only me.

Kenan Thompson Pca GIF by E!
 

Denton

Member
There are shit ton of CRPGs. Literally three days ago Colony Ship came out, from Age of Decadence devs. Rogue Trader is about to come out.

What there isn't shit ton of are AAA CRPGs with corresponding production values and million of cutscenes. We'll see if AAA studios try their hand at that, but I doubt it. CRPGs are hard as fuck to make even without that AAA coat of paint.
 

Little Chicken

Gold Member
Agreed, I want these studio to do what they want too.

However I know Obsidian and InXile are big fans and have decades of expertise on CRPG's and Baulder's Gate 3 success may encourage them to make a AAA CRPG now that they have Microsoft's backing.
Wasteland 3 came out relatively recently and reviewed very well, people just ignored it.
 

WitchHunter

Banned
Wasteland 3 came out relatively recently and reviewed very well, people just ignored it.
Around 2 million copies were sold if I'm not mistaken. That's quite ok for a 3 million budget game.

You know inexile and brian fargo wanted to do clockwork revolution. It was pitched by fargo himself. Same with Obsidian entertainment they wanted to do avowed, grounded, outer worlds 2 and Pentiment. I rather see those studios do games they want than management to tell them what to make.
What did they do with Bard's Tale IV... bleh, they gave birth to an abomination.
 
There are shit ton of CRPGs. Literally three days ago Colony Ship came out, from Age of Decadence devs. Rogue Trader is about to come out.

What there isn't shit ton of are AAA CRPGs with corresponding production values and million of cutscenes. We'll see if AAA studios try their hand at that, but I doubt it. CRPGs are hard as fuck to make even without that AAA coat of paint.
Yup.


Just because things are impressive or popular, doesn't automatically mean it'll connect or catch fire the way one would think.

I would have sworn that after the "Nemesis System" in that Lord of the Rings game and how evolutionary Breath of the Wild was, I was sure we'd see games more like those coming out a few years after release and we essentially never did. Or at least to the same degree of those titles unless you consider their sequels.

I think any person that enjoys the more meaty story and gameplay possibilities of the CRPG are more than able to get them, just not on the caliber of the AAA space, and that absolutely sucks. I don't think people are understanding or giving enough credence to the level of actual work to put into BG3 that is almost very likely to never be seen by a lot of the players simply because there's so much and the permutations that can happen from them.

There's just a ton of content that unless you play multiple playthroughs, with different characters/classes, most people just won't see. I certainly haven't seen what feels like even half of the game and I've over 160 hours into it, and it doesn't even feel daunting or exhausting to play, just a fun way to immerse myself into the world for a few hours.

The game is certainly an achievement, but we'd all be fools to think that any major publisher would be willing to take the time, money and the risk of what a game like BG3 entails in the AAA space. I certainly hope to be wrong though and hopefully the accolades of BG3 spurn other Publisher/Developers to maybe try something outside the rote zeitgeist of cultural trends.
 

samoilaaa

Member
Unfortunately, its an anomaly

What publisher will greenlit a game like this? EA? Ubisoft? Take2?

And what team will develop it? They dont have any experience with a game like this

This was lighting in a bottle. Other devs may try, but they will fail miserably.

Takes more than just manpower and money to make a game like this
hmm there are a few companies who will try





an hardcore rpg but doesnt have beautiful cutscenes or voice acting


some people say this game is a poor man's skyrim but its not , this game has true rpg elements and a branching storyline with real choice and consequence , for now its in early access


 
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Hugare

Member
hmm there are a few companies who will try





an hardcore rpg but doesnt have beautiful cutscenes or voice acting


some people say this game is a poor man's skyrim but its not , this game has true rpg elements and a branching storyline with real choice and consequence , for now its in early access



I mean, they all look good, some great even. But the gap between BG 3 and these are just huge

An RPG game with the budget of BG 3 is not gonna happen. Thats what I meant by lighting in a bottle.
 
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