New Trent Oster interview

JuliusBorisov

In the latest interview with The Fly, Beamdog CEO Trent Oster discusses Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Editions, console ports, creating original games, and more.

Kamigoroshi

When asked whether there are any other classic RPGs the company is looking at for enhancements, the Beamdog head said that he believes they've "done what we set out to do" and "reached the end of the line on the titles we wanted to do personally." He noted that for certain games they originally were interested in but didn't end up enhancing, the legal scenarios around them are "too onerous."

“It would come to a head once all the great games have been remastered, and there’s only so many great games," he told The Fly. "There’s only two, maybe three great games that ship in a year, and once we run out of that backlog of titles to remake, there’s simply just not going to be the same appetite for the next tier of titles that came out in those periods. So at that point, I think all the best games will have been redone, there won’t be enough interest to justify renewing other games.”

That's it, folks. Party's over. Say goodbye to Arcanum: Of Steamworks And Magick Obscura: Enhanced Edition, Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition, Forgotten Realms: Archives Collections 1-3: Enhanced Edition and [put-your best-favourite-title-in-here] Enhanced Edition.

At least now we can abandon this sliver of hope that we clinged on for all these years.

rede9

Trent Oster wrote:

He noted that for certain games they originally were interested in but didn't end up enhancing, the legal scenarios around them are "too onerous."

Fallout - Behtesda; Neverwinter night 2 - Obsidian; KOTOR - Disney.

Illustair

It's probably my bad english, but can someone please paraphrase what Trent said in the second paragraph because it seems like I'm misreading it as I can't understand and I can't agree with what he is saying. There are still a lot of them; they'll never run out. But can we at least have NWN2 lol unless it's one of the games with too onerous legal issues.

sarevok57

Illustair wrote: »

It's probably my bad english, but can someone please paraphrase what Trent said in the second paragraph because it seems like I'm misreading it as I can't understand and I can't agree with what he is saying. There are still a lot of them; they'll never run out. But can we at least have NWN2 lol unless it's one of the games with too onerous legal issues.

you are understanding it as it is

it would be nice if they did a NWN 2 EE but if they don't have the resources are the confirmed fan base to do so, that will forever be a pipe dream unfortunately

Thels

So if the IEs did really well, but NWN not so much, why not tap into that really well running IE business with another DLC?

Kamigoroshi

Thels wrote: »

So if the IEs did really well, but NWN not so much, why not tap into that really well running IE business with another DLC?

All we would probably get is yet another pointless cosmetic microtransaction DLC for the IE's, given that such things take the least amount of effort and money to make. Can't really see something akin to a SoD2 happening at this point anymore. Even the Soultaker thingy was probably left alone for a potential BG3 to tie into. But by the looks of it that's not the direction Beamdog as a developer is taking anymore either.

rede9

rede9 wrote: »

Trent Oster wrote:

He noted that for certain games they originally were interested in but didn't end up enhancing, the legal scenarios around them are "too onerous."

Fallout - Behtesda; Neverwinter night 2 - Obsidian; KOTOR - Disney.

TROIKA games - GOD DAMN IT.

Torgrimmer

Steps have to be made for the good of the company and business, new line, new direction, I'm happy with what Trent said. Not happy that we are closing the chapter on the IEs but I'm looking forward to what is next. Change is hard, but it happens.

WarChiefZeke

Not knowing the next step might not be a bad thing. At least it's not something I yet again don't care about, like no new DnD or RPG content again. I still think there's a lot of potential to be had in NWN:EE

spacejaws

I’m happy we are getting some official statements about what direction we are going in rather than kinda off the cuff livestream comments. Was under no delusions that the IE’s would be forever but if I’m honest it would have been great to see one more expansion even though it’s a bit greedy. I got what I wanted really. More characters, content, modern system stability a bunch of bug fixes and tweaks and effectively an original IE title’s with Seige of Dragonspear and Black Pits 1 and 2(which I wish got some proper updates to fix the unfinished quest issues) which I could only dream of before Beamdog picked up these games.

I hope your future titles interest me, I’m not going to lie and say that I’m here because I was interested in Beamdog rather than Baldur’s Gate. The IE titles are precisely the reason why I hung around but I am more than willing to find out what you guys have in the works. You’ve earned that much for bringing these titles back to us and revitalising them. Axis and Allies will have my attention and I hope the future might contain the possibiliy of an original RPG of some sort.

Sar_Yehudah

does this mean we will never get an IE toolset to make our own adventures?

Kamigoroshi

Sar_Yehudah wrote: »

does this mean we will never get an IE toolset to make our own adventures?

Yes.