The Baldur's Gate Countdown Begins!

[Andy Chalk]

The Baldur's Gate Countdown Begins!

A mysterious 24-hour countdown is now ticking away at the new Baldur's Gate website.

Nobody was quite sure what to make of it when a strange new Baldur's Gate website popped up [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/116066-Website-Teases-New-Baldurs-Gate-Something-UPDATED] back at the end of February. There was nothing to it but the famous Baldur's Gate skull, theme song and some words from the wise Alaundo about how the Lord of Murder shall perish and yadda yadda. But hidden in the page's source code were some rather more interesting messages.

"For years, I clung to the memory of it. Then the memory of the memory" was one, instantly recognizable as the words of Joneleth Irenicus, bad guy numero uno of Baldur's Gate [http://www.amazon.com/Baldurs-Gate-Collection-Shadows-Throne-Pc/dp/B00009ECGG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331786289&sr=8-1], although nobody seems to have quite nailed that one down yet.

There were a few others as well, perhaps the most intriguing being an invitation to search for hints. "Pore over the tapestries and works of art hanging from our walls if you wish, Child of Bhaal," it said. "Perhaps you will find a clue. But patience, ah... patience would reveal it all."

And all will soon be revealed, as a countdown is now ticking away at the site and has, at the time of writing, a little over 14 hours on the clock. What could it be? The leading theory, at least the last time I checked, points at an HD remake for tablets, but references to the game in the Steam registry led some people to conclude that a Steam release is imminent. That claim was quickly denied by Beamdog, a studio founded by BioWare veteran Trent Oster which is apparently somehow involved in all this. Beamdog, for the record, has previously ported the BioWare game MDK2 to the Wii; Oster was a modeller on the original Baldur's Gate.

I continue to believe that Baldur's Gate 3 is the only possible explanation and thus look forward to the wild paroxysms of joy that will inevitably begin at 3 pm EST, when the next chapter in the greatest Dungeons & Dragons CRPG of all time is announced to the world. It's going to be great, so don't miss the moment - join me in watching the clock tick down at baldursgate.com [http://baldursgate.com/].

Thanks to LavaLampBamboo [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/LavaLampBamboo] for the tip.


Permalink

 

[Braedan]

Odd, whenever I check the page's source info it doesn't say the quotes, but it does say







Ominous.

 

[Andy Chalk]

Yeah, to clarify, the messages have changed a few times since the site first went live. The ones I quoted have come and gone.

 

[Waaghpowa]

I continue to believe that Baldur's Gate 3 is the only possible explanation and thus look forward to the wild paroxysms of joy that will inevitably begin at 3 pm EST

It damn well better be.


*countdown nearing 0*
Us: "OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!"
"Announcing Baldurs Gate Collectors pack!!"
Us: "....."

 

[Tanis]

I actually hope it's BG: Dark Alliance 3.

While I do love the classic series, the DA spin-offs were REALLY REALLY fun and I'd love to see another.

 

[Knight Templar]

I really don't understand what htis is about anymore. I pretty much dismissed this at first, but then I saw the countdown and I do not know what to think.

 

[StormShaun]

Really I'm hoping for a Baldurs Gate 3, I don't really care about anything else.

Hopefully they might make it different but in a unique kind of way.
I'll think that I'll stay until it announces whatever comes.

 

[StBishop]

I really don't understand what htis is about anymore. I pretty much dismissed this at first, but then I saw the countdown and I do not know what to think.

I see no countdown, but like you, I poo-pooed it initially.

I am trying to hold in my excitement.

 

[unacomn]

If this turns out to be an ad for a Baldur's Gate themed clock, I'll be disappointed.

Not expecting a new game, since the game isn't on Beamdog, it'll probably be added there.

 

[MrBrightside919]

I continue to believe that Baldur's Gate 3 is the only possible explanation and thus look forward to the wild paroxysms of joy that will inevitably begin at 3 pm EST

It damn well better be.


*countdown nearing 0*
Us: "OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!"
"Announcing Baldurs Gate Collectors pack!!"
Us: "....."

Pretty sure they already made those...seeing as how I have one...along with Icewind Dale and Neverwinter Nights...

 

[DeMorquist]

You guys are all silly...we all know its a goofy facebook game...

 

[BreakfastMan]

Please be Baldur's Gate III, please be Baldur's Gate III, please be Baldur's Gate III. If it is Baldur's Gate III (and it damn well better be), I will probably squee for joy and orgasm on the spot.

Until then, I will be furiously masturbating to the thought of returning to Faerun in a new, top-down, old-school style strategy CRPG. Who is with me?

 

[darkknight9]

Butt-Kicking, for goodness!

I too hope its a new game and I get to personally contribute to the cannon of the realms by helping to reinstate Velsharoon.

 

[Maleval]

It's obviously going to be a 5 hour long cover-based corridor shooter.

On a more serious note, if this is just BG1/2 on a brand new shining graphics engine I'd probably explode in a spectacular nerdgasm. Not so much if it's an HD rerelease for tablets though

 

[kingthrall]

FAR OUT, FAR OUT I WET MYSELF, THE 2nd BEST GAME OF MY LIFE HAS A COUNTDOWN CLOCK ON WEBSITE.....

 

[Yureina]

Baldur's Gate II ended pretty decisively... I doubt it