Pillars of Eternity Gets New Release Window

[StewShearerOld]

Pillars of Eternity Gets New Release Window

According to a recent Kickstarter update, backers can now expect Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity to release in winter 2014.

Judging by the fact that it managed to raise nearly $4 million on Kickstarter, it might be safe to say that Pillars of Eternity (formerly Project Eternity) has a lot of people are excited for it. That in mind, Obsidian Entertainment recently had the sad duty of announcing that the game <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/132063-Obsidian-Delays-Pillars-of-Eternity>would not be finished in time for its originally planned Spring 2014 release. That said, backers and fans may be happy to know that Obsidian has announced a new launch window for the game that won't ask prospective players to wait too much longer to get their hands on the game.

According to the announcement, made via <a href=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/obsidian/project-eternity/posts/745223>an update on the Project Eternity Kickstarter page, backers and fans will only need to wait until winter 2014 for the game's release. While this is probably still a bit longer than many would like, it's less than it could have been given the studio's expressed desire to use the extra funds it acquired during its campaign to make a "bigger game" than its original budget of $1 million would have allowed.

Honestly, as someone who contributed to Pillars of Eternity during its crowdfunding days, I'm actually kind of glad to see Obsidian taking its time to make the game everything it can be. Given the studio's sometimes rocky history with unfinished games, bugs and general QA, the additional months will hopefully mean a quality final product that's complete and running smoothly when it finally launches.

Source: <a href=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/obsidian/project-eternity/posts/745223>Kickstarter


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[Clive Howlitzer]

Is this the games release? Or the games release as an alpha, where they slowly add in all the features they said would be there over time while getting paid for a half finished project? Aka most kickstarters?

 

[StewShearerOld]

Is this the games release? Or the games release as an alpha, where they slowly add in all the features they said would be there over time while getting paid for a half finished project? Aka most kickstarters?

This should be the game's release. To my recall they're actually in the alpha phase right now. I do believe they plan on having some sort of limited beta release for people to try out though.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

Is this the games release? Or the games release as an alpha, where they slowly add in all the features they said would be there over time while getting paid for a half finished project? Aka most kickstarters?

This should be the game's release. To my recall they're actually in the alpha phase right now. I do believe they plan on having some sort of limited beta release for people to try out though.

God I hope so. I actually backed the game by quite a bit but I've been mostly hands off after that. Quite a few of my other backed Kickstarters haven't ended well. It was like I paid for their college but instead of moving on, getting a job, and making something of themselves. They moved back home and now they won't get off my couch. Continually promising that they'll "Do it tomorrow".

 

[Issurru]

snip

Just so you know (since I'm not sure how "Hands off you've been") the last day to register your rewards for higher tiered backing are the 31st of March. If you didn't do some of the higher tier stuff I think you should be fine.

Pretty pumped about this, I knew it wouldn't be out for the original "window" although I did forget how long ago it was that I backed it. Hopefully this game turns out awesome so they can make more, I'd be fine with that even if they had another kick-starter for it.

They're also close to Alpha from what they said in the email I got today, so hopefully they let it out a bit for some play testing from those who backed it

 

[teebeeohh]

honestly the worst thing about this is that it falls into the "release everything" window towards the end of the year. other than that i am completely fine with this, take your obsidian, hire someone to look for bugs.

 

[SecondPrize]

What? Obsidian couldn't keep to a planned release date? No way!

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

snip

Just so you know (since I'm not sure how "Hands off you've been") the last day to register your rewards for higher tiered backing are the 31st of March. If you didn't do some of the higher tier stuff I think you should be fine.

Pretty pumped about this, I knew it wouldn't be out for the original "window" although I did forget how long ago it was that I backed it. Hopefully this game turns out awesome so they can make more, I'd be fine with that even if they had another kick-starter for it.

They're also close to Alpha from what they said in the email I got today, so hopefully they let it out a bit for some play testing from those who backed it

I'd rather it get pushed back a dozen times than be released in some half done state. I'll have to check about the higher tier rewards. I believe most of it just needed my address which I assumed was the one linked to my Kickstarter account.

