Still, if you own the license. Would you want to watch it grow old and die... or reinvigorate it?
It's all about the money. The EE's have shown you can make money (though I have no idea how much Beamdog has earned from their releases, I hope it's alot!), so with enough earnings and interrest, a deal can ofc be struck. But as said by @Gallowglass, it has to be mutually acceptable which means the buyer would need a big wallet, meaning in turn, they need to foresee and estimate a hefty profit from it.
(I have a feeling I've already written something like this before, but I'm too lazy to go through the thread and see, hehe)
For every core RPG project on Kickstarter or after announcement of the game generally, pledglings, backers, fans would request for the game it would be "Baldur's gate-ish" . That's saying something how much BG saga is important in modern day RPG's as to developers, so to the players.
Once Baldur's Gate gets 'pretty old' the licencing price should go down for it being an 'ancient game' and game franchises do not turn into antiques for not many people collect ancient game intellectual properties.
In 2 days an old bioware BG forum will close. That event has reminded me about this topic.
I have an ambiguous feeling when think about it. On the one hand, it's sad to see people saying farewell to old times, on the other hand, I understand that the most important thing is people who know each other from those boards, who have become friends thanks to discussions there, still remain intact, still don't lose contact between each other.
Because for any community, and thus for any game not to die, you need people not to lose connection due to changes in sites and such.
In 2 days an old bioware BG forum will close. That event has reminded me about this topic.
I have an ambiguous feeling when think about it. On the one hand, it's sad to see people saying farewell to old times, on the other hand, I understand that the most important thing is people who know each other from those boards, who have become friends thanks to discussions there, still remain intact, still don't lose contact between each other.
Because for any community, and thus for any game not to die, you need people not to lose connection due to changes in sites and such.
Ya, I heard that Bioware was closing all its forums - which is a bit sad and probably a mistake on their part; you can sort of understand closing BG forum as its not really their game any more but closing DA forums along with their other forums will probably be something that bites them in the ass for a little bit. Forums allow for communities to exist virtually - it allows for old and new games to continue or start a long life among its players as we talk, argue and discuss the games. Bioware doesn't seem to realize that having a place where players can meet consistently allows for a greater virtual community and creates fans for the game. Having players split among a couple of dozen different media platforms does nothing for feedback for them as it makes them have to monitor them as well which I highly doubt they will do. You have to wonder at the logic behind closing the forums especially with the new ME set to be released as well as the possibility of a new DA in the works.
Recently I created a poll about the moment the users of those boards begun to play the GB series. About the 60% of the voters begun in the very early years and the bulk of the others few time later. Sure, the people who decide to vote a poll is not a good representation of who participate at the board.
But I am now convinced that the most of the active users of these boards are long time bg players, with a 15 years or more BG playing time. Wait other 15 years and we will be 30-35 years older than in the moment we begun our adventure. I feel that the EE has brought new interest in the games but has somehow failed in creating a group of new players who regard these games as so important in their gaming experience. And we, old guard, are aging... I suspect that the BG games was so important for a certain generation for reasons related to that generation (having a computer game that allow to play DnD, a CRPG that allow an immersion that at that moment was something new and better than every other game, a game with interesting tactical options and combat/magic system ), but for most of the new players they are not so special and unique. Maybe they are classics and, as they have been revamped, giving them a try is worth, but I doubt that more than few new players will devote weeks or months of their limited RL time to those games, like we have done. (A week is 168 hours, a month little more than 700, considering the time spent gaming and participating to boards related to the games many of us have way more mileage than that...).
In 15 years the games will be still played, but less then now, we are aging and few younger players are going to join the group that has devoted a relevant part of the life to play those wonderful games.
In 2 days an old bioware BG forum will close. That event has reminded me about this topic.
I have an ambiguous feeling when think about it. On the one hand, it's sad to see people saying farewell to old times, on the other hand, I understand that the most important thing is people who know each other from those boards, who have become friends thanks to discussions there, still remain intact, still don't lose contact between each other.
Because for any community, and thus for any game not to die, you need people not to lose connection due to changes in sites and such.
Thanks for posting about this. I've been active on all three of Bioware's forums over the years, and the first two were basically taken down without warning. At least we had warning this time, although I still found out at the last minute.
