Farewll, Black Isle

humanflyz · Post by **humanflyz** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 10:35 pm

Just saw the news on FiringSquad, and while I can't say that I am completely surprised, I am definitely very saddened.

Black Isle played a huge role in bringing back CRPGs with classic games like the Fallout series and the BG series. Plus the extremely well-crafted but underappreciated classic Planescape Torment. Well, I guess there's no need to go over their games since pretty much everyone here knows about what a quality studio BIS was.

Hopefully the talented people at BIS can find jobs in other companies, any company except EA Games.

Scayde · Post by **Scayde** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 11:24 pm

Very Sad

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 12:47 am

Yes.... very sad indeed....

It was BG2 that brought me here... and this gave me the opportunity to meet some wonderful people...

CM · Post by CM » Tue Dec 09, 2003 3:00 am

That sucks....where's my M29? I am goin' hunting

Rob-hin · Post by **Rob-hin** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 4:46 am

C'est la vie.
It doesn't really bother me.

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 7:45 am

It's a real shame. Black Isle has been one of my favorite devlopers, and to see Interplay just shut them down. Well, it happens, I suppose.

Sern · Post by **Sern** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 9:41 am

Wery sad indeed and they were doing finally fallout 3 and then this happens life is not fair

Galuf the Dwarf · Post by **Galuf the Dwarf** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 10:34 am

NOOOOOOOOOOooooo!!!!

This is such a shame.

Still, there will be something that will rise from the ashes like the phoenix. I've known this all of my life.

fable · Post by **fable** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 6:39 pm

I don't understand what the big deal is. The team that developed P:ST was fired a few months after starting work on TORN. I'm far more interested in the current whereabouts of those people, than the ones who have turned out a ho-hum IWD2 and done nothing else. A company isn't a name; it's the people who invest it with ideas and activity that make it work.

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 6:54 pm

Well, it'd be nice if Bioware made a move to pick up a couple of these guys. Not to knock Bioware (being my favorite developer, next to Blizzard), but they could use a slight push

fable · Post by **fable** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 7:00 pm

Wouldn't be surprised if they do, @Aegis. I'm sure the resumes have been flying about for some time. Something like this seldom happens without flags going up in the business long before, and BIS has been totally foreign to the interests of Interplay's new owners since Fargo sold it.

The Z · Post by **The Z** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 9:04 pm

I'm just pissed 'cuz Fallout 3's been shelved...

Vicsun · Post by **Vicsun** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 2:54 am

From NMA:

Carsten Strehse of Silver Style, developers of the post-nuclear game the Fall, revealed in a thread about the canning of Fallout 3 that it is not impossible for Silver Style to purchase the rights to the Fallout 3 PC game in the near future, if Interplay is selling. Here what he had to say:

Well, we are definatly interested in hiring some of the former Balck Isle staff. I try to get in contact with them.
I also disclose no big secret if I tell you that we have found a mayor partner for The Fall and that money wouldn't be the biggest problem when we would try to get the FO licence.
My biggest concern is the reaction of the FO community. We're all huge fans of FO here and have deepest respect for the achivements of the dev team. However, we are no Black Isle, we are Silver Style. And I'm afraid that the community wouldn't be pleased with a FO3 that wasn't developed by the original team. Even if I'm very sure that we could deliver a real stunning game.

He is very interested to know the opinion of most of the Fallout community on this matter and asked me if I could organize this for him. I don't know about you, but I find that level of interest refreshing. So please, do him and us a favour and post your honest opinion in the comments to this thread. How would you feel about Silver Style doing the next Fallout game rather than BIS?

fable · Post by **fable** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 7:41 am

Have you played any games by Silver Style? I haven't. So how can I comment upon whether they'll be up to the task of delivering a Troika-style Fallout 3?

Vicsun · Post by **Vicsun** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 4:47 pm

Originally posted by fable
Have you played any games by Silver Style? I haven't. So how can I comment upon whether they'll be up to the task of delivering a Troika-style Fallout 3?

The question I'm trying to make myself answer is: would a fallout 3 of questionable quality be better than no fallout 3? The fact that I have never even heard of Silver Style makes me sceptical to whether they can make a game worthy of the Fallout title, but the fact that they might be hiring former BIS employees makes it seem as they might actually have a chance of making a decent game.
The fact that a company is yet unheard of doesn't necesseraly mean they can't make any good games. It just means that none of their games ever attracted enough attention (and that of course might be becasue said games actually do suck). We all know that not all exposed games are good and not all good games get all the attention they deserve. Take Planescape:Torment for example. Or Ethermoon's Strifeshadow (a game which is very little known, but is in my opinion one of the best RTS's ever made).

What does all that leave us with? Nothing more than before. If Silver Style are a) for real about purchasing the rights to fallout and b) possessing some talent or hiring enough former BIS people to make up for the lack of talent, we may have a good game on our hands within the next two years. If not, then we can always look forward to the next best game, hoping that it doesn't turn out to be a complete disapointment *cough*deus ex II *cough*

fable · Post by **fable** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 5:29 pm

Personally, and just speaking for myself, I'd rather not have a Fallout 3 if it's done without members of the original team. And judging from their website, I have to wonder whether Silver Style would be truly interested in the title, or just making money off the concession. Certainly the current game they're working on sounds unlike any previous Fallout--which, however, may mean nothing.

The Z · Post by **The Z** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 9:42 pm

Excuse me while I throw myself out the window

Craig · Post by **Craig** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 4:36 pm

I'd rather see a poor attempt, then nothing.

Damn the BoS game (which is why they cancelled the production)!

Grendel · Post by **Grendel** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 6:36 pm

...I guess this means no Mac ToB or IWD2?
I smell a conspiracy to force us Maccies to buy *hack, hack* a PC *close by lightning strikes and booming thunder* computer *..it's getting a little nippy in Hell today......*
sigh

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 8:01 pm

Originally posted by Grendel
...I guess this means no Mac ToB or IWD2?
I smell a conspiracy to force us Maccies to buy *hack, hack* a PC *close by lightning strikes and booming thunder* computer *..it's getting a little nippy in Hell today......*
sigh

Well, PC is the Gaming platform

Mac's are really more suited to the arts, and creative stuff