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No Baldur's Gate III - No Icewind Dale III
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Garrett
 
 




Joined: 13 Jul 2001
Posts: 74
Location: Munich, Germany
No Baldur's Gate III - No Icewind Dale III
   

Black Isle Studios recently made it clear that at the time being they are neitehr working on BG3 nor IWD3. This is from their <a href="http://forums.interplay.com/viewtopic.php?t=34911" target="_blank">boards</a>, posted by moderator Josan:<blockquote><em>The purpose of this Sticky is to cut down on the "When is BG3 Coming" threads. <br> <br>BIS is not working on BG3 nor will they at any forseeable future date. <br> <br>It was widely believed that the ill-fated project codenamed Jefferson was BG3. Lisencing issues with Atari (the lose of the rights to make BG titles for PC) forced the project to be placed on "indefinate" hold. <br> <br>Various online retailers have had BG3 listed for pre-order with differing release dates. This is in error, and IPLY has confirmed it as such. <br> <br>The story was not a continuation of the Bhallspawn saga. It was an original story, belived to be set in the Dalelands of the Forgotten Realms, sharing the Baldurs Gate name in title only, not plot or story elements. <br> <br>IPLY/BIS still retain the rights to BG titles on console and IWD on PC. At this time, there are no plans for a third IWD game. Nor are there any plans for games set in any of the other DnD Campaign worlds as WotC only officially supports Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms. <br> <br>Please keep all posts regarding BG3 confined to this thread. All other BG3 threads will be locked and removed. <br> <br>Thank you.</em></blockquote> <br> <br>And a little later he states that Interplay filed a lawsuit against Atari to get the rights back:<blockquote><em>It seems that IPLY was renogtiating there lisences, trying to extend them and managed to extend their BG rights on coonsole at the cost of the PC rights. <br> <br>This past Septemper, IPLY filed a lawsuit in a New York court against Atari. Rumour is that it's in regard to reclaiming those rights. The big factor to me is who has more money for lawyers and I don't think it's IPLY. Hence the settlement with and continued distribution by Vivendi. <br> <br>As for titles, I think Baldurs Gate is pretty much like a setting name now as opposed to game specific location. After all, BG2:SoA didn't take place anywhere near Baldurs Gate.</em></blockquote>
Post Sat Nov 29, 2003 8:23 am
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Dhruin
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Joined: 20 May 2002
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Location: Sydney, Australia
   

Bear in mind Josan is not an employee of IPLY as far as I know so this is hardly an official statement - not that I think he's wrong.
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Post Sat Nov 29, 2003 8:26 am
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Dain Ironfoot
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Aye, especially where Atari are concerned. It's a bad day for any game developer these days if Atari gets a grip into them.
Post Sat Nov 29, 2003 8:43 am
 
Arma
Mysterious Lady
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Joined: 24 Oct 2003
Posts: 1230
Location: in the middle of hell
   

As much as I susupected, that there will no soon be such games, and now this.
Let's bet when will Interplay join 3Do in the graveyard.
Post Sat Nov 29, 2003 2:08 pm
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goshuto
Wanderer
Wanderer




Joined: 29 May 2002
Posts: 1142
   

What hurts most is that BG3 is sitting there, 80% complete, never to be released...
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Post Sat Nov 29, 2003 4:17 pm
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Wolfgarou
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Joined: 29 May 2003
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quote:
Originally posted by Lady Armageddona
Let's bet when will Interplay join 3Do in the graveyard.


Interplay to the graveyard?!? Why would you want that? Most of the best RPGs of the late 90s came from Interplay! Interplay = in the graveyard = no Fallout3/IWD3/BG3 and no TORN (I'm still waiting...!!!). Not to mention Interplay created some of the best FPS like Descent and Realms of the Haunting.
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Post Sat Nov 29, 2003 4:20 pm
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goshuto
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Joined: 29 May 2002
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quote:
Originally posted by Wolfgarou
Interplay to the graveyard?!? Why would you want that?.


That would free the BG license to be picked by another company, since Interplay is apparently in no condition to make such RPGs anymore. (at least D&D ones which require supervising from WotC)
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Post Sat Nov 29, 2003 4:32 pm
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Wolfgarou
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Joined: 29 May 2003
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I doubt anybody would be able to pick up the BG license. Interplay owns the BG license, not WoTC which owns the DnD title. And from past expriences, I think Interplay would rather let their licenses die off than selling/giving them to other rival companies. One example was that when Volition (ex Parallax studio) defected to Take 2 Int while they were working on Descent 4, they were forced to drop the Descent name. The game was then released as Red Faction.
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Post Sat Nov 29, 2003 5:29 pm
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quote:
Originally posted by Wolfgarou
I think Interplay would rather let their licenses die off than selling/giving them to other rival companies.


Given their cash reserves, that would probably be the liquidator's choice, not theirs. And a liquidator will of course sell anything that can be sold.
Post Sat Nov 29, 2003 5:42 pm
 
Briosafreak
Village Dweller
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Joined: 15 Jun 2003
Posts: 20
Location: Portugal
   

Atari/Infogrames now has the Baldurs Gate rights for the PC. Interplay had to pay some fees on the rights, they didn`t had the money, so they had to choose between the PC rights and the console rights.

They chose console, they have that rights until 2008, although there are rumours of problems on that front, but they are just rumours, at least for now.
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Post Sat Nov 29, 2003 8:13 pm
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Ammon777
Warrior for Heaven
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Joined: 20 Apr 2002
Posts: 2011
Location: United States
   

grrr i hate consoles...
Post Sat Nov 29, 2003 8:20 pm
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corwin
On the Razorblade of Life
On the Razorblade of Life




Joined: 10 Jun 2002
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One comment/question. BIS did NOT make the BG series, Bioware did. How does all this affect them and their rights?
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Post Sun Nov 30, 2003 6:50 am
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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
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Joined: 20 May 2002
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Location: Sydney, Australia
   

I would assume that Interplay had the rights to Baldurs Gate rather than Bioware. It's my recollection that Bioware had originally designed a RTS called "Infinity Battlegrounds" and BIS/IPLY had the idea of using their (long dormant) D&D rights and the game was changed to an RPG.

Bioware has never had any D&D rights of their own, to my knowledge. I guess they could pursue it with Atari and WotC but they won't.

Bioware now considers itself large enough to concentrate on their own IP (Jade Empire and the unnamed projects they're working on), hence the rumours that KotOR will be developed by Obsidian for Bioware.
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Post Sun Nov 30, 2003 7:38 am
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goshuto
Wanderer
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Joined: 29 May 2002
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quote:
Originally posted by corwin
One comment/question. BIS did NOT make the BG series, Bioware did. How does all this affect them and their rights?


BIS, as far as I know, produced the BG series, recorded the voice-overs, did all the QA, and published the game. Bioware was just the "developer."
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Post Sun Nov 30, 2003 4:58 pm
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Pinky's Brain
Eager Tradesman
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Joined: 28 Nov 2002
Posts: 40
   

Meh, who cares. It is completely obvious that Bioware doesnt believe in a tactical full party cRPG with lots of scripted interaction anymore, I am starting to believe that that concept was always forced on them by BIS. AFAIK Jefferson would have fit in the classical BG mold much better than anything Bioware is pumping out now.

I have given up on Bioware, Im just waiting for FO3 now ... and praying they will gain a license to publish Jefferson, and someone to give Troika money to make Arcanum2.
Post Sun Nov 30, 2003 5:43 pm
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