 

[Artea]

What? Obsidian couldn't keep to a planned release date? No way!

Are you saying Obsidian has a habit of delaying games? Because the opposite is actually true: their games are always rushed and produced against tight deadlines due to publisher pressure. This is the first time they've had the freedom to set the release date on their own.

And the planned release date was never spring 2014.

 

[BrotherRool]

I still don't believe it. This game is big and Wasteland 2 had to get pushed back a lot too (it is crazy that kickstarters are expected to have a final delivery date before they even have a budget). I expect the beta at the end of the winter in 2014 and the actual game will be released 2015

 

[SecondPrize]

What? Obsidian couldn't keep to a planned release date? No way!

Are you saying Obsidian has a habit of delaying games? Because the opposite is actually true: their games are always rushed and produced against tight deadlines due to publisher pressure. This is the first time they've had the freedom to set the release date on their own.

And the planned release date was never spring 2014.

Rushed? They fail to meet the deadlines they contract for and when developers get sick enough of unmet deadlines they force them to publish. Obsidian is awful at properly budgeting their time and money and publishers call them on it. This is why they release unfinished games riddled with bugs, not because publishers decide to fuck with them.

 

[Artea]

What? Obsidian couldn't keep to a planned release date? No way!

Are you saying Obsidian has a habit of delaying games? Because the opposite is actually true: their games are always rushed and produced against tight deadlines due to publisher pressure. This is the first time they've had the freedom to set the release date on their own.

And the planned release date was never spring 2014.

Rushed? They fail to meet the deadlines they contract for and when developers get sick enough of unmet deadlines they force them to publish. Obsidian is awful at properly budgeting their time and money and publishers call them on it. This is why they release unfinished games riddled with bugs, not because publishers decide to fuck with them.

Clearly you have no idea what you're talking about. If they kept missing deadlines and costing publishers money, they wouldn't get hired at all and go out of business. In actuality, their games are made in a fraction of the budget and time that Bioware/Bethesda RPG's are made, despite Obsidian having far less employees than those studio's. They are some of the hardest working devs in the industry.

Kotor 2 for example was made in less than a year (the first Kotor was at least 3 years in development). New Vegas was made in only 18 months (by contrast, Fallout 3 was announced in 2004 and released in late 2008). The only game of theirs that has been delayed was South Park, and that was purely due to THQ's bankruptcy.

 

[SecondPrize]

What? Obsidian couldn't keep to a planned release date? No way!

Are you saying Obsidian has a habit of delaying games? Because the opposite is actually true: their games are always rushed and produced against tight deadlines due to publisher pressure. This is the first time they've had the freedom to set the release date on their own.

And the planned release date was never spring 2014.

Rushed? They fail to meet the deadlines they contract for and when developers get sick enough of unmet deadlines they force them to publish. Obsidian is awful at properly budgeting their time and money and publishers call them on it. This is why they release unfinished games riddled with bugs, not because publishers decide to fuck with them.

Clearly you have no idea what you're talking about. If they kept missing deadlines and costing publishers money, they wouldn't get hired at all and go out of business. In actuality, their games are made in a fraction of the budget and time that Bioware/Bethesda RPG's are made, despite Obsidian having far less employees than those studio's. They are some of the hardest working devs in the industry.

Kotor 2 for example was made in less than a year (the first Kotor was at least 3 years in development). New Vegas was made in only 18 months (by contrast, Fallout 3 was announced in 2004 and released in late 2008). The only game of theirs that has been delayed was South Park, and that was purely due to THQ's bankruptcy.

Did they make their own engines for those or adapt the previous engines? They go over time and have to release their games unfinished. This is what happens when they develop a game, and it has happened enough to suggest a trend.

 

[Gitty101]

I am disappointed, but only because I'm really impatient and looking forward to this game.

Take your time Obsidian, make it perfect.

 

[Artea]

What? Obsidian couldn't keep to a planned release date? No way!

Are you saying Obsidian has a habit of delaying games? Because the opposite is actually true: their games are always rushed and produced against tight deadlines due to publisher pressure. This is the first time they've had the freedom to set the release date on their own.

