How well-versed is everyone on the WotC/Atari/Cryptic situation? My impression was that Atari had the video-game rights to D&D, while Cyrptic owns the engine the game is based on, so the split could well result in the game being killed. I could be wrong on both those points though, so if anybody wants to chime in here and correct me, that's welcome.
Further, if the Neverwinter game falls through the cracks, what's likely to come of the Neverwinter campaign guide? That suppliment had seemed to exist on the coat-tails of the upcoming video game, but if the game is dead in the water, will Hasbro pull the plug?
Bad news for Cryptic: Atari is looking to sell them, citing massive losses from the developer in 2010 and the first half of 2011.
Not surprised, since they've had, what, two different MMOs go free-to-play very soon after release? (Champions and Star Trek)
Not surprised, since they've had one MMO go free-to-play (Champions) and Star Trek Online is repeatedly rumored to be getting the same treatment.
How well-versed is everyone on the WotC/Atari/Cryptic situation? My impression was that Atari had the video-game rights to D&D, while Cyrptic owns the engine the game is based on, so the split could well result in the game being killed. I could be wrong on both those points though, so if anybody wants to chime in here and correct me, that's welcome.
Atari is the publisher and has the rights to the game (the Neverwinter Nights franchise), and has since NWN1. Cryptic is owned by Atari, and is (was) the developer responsible for it. Technically, Atari owns the code for it since they own Cryptic. It'd depend on the terms of the sale, I think, for what code ("intellectual property") was going with Cryptic to its new owners and what Atari would keep (or have rights to). So it's conceivable that Atari could keep the in-progress code (or some elements of it) - similar to a work-for-hire situation - and pass it off to another developer to work on.
Further, if the Neverwinter game falls through the cracks, what's likely to come of the Neverwinter campaign guide? That suppliment had seemed to exist on the coat-tails of the upcoming video game, but if the game is dead in the water, will Hasbro pull the plug?
The Neverwinter Campaign Guide is likely to live on its own regardless of what Atari ends up doing with the game. There's probably enough other tie-ins from the Forgotten Realms novels line that it'll ship anyway, just perhaps not at the same time as the computer game.
Star Trek online is free to play now?
Would still be too much money. :P
Star Trek online is free to play now?
My mistake, it's not. I've been hearing it as being rumored to be going to a free-to-play model for so long, I thought it had already happened.
Good, I hope the project dies completely. Cryptic is like King Midas in reverse. Everything they touch turns to s***.
Maybe we can get an Obsidian/Bioware collaboration for an actual Neverwinter Nights 3. (Obsidian handling all the literary aspects of it, but Bioware doing the coding, engine, graphics, etc.)
Good, I hope the project dies completely. Cryptic is like King Midas in reverse. Everything they touch turns to s***.
Maybe we can get an Obsidian/Bioware collaboration for an actual Neverwinter Nights 3. (Obsidian handling all the literary aspects of it, but Bioware doing the coding, engine, graphics, etc.)
I wouldn't count on that happening. Atari hold the exclusive rights to produce D&D video games. WotC sued to either force Atari to produce games or to withdraw the rights from them, and as far as I know, WotC lost that legal battle. And Atari owns the rights for another six years or so, which means a Bioware/Obsidian collaboration is quite impossible.
Also, and this should not be ignored, Hasbro owns both Atari and Wizards of the Coast.
They don't own Atari, Atari owns the rights to publish their video games based off D&D. Atari is owned by Atari, SA, a French company.
Also, and this should not be ignored, Hasbro owns both Atari and Wizards of the Coast.
Hasbro owned Atari from 1998 to 2001.
Good, I hope the project dies completely. Cryptic is like King Midas in reverse. Everything they touch turns to s***.
Maybe we can get an Obsidian/Bioware collaboration for an actual Neverwinter Nights 3. (Obsidian handling all the literary aspects of it, but Bioware doing the coding, engine, graphics, etc.)
I wouldn't count on that happening. Atari hold the exclusive rights to produce D&D video games. WotC sued to either force Atari to produce games or to withdraw the rights from them, and as far as I know, WotC lost that legal battle. And Atari owns the rights for another six years or so, which means a Bioware/Obsidian collaboration is quite impossible.
Is it really six more years? I thought it was just four (see link in my sig). Oh dear gods, must I wait another two years?
Anyway, if Cryptic gets sold off and assuming they keep the code they're working on, there's a possibility they can finish the game and change the D&D references to something else. Champions Online was made from the cancellation of Marvel Universe Online after Marvel dropped out. They took the code and (bought and) applied another intellectual property over it. Regardless of Crpytic being sold or not, I still have doubts on the quality of the game, whether it's called Neverwinter or not. Having given Champions Online a try since it went free, I am flabbergasted at how certain parts of the game made it to launch, nevermind remain unfixed for almost two years. The character customization was nice though, so all those wailing on the upcoming Daggerdale's lack thereof can flock over to it if it ever sees light of day.
Bioware isn't likely to do a Neverwinter Nights 3. After their success with the first game, they realized they didn't want to be constrained with licensed properties. Thus came Mass Effect and Dragon Age. And Obsidian... I think Crpytic might actually be better at coding. NWN2's horribly inefficient graphics engine comes to mind. I still think Obsidian was just riding on Bioware's success with the game. They just took the engine, gave it a graphical update and a rules update. Although in Obsidian's defense, it may have something to do with the arrangements with Atari.
