Obsidian CEO Talks Planescape Sequel

Andy Chalk

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Nov 12, 2002
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Obsidian CEO Talks Planescape Sequel


There's not going to be a sequel to Planescape: Torment [http://www.amazon.com/Planescape-Torment-Pc/dp/B00002EPZ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305230767&sr=8-1] sequel but if there was, Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart says "it would have to be done right."

I'm going to tell you right here and right now that nobody's talking about doing a Planescape: Torment sequel. There are no rumors of a follow-up, no mysterious, unannounced projects in the works or strange "Planescape"-like trademark filings bubbling to the surface. It ain't gonna happen, people.

Unless it does, of course. "I remember right after finishing Planescape: Torment I spoke to [lead designer] Chris Avellone and asked what he wanted to do, and he was like, 'I don't wanna do a sequel!' We haven't talked about it in ten years, but it might be different now," Urquhart, who at the time was head of PS:T developer Black Isle Studios, told Play Magazine. "But a lot of revisiting old games is about saying, 'Okay, that worked in 1999, what would work now?' And how would you do it again?"

"We'd have to think a lot about it, because it would have to be done right, otherwise the fans of the original would be pissed off and new people wouldn't get it," he added. "That would be terrible."

It's a question that every potential sequel has to contend with, but the problem is particularly acute for Planescape: Torment. Despite Urquhart's words, the game didn't really work at all when it came out in 1999; it was critically acclaimed but sold poorly and despite the legend that's built up around it over the years, it would probably perform even worse in today's market. Yet any sequel that failed to cleave to the original with absolute fidelity would be nothing short of a catastrophe in the eyes of the small but incredibly devoted fan base. It's almost a no-win scenario.

And why do we need a sequel in the first place? A better idea is a brand-new game set in the City of Doors, perhaps with a nod to the original - a trip to the Gathering Dust Bar, perhaps - but that's otherwise completely unrelated. I'd love to go back to the Planescape setting but Torment, I think, is best left alone.

Source: Now Gamer [http://pc-mmo.nowgamer.com/news/5797/obsidian-dev-ponders-planescape-torment-return]


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tehroc

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Jul 6, 2009
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Planescape is a long discontinued product. 3.5 Edition, a new "center of the multiverse" was created in the Epic Level Handbook, of course that product is also discontinued. No clue on what's going on with 4th Edition.
 

TheAmazingHobo

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Andy Chalk said:
Unless it does, of course. "I remember right after finishing Planescape: Torment I spoke to [lead designer] Chris Avellone and asked what he wanted to do, and he was like, 'I don't wanna do a sequel!'"
Well, I suppose the question in this case is:
What can change the nature of a man... s opinion regarding a potential sequel ?

But honestly, I completely agree, a Planescape game would be awesome and could actually work, a straight up sequel.... wouldn´t.
 

Naheal

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Obsidian wants to do a sequel? *Gasp* Surprise!

Hopefully they get the Black Isle team on it.
 

Susurrus

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Leave. Planescape. Torment. The. Hell. Alone.

That is all.

EDIT: No it's not.

Please don't touch it. It was perfect, it was brilliant, and any game trying to follow it up... I mean, just how?

So leave it alone. Maybe even leave Sigil alone, but don't touch TNO, Morte, Annah, Dak'kon et al. It will just seem like a shameless cash in.

MotB, despite some bad design choices, really showed (particularly in the Dead God's Vault, and the Shadow Realm) that Obsidian still have talent, flare, and the ability to create new intellectual properties. Do that instead.
 

mireko

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Sep 23, 2010
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Read the headline: OH GOD YES.

There's not going to be a sequel to Planescape: Torment sequel but if there was, Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart says "it would have to be done right."
...

...I hate you.
 
Jul 22, 2009
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I just downloaded Planescape the other day, I should get around to playing that again...

But I also downloaded Baldurs Gate 1 and 2... plus I really want to play Brink.