And the planned release date was never spring 2014.

Rushed? They fail to meet the deadlines they contract for and when developers get sick enough of unmet deadlines they force them to publish. Obsidian is awful at properly budgeting their time and money and publishers call them on it. This is why they release unfinished games riddled with bugs, not because publishers decide to fuck with them.

Clearly you have no idea what you're talking about. If they kept missing deadlines and costing publishers money, they wouldn't get hired at all and go out of business. In actuality, their games are made in a fraction of the budget and time that Bioware/Bethesda RPG's are made, despite Obsidian having far less employees than those studio's. They are some of the hardest working devs in the industry.

Kotor 2 for example was made in less than a year (the first Kotor was at least 3 years in development). New Vegas was made in only 18 months (by contrast, Fallout 3 was announced in 2004 and released in late 2008). The only game of theirs that has been delayed was South Park, and that was purely due to THQ's bankruptcy.

Did they make their own engines for those or adapt the previous engines? They go over time and have to release their games unfinished. This is what happens when they develop a game, and it has happened enough to suggest a trend.

But they never went over time (and in some cases, their development time was even shortened), so I'm not sure what you're talking about. And it's not as simple as pre-made engine=less development time, since content creation generally happens alongside engine development and even a pre-made engine requires updating and tweaking. As for developing their own engine, they did it with Dungeon Siege III, which was entirely bug-free and made on a shoestring budget and a very short development time.

 

[GiantRaven]

Eh, I was never expecting anything other than mid-2015 as a release. I don't think they'll make winter 2014.

Not in any bad way, mind you. I'm all for taking more time.

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

what we looking at, 9 months max?
well as long as it's complete, I can wait.
although that said I'm done with Kickstarter for a while.
I've got this, Satallite Reign and Massive Challace. too much to keep up with, while getting my patience stretched

 

[LordMonty]

I want me cookie now!!! I mean game and I mean i'll wait for a polished product and I mean I'm kinda ok with this as I want a truely worthy game thats well finished like the old school rpgs akin to Icewind and Baldur's.

 

[Talvrae]

Honestly, as someone who contributed to Pillars of Eternity during its crowdfunding days, I'm actually kind of glad to see Obsidian taking its time to make the game everything it can be. Given the studio's sometimes rocky history with unfinished games, bugs and general QA, the additional months will hopefully mean a quality final product that's complete and running smoothly when it finally launches.

Source: <a href=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/obsidian/project-eternity/posts/745223>Kickstarter


Permalink

I said same thing when Alpha Protocol was delayed, i was disapointed anyway... But still i contributed to this also, and i will wait as long as needed

Rushed? They fail to meet the deadlines they contract for and when developers get sick enough of unmet deadlines they force them to publish. Obsidian is awful at properly budgeting their time and money and publishers call them on it. This is why they release unfinished games riddled with bugs, not because publishers decide to fuck with them.

Clearly you have no idea what you're talking about. If they kept missing deadlines and costing publishers money, they wouldn't get hired at all and go out of business. In actuality, their games are made in a fraction of the budget and time that Bioware/Bethesda RPG's are made, despite Obsidian having far less employees than those studio's. They are some of the hardest working devs in the industry.
[/quote]

Just want to say that Bioware had to develop an Engine for KotOR, Obsidian only used the same engine, of course it's faster... Not wanting to remove some merit to Obsidian, but well give bioware it's due too

 

[Artea]

Just want to say that Bioware had to develop an Engine for KotOR, Obsidian only used the same engine, of course it's faster... Not wanting to remove some merit to Obsidian, but well give bioware it's due too

The engine Kotor ran on was an updated version of the same engine that had been used before for Neverwinter Nights. Granted, the engine was tweaked a lot for Kotor, but Bioware still had far more time for their Star Wars game than Obsidian.

When Bioware was actually asked to deliver a sequel against the same short deadline that Obsidian games are typically made in, and even on the same engine as Origins, they released Dragon Age 2, a game that their fans hated and that arguably ended up damaging their reputation as a brand name. So it's hardly that easy.