I wonder if Namco Bandai is willing to buy out the rest of Atari. Now there's a company with the capability to make good games (JRPG vs. WRPG nerdrage aside). Other than that, you're either going to have to wait it out until Atari loses their license or hope their developers luck out in making a quality product.
Good, I hope the project dies completely. Cryptic is like King Midas in reverse. Everything they touch turns to s***.
Maybe we can get an Obsidian/Bioware collaboration for an actual Neverwinter Nights 3. (Obsidian handling all the literary aspects of it, but Bioware doing the coding, engine, graphics, etc.)
I wouldn't count on that happening. Atari hold the exclusive rights to produce D&D video games. WotC sued to either force Atari to produce games or to withdraw the rights from them, and as far as I know, WotC lost that legal battle. And Atari owns the rights for another six years or so, which means a Bioware/Obsidian collaboration is quite impossible.
Is it really six more years? I thought it was just four (see link in my sig). Oh dear gods, must I wait another two years?
Anyway, if Cryptic gets sold off and assuming they keep the code they're working on, there's a possibility they can finish the game and change the D&D references to something else. Champions Online was made from the cancellation of Marvel Universe Online after Marvel dropped out. They took the code and (bought and) applied another intellectual property over it. Regardless of Crpytic being sold or not, I still have doubts on the quality of the game, whether it's called Neverwinter or not. Having given Champions Online a try since it went free, I am flabbergasted at how certain parts of the game made it to launch, nevermind remain unfixed for almost two years. The character customization was nice though, so all those wailing on the upcoming Daggerdale's lack thereof can flock over to it if it ever sees light of day.
Bioware isn't likely to do a Neverwinter Nights 3. After their success with the first game, they realized they didn't want to be constrained with licensed properties. Thus came Mass Effect and Dragon Age. And Obsidian... I think Crpytic might actually be better at coding. NWN2's horribly inefficient graphics engine comes to mind. I still think Obsidian was just riding on Bioware's success with the game. They just took the engine, gave it a graphical update and a rules update. Although in Obsidian's defense, it may have something to do with the arrangements with Atari.
I wonder if Namco Bandai is willing to buy out the rest of Atari. Now there's a company with the capability to make good games (JRPG vs. WRPG nerdrage aside). Other than that, you're either going to have to wait it out until Atari loses their license or hope their developers luck out in making a quality product.
BioWare doesn't want to be constrained with licensing? They're releasing a Star Wars mmo.... one of the hardest licenses to hold. Just ask WotC.
How did Bioware get the license from LucasArts?
Will it be compatible to the one already out there?
How did Bioware get the license from LucasArts?
Bioware is a video game developer, LucasArts is a publisher (and game developer, to a lesser extent). LucasArts has given Bioware the license to several properties in the past, I doubt there was much haggling involved.
I still have to buy one of the complete adventures of Sam & Max from Tell Tale and see if it compares to the first one.
Anyway, if Cryptic gets sold off and assuming they keep the code they're working on, there's a possibility they can finish the game and change the D&D references to something else. Champions Online was made from the cancellation of Marvel Universe Online after Marvel dropped out. They took the code and (bought and) applied another intellectual property over it.
And this is exactly my concern: Marvel was unable to "fire" Cryptic and keep the progress they had made on their game. The situation is different, since Marvel never owned Cryptic while Atari does. Sill, Cryptic is fairly protective about its engine, and the rights to certain aspects of it (character customization systems, mostly) are what's been keeping NCSoft from starting production on CoH2. Customization is about the only thing Cryptic does well IMO. That alone kept CoH afloat until NCSoft put reasonable people in charge of it (who have since made it really very good) and told Emmert to take a hike.
Hrm. I wonder if Hasbro is looking to buff up it's computer game portfolio... that would be awkward.
Will it be compatible to the one already out there?
How did Bioware get the license from LucasArts?
BioWare already made 2 Star Wars games. This is the 3rd. There was Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2. The mmo is Star Wars: The Old Republic. It's supposed to be in beta very shortly. It's the most anticipated mmo out there.
BioWare already made 2 Star Wars games. This is the 3rd. There was Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2. The mmo is Star Wars: The Old Republic. It's supposed to be in beta very shortly. It's the most anticipated mmo out there.
I thought 2 was made by Obsidian because Bioware wanted to start making their own IP at that time.
If Neverwinter gets canceled, it might provide more fuel for Hasbro/WotC against Atari. I have a feeling both Daggerdale (which is slated to come out next Tuesday) and Neverwinter's short development time was due to Atari rushing out D&D games to support their claim that they are using the exclusive D&D video game license they have. Having Neverwinter axed, it would show that Atari is in no shape to use it and its incompetence is hurting the D&D label.
I've seen enough. I'm calling it now: the new Neverwinter game is dead.
It's too bad really, because the basic premise sounded pretty cool. I just hope WotC doesn't cancel the upcoming campaign guide.
I've been scouting around the interwebz on this story and coming up with.... nothing. Nothing other than the fact that 19 zillion lawyers are involved in a huge, messy battle over IP rights, partially finished code, and a mountain of legalese.
I've seen enough. I'm calling it now: the new Neverwinter game is dead.
Not that I am a fan of the current publisher, but I believe Atari will still do everything in their power to get this out, even pay royalties for the structure that Cryptic lays claim to.
I just hope WotC doesn't cancel the upcoming campaign guide.
Shhh!! Don't say anything! Hush, hush.