Goddamnit, go much gaming, so little time.

But yeah, I'd be open to a sequel, but I'd be more open to a spin-off, and it'd definitely have to be done right.
 

rembrandtqeinstein

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Sep 4, 2009
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/agree

No sequel but please let us play in that awesome world again

The Planescape setting and the Oblivion engine would work beautifully together.

One of the greatest thing about Torment was that it was self contained. Each character had a story that made sense and was satisfying as a piece of the Nameless One's legend. The combat was fun but not difficult and it wasn't the focus of the game anyway. The dialog was.
 

Deskimus Prime

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Jan 26, 2011
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That was a cruel, cruel news post title.

Sequel would kind of be...odd, considering
The entire point of the game is to find who you are, and then how to kill yourself.

Now another game set in the Planescape universe? YES PLEASE
 

The Zango

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Apr 30, 2009
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Nooo! A Planescape sequel or something else set in that universe would be fine, but please let it be made by a competent studio, anyone. Anyone! But Obsidian.
 

plugav

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Planescape itself deserves another game, but doing a sequel to Torment is a dreadful idea.

Not that any publisher today would give a green light to a fantasy game with an ugly protagonist and no dragons, anyway.
 

Radeonx

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Apr 26, 2009
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Naheal said:
Obsidian wants to do a sequel? *Gasp* Surprise!

Hopefully they get the Black Isle team on it.
I hope you're joking, because the whole article is about them not doing a sequel.
And even if they were to do a "sequel" it would be nothing more then a spiritual successor.

The universe itself, though, is great, so a game in the Planescape universe would still be awesome.
 

UnravThreads

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The Zango said:
Nooo! A Planescape sequel or something else set in that universe would be fine, but please let it be made by a competent studio, anyone. Anyone! But Obsidian.
You seem to forget that Obsidian is mostly Black Isle devs.
 

tzimize

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TheAmazingHobo said:
Andy Chalk said:
Unless it does, of course. "I remember right after finishing Planescape: Torment I spoke to [lead designer] Chris Avellone and asked what he wanted to do, and he was like, 'I don't wanna do a sequel!'"
Well, I suppose the question in this case is:
What can change the nature of a man... s opinion regarding a potential sequel ?

-snip-
Nice one :)

OT: Same as the article. Sequel: No. Another game set in the Planescape: Sure.

But why not do something new? The Pathfinder universe is pretty damn cool: Hintedy hint hint.
 

Casimir_Effect

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Aug 26, 2010
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Just fucking no.

The game has become a classic through word of mouth as most people (myself excluded) back in the day didn't buy it. They would buy it even less today unless it was changed completely and sold using a misleading ad campaign like Dragon Age: Origins did.

I'd also like to point out that the game wasn't so critically acclaimed when it came out as people like to make out. Many critics seem to have retconned their opinion of it over the years as the legend of Torment grew and grew. I'm happy the game is now at that inviolate stage enjoyed by so few others, but the hypocrisy gnaws at me a little.
 

GonzoGamer

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Apr 9, 2008
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rembrandtqeinstein said:
/agree

No sequel but please let us play in that awesome world again

The Planescape setting and the Oblivion engine would work beautifully together.

.
You didn't play New Vegas did you?
Obsidian shouldn't be allowed anywhere near that engine again... or anything more complicated than the unreal 1 engine.
 

McMullen

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Mar 9, 2010
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Andy Chalk said:
Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart says "it would have to be done right."
Soooo... not by Obsidian?

coldalarm said:
The Zango said:
Nooo! A Planescape sequel or something else set in that universe would be fine, but please let it be made by a competent studio, anyone. Anyone! But Obsidian.
You seem to forget that Obsidian is mostly Black Isle devs.
That may be true, but Obsidian is also known for making horribly, unplayably buggy games. They ought to be put on probation, making casual mobile games for a decade before they're allowed to work on a significant title again.