Ah, well. I feel like moves like Bioware's (cancel the forum) act to splinter the community and I don't really believe the rationale given for canceling this forum iteration (something about devs not being able to interact much on the forum - they were far more than dev interaction, they were discussions and debates and their own community above and beyond interactions with the devs).
Anyway, I own like every Bioware game ever and this decision makes me sad.
well to be fair bsn was starting to get really toxic after masss effect 3. from my view most baldurs gate fans don't even post there anymore after these forums were made so it's not a real loss.
I didn't really use the main boards that much, but it annoys me that Social media websites and such are the replacements... Social media in general is far more chaotic and unorganized. So I would rather take a toxic forum over that..*shrugs*
Reddit is decent I guess, but still has a few problems compared to a good old fashioned forum.
Diablo, Baldur's Gate, Age of Empires - these games will live for many years to come. People who first played these games when they were 8, 10, 15 years old, are now 30, 35, 40 years old, but they still keep playing them, sometimes on new devices like the Switch, sometimes with their own children. The new technology makes it possible to play the games in better resolution, which prolongs their life almost indefinitely.
Every time a new project in the series appears (be it Diablo 4, Baldur's Gate 3, Age of Empires 4), there are millions of new players coming to the franchise, and some part of them start (re)discovering original games. This is why the Definitive Edition of AOE2 is so popular. This is why the upcoming Diablo 2 remaster gets thousands of people who are looking to it. This is why the EEs keep selling, from the PC, to mobile, to console.
If this forum is still around in 15 years some of us are going to be pretty long in the tooth. We're going to be posting about trouble remembering passwords, incontinence, Ensure versus Boost, and the like.
If this forum is still around in 15 years some of us are going to be pretty long in the tooth. We're going to be posting about trouble remembering passwords, incontinence, Ensure versus Boost, and the like.
I'm already there! took three attempts to login. Wet pants are ready.
It'll likely be played in some way, even in 15 years.
I'm now at a point where BG1 is dead to me, i can't play it.. and BG2 is close to that point as well.
But this is due to the fact that i've spent too much time in them already.
However.. this will likely pass, as it has many times before.
This time it feels a little more severe though.
I currently have a game going with my nephew who is 12 years old.
I am playing a cleric to support his Berserker through the saga and at first that was really refreshing, but he skips past all dialogue and cutscenes as they mean nothing to him.
This is a little jarring to me, but i am realizing my mistake in introducing him to BG first.. we should have started with IWD to learn how the game plays in a setting where story and dialogue is less important.
He is just chasing the next fight, next opportunity to chunk someone and story/dialogue is just a waste of time.
I actually wish we -couldn't- skip cutscenes and dream scenes in bg1 because of this, but that's besides the point.
I was 13-14 when i first played these games and i had a totally different approach to them, as i came from a generation of players used to exploring, searching for secrets, carefully picking dialogue options etc.. point-and-click adventure/investigation games were a thing, those are all dead too.
In any case I think BG and IWD is very hard to bring to a new generation.. they need instant gratification, instant results and preferrably non-stop progression.
So I'm working on a new dungeon with a lich involved. Here is a W.I.P. image of the outside, I want ~3 more levels below. https://www.deviantart.com/withinamnesia/art/Lich-s-Crypt-Outside-5120x3840-Alpha-Play-V-0-2-871442302
I am not sure why I keep making content but I want to see if I can do it; something like Durlag's tower but a fair bit harder. I am not sure if anyone will play it although I keep working on stuff like this as a sort of digital garden when I am bored on my computer. Still I wonder if the first Baldur's Gate will even be alive if it is released. I wonder how long Bladur's Gate will keep ticking you know?
If the fanbase is still playing with it it will survive. Mostly the existing players will play with, there will be marginal new young players.
Look at the heroes ofmm 3, still very good game with players, or master or orion 2, i like it as one of the best 4x games .
Comments
(I have a feeling I've already written something like this before, but I'm too lazy to go through the thread and see, hehe)
pledglings, backers, fans would request for the game it would be "Baldur's gate-ish" .
That's saying something how much BG saga is important in modern day RPG's as to developers, so to the players.
I have an ambiguous feeling when think about it. On the one hand, it's sad to see people saying farewell to old times, on the other hand, I understand that the most important thing is people who know each other from those boards, who have become friends thanks to discussions there, still remain intact, still don't lose contact between each other.
