GameBanshee update on current situation
shawne
Member Posts: 3,239
With the devs still on radio silence, we have to make due with whatever information comes our way.
GameBanshee has received new information pertaining to the Enhanced Edition project. Of note:
Apparently Beamdog hasn't paid Atari the royalties that they were owed, which led the publisher to ask them to pull the title from their services, and delay both Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition's patch and the release of the sequel's remastering.
Bear in mind, this is an unconfirmed report: a source within the industry provided it on condition of anonymity, Atari has not commented, and Trent Oster is still going with "We're working on it".
If true, though, it casts recent events in a completely different light, and - in my eyes - severely damages Beamdog's credibility...
GameBanshee has received new information pertaining to the Enhanced Edition project. Of note:
Apparently Beamdog hasn't paid Atari the royalties that they were owed, which led the publisher to ask them to pull the title from their services, and delay both Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition's patch and the release of the sequel's remastering.
Bear in mind, this is an unconfirmed report: a source within the industry provided it on condition of anonymity, Atari has not commented, and Trent Oster is still going with "We're working on it".
If true, though, it casts recent events in a completely different light, and - in my eyes - severely damages Beamdog's credibility...
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Comments
EDIT: Insightful given to the excellent sherlock holmes work of @Shawne . But I would have preferred happier news.
Trent to Gamebanshee (regarding this unknown source): Silence child, allow the fool to make his judgement.
All in my personal opinion.
To me the word 'unconfirmed' just screams out 'This is what I speculate is going on with the situation!'. Otherwise, if this news is true, then I'm just going to be rather disappointed.
When the site itself emphasizes the speculative nature of the news, I think taking it with more than one grain of salt is called for.
Secondly, royalties to Atari? I was kind of under the impression that Atari and Hasbro let them do BG:EE so is paying to use the lisence needed?
And lastly, my understanding is that Overhaul and Beamdog are the same people... Not just everyone there is a developer.
More importantly, (spoilered for size)
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world."
I would also point out that rumors, even those with a grain of truth at their core, are usually false. Even assuming that Beamdog didn't pay the royalties, there could be a very good reason for that outside their control. Which assumes the rumor is true in the first place which is inherently dangerous.
If this story is true, there probably wont be any "negotiations" because then it is simply down to Beamdog owing Atari money. IF Beamdog is struggling paying salaries, fixed costs etc. and therefore have delayed paying royalties to Atari then this could be the answer to why all work was stopped.
Atari said stop ALL work.. you cant even release a patch.
Does Beamdog owe Atari money? Who says? Atari? Both parties? Or is it fictitious? Who is to say?
Is it money rightfully owed? or something that Atari cooked up? We don't have enough info.
Is it rightfully being withheld because of other contractual obligations not upheld by Atari? Not enough information.
There are literally dozens of reason why the statement could be true and make EITHER party at fault (and one or two making NEITHER party at fault).
Then there is the fact that even the article won't nail down if it is fact or not. It "Could" be propaganda put out there by one party or the other simply to polarize the consumer base. What a better way to interrupt the flow of cash to Beamdog by painting them as the bad guy?
I am not saying the statement is right or wrong, because I don't know. But all of this negativity and speculation based on a single, unsubstantiatable comment is just crazy in my opinion.
I know that everything is speculation at the moment. But right now all information, facts, rumors - what ever comes out is still interesting to the community and the debate about this unfortunate situation.
And I agree with you that this recent leak of information could be "spin" from either company.. however IF (again speculation) this turns out to be the case, then the matter of Beamdog buying the BG IP from Atari suddenly seems highly unlikely.
I think Beamdog should release a statement.
*edit: think reliable, not find reliable. What the reliable finds were, we'll only now in hindsight an indetermined amount of time from now.