Planescape Creator Has "Kickstarter Fever" - UPDATED

[Andy Chalk]

Planescape Creator Has "Kickstarter Fever" - UPDATED

Chris Avellone of Obsidian Entertainment has a touch of "Kickstarter Fever" and that can only mean that Planescape 2 is on the way!

Okay, simmer down, I was only messing with you. Planescape 2 is about as far from inevitable as a sequel to Planescape: Torment [http://www.amazon.com/Serenity-Blu-ray-Combo-Digital-Copy/dp/B004ZJZPXO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1328892206&sr=8-3] would probably fail to live up to our expectations anyway, and is best left to the realm of the imagination.

But the world is a different place than it was a couple of days ago, a fact that hasn't escaped the attention of Chris Avellone, the former Black Isle Studios man whose credits include Twitter [http://www.amazon.com/Neverwinter-Nights-2-Platinum-Pc/dp/B004GL1UH6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328892277&sr=8-1]. "I feel like a bunch of doors suddenly appeared in game development."

Prior to that, he described the Double Fine Adventure Kickstarter [http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/66710809/double-fine-adventure] as a "whole new business model" and responded to a suggestion about starting a similar campaign for "an old school isometric RPG" from Obsidian by saying, "I'm down."

Planescape 2! Could it happen? Never say never, I suppose, but keep this in mind: what the DFA Kickstarter has accomplished [recent tweet [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/115746-Tim-Schafer-Raises-1-3-Million-Update-Again] by Tim Schafer estimates that Psychonauts 2 - which, let's be honest, is what we all really want - would cost $20 million to make. There's still more than a month to go and anything is possible, but I have a hard time imagining any crowdfunding project coming up with 20 million bucks.

But if it does? Planescape 2, here we come!

UPDATE: In very short order, things have moved from an idle tweet to a hypothetical discussion. Not that Obsidian is planning on taking a stab at a Kickstarter of its own or anything, but if it did - you know, hypothetically speaking - what would you like to see it make?

"The idea of player-supported funding is... well, it's proof certain genres aren't dead and sequels may have more legs than they seem. And the idea of not having to argue that with a publisher is appealing," Avellone wrote on the ChrisAvellone [http://forums.obsidian.net/blog/1/entry-158-if-obsidian-kickstarter/] on Twitter, whichever you prefer.)"

Evidence of the interest in the idea can be found in the fact that the Obsidian forums have been unavailable for most of the afternoon, presumably being slammed by people desperate to make known their excitement over the prospect of a return to the glory days of Black Isle. Or something like that, anyway. Whatever it is you're after, get over there and tell them about it. Dare to dream, people!

via: Rock, Paper, Shotgun [http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/02/10/doublefines-happy-day-gives-planescape-dev-kickstarter-fever/]


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[DustyDrB]

I can't think of a game creator more worthy than Avellone to get the Kickstarter treatment.

 

[felbot]

looks like we are

"sunglasses"

getting down
yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

 

[LavaLampBamboo]

Whose to say that Planescape 2 would cost 20 mill? What was the bidget of the original game? If they wanted to do a proper, isometric old school RPG, I can't imagine the costs would run THAT high would they? Maybe a few million? If they aim for a million, they'd probably hit that target within a week or so.

 

[Irridium]

An old-school isometric RPG made by Avallone, Sawyer, and Cain?

I'm sorry, I can't hear anything over the sound of my massive erection.

 

[twm1709]

I hope this Kickstarter thing stays under control. The idea of EA or Activision asking for Fan money to launch risky/retro games crossed my mind for a moment...

 

[Sp3ratus]

I'm not sure the game would fail to live up to our expectations, I mean Chris Avellone have a pretty damn good track record, when it comes to writing/creating interesting games and stories for them.

I really do hope they set up the Kickstarter fund, because I'm more than willing to donate some money, if it means hope of seeing Planescape 2. Just hearing things like this is enough to get me more excited about a game, than I've been for a long, long time.

 

[ResonanceGames]

There's definitely a big demand out there for a game that can recapture the experience of the Baldur's Gate, Torment, and Icewind Dale games. I'd really like to see a return to handpainted backgrounds and good dialogue.

Torment was more of an adventure game than an RPG, so if he does something else, I hope it's more in that vein. I could give two shits about combat.

 

[Beryl77]

I hope this Kickstarter thing stays under control. The idea of EA or Activision asking for Fan money to launch risky/retro games crossed my mind for a moment...

The reason why Double Fine used Kickstarter is to bypass the middleman, in other words EA and Activision wouldn't be involved at all. They are the ones who didn't want to give Tim Schafer money to make a new adventure game.
They have more than enough money to make risky projects but don't do that because they'd rather stick with much safer games. 1million is nothing for them and people know that, I doubt that many would give them money.
Also, if it leads to some unique, different and good games then I don't see much of a problem, even if it is EA or Activision.

OT: I doubt that it will be Planescape 2 but an old-school isometric RPG is more than welcome. It would be great if this gets to be used more and the big publisher lose some of their grip on the gaming industry or at least recognize that there is still a fairly big demand for old-school games.

 

[theonecookie]

Well this is one way to get things done but lets not all jump on the bandwagon at once you tend to break it that way but I would love a planetscape 2

 

[thehorror2]

If it means they make more awesome games, I'd totally give them all my money (as long as you crowdsource the beta testing, ok Avellone? We know better than to let you guys do this yourselves.)

 

[Versuvius]

I want Planescape 2 more than a fat alcoholic wants cheetos and mad dog 20/20.

 

[Rad Party God]

*sigh* It's not a "new business model" by any stretch, in fact, how come that anybody has come up with this earlier?, but whatever, a new isometric RPG made by the same guys who made the first two Fallouts and New Vegas, who also happen to have created Planescape Torment is nothing short of orgasmic.

 

[thedoclc]

I'd sell a kidney for PST 2 if Avellone writes it, but I'm pretty sure it ain't gonna happen. Not for the reasons folks are bringing up here, mind you.

PS:T was based on the PlaneScape intellectual property which is still owned by Hasbro (Wizards of the Coast), and they've worked a lot of that into their current edition of D&D. Additionally, a lot of it has been completely overwritten. They're not going to let someone dig up their old, supplanted IPs to produce a new game when they can instead sell games based on their new IPs which are still on the market.

You'd be roped into an Eberron game and not given the rights to PS.

That's too bad, too. I still have all my old books, and frankly it was probably the sharpest D&D setting produced, with Golarian (Paizo's work) and Ravenloft a distant second and third.

Commence sad face.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well I like the enthusiasm for all this but they are playing with fire here, kickstarter and others only hold together on good will, and they are not appropriate for multimillion projects.

If some garage project worth a couple thousand tanks it's no biggy, but if something big goes wrong there will be blood and lawsuits, and that could piss on everyones parade.
I seriously can't fathom how Double Fine (and I do love em) could step out with a clear conciseness and ask for money on nothing but promises, they got no game, nada, they just flat out asked for money that will go into something... you can not be serious here, even garage devs offer up an alpha concept so people know what they are paying towards.

Yes also I wish the world was made of peaches and roses, and that we could simply kickstart all golden oldie sequels, but we haveto see some actual work and a plan before I'm throwing money into the void.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

I can't think of a game creator more worthy than Avellone to get the Kickstarter treatment.

Let's see.... provided we remove copyright from the matter, I can think of three games that desperately need Obsidian sequels. New Vegas, Planescape 2, and The Sith Lords.

 

[Nenad]

Planeeeeescaaaapeeeeee Puhuhuhlanescaaaapeee puh-leeaase.

I have nothing to add. Just that. My only wish.