Because for any community, and thus for any game not to die, you need people not to lose connection due to changes in sites and such.
For as long as enough people care, there will always be a platform to speak about it.
About the 60% of the voters begun in the very early years and the bulk of the others few time later.
Sure, the people who decide to vote a poll is not a good representation of who participate at the board.
But I am now convinced that the most of the active users of these boards are long time bg players, with a 15 years or more BG playing time. Wait other 15 years and we will be 30-35 years older than in the moment we begun our adventure. I feel that the EE has brought new interest in the games but has somehow failed in creating a group of new players who regard these games as so important in their gaming experience. And we, old guard, are aging...
I suspect that the BG games was so important for a certain generation for reasons related to that generation (having a computer game that allow to play DnD, a CRPG that allow an immersion that at that moment was something new and better than every other game, a game with interesting tactical options and combat/magic system ), but for most of the new players they are not so special and unique.
Maybe they are classics and, as they have been revamped, giving them a try is worth, but I doubt that more than few new players will devote weeks or months of their limited RL time to those games, like we have done. (A week is 168 hours, a month little more than 700, considering the time spent gaming and participating to boards related to the games many of us have way more mileage than that...).
In 15 years the games will be still played, but less then now, we are aging and few younger players are going to join the group that has devoted a relevant part of the life to play those wonderful games.
Ah, well. I feel like moves like Bioware's (cancel the forum) act to splinter the community and I don't really believe the rationale given for canceling this forum iteration (something about devs not being able to interact much on the forum - they were far more than dev interaction, they were discussions and debates and their own community above and beyond interactions with the devs).
Anyway, I own like every Bioware game ever and this decision makes me sad.
Fortunately there are fan-made forums that are taking up Bioware's slack.
Reddit is decent I guess, but still has a few problems compared to a good old fashioned forum.
Every time a new project in the series appears (be it Diablo 4, Baldur's Gate 3, Age of Empires 4), there are millions of new players coming to the franchise, and some part of them start (re)discovering original games. This is why the Definitive Edition of AOE2 is so popular. This is why the upcoming Diablo 2 remaster gets thousands of people who are looking to it. This is why the EEs keep selling, from the PC, to mobile, to console.
Playing with children is now a thing, and I expect more and more of it in the future. Eg. https://www.reddit.com/r/baldursgate/comments/lir3gh/oc_when_the_ai_makes_int_its_dump_stat/
I'm already there! took three attempts to login. Wet pants are ready.
I'm now at a point where BG1 is dead to me, i can't play it.. and BG2 is close to that point as well.
But this is due to the fact that i've spent too much time in them already.
However.. this will likely pass, as it has many times before.
This time it feels a little more severe though.
I currently have a game going with my nephew who is 12 years old.
I am playing a cleric to support his Berserker through the saga and at first that was really refreshing, but he skips past all dialogue and cutscenes as they mean nothing to him.
This is a little jarring to me, but i am realizing my mistake in introducing him to BG first.. we should have started with IWD to learn how the game plays in a setting where story and dialogue is less important.
He is just chasing the next fight, next opportunity to chunk someone and story/dialogue is just a waste of time.
I actually wish we -couldn't- skip cutscenes and dream scenes in bg1 because of this, but that's besides the point.
I was 13-14 when i first played these games and i had a totally different approach to them, as i came from a generation of players used to exploring, searching for secrets, carefully picking dialogue options etc.. point-and-click adventure/investigation games were a thing, those are all dead too.
In any case I think BG and IWD is very hard to bring to a new generation.. they need instant gratification, instant results and preferrably non-stop progression.
https://www.deviantart.com/withinamnesia/art/Lich-s-Crypt-Outside-5120x3840-Alpha-Play-V-0-2-871442302
I am not sure why I keep making content but I want to see if I can do it; something like Durlag's tower but a fair bit harder. I am not sure if anyone will play it although I keep working on stuff like this as a sort of digital garden when I am bored on my computer. Still I wonder if the first Baldur's Gate will even be alive if it is released. I wonder how long Bladur's Gate will keep ticking you know?
Look at the heroes ofmm 3, still very good game with players, or master or orion 2, i like it as one of the best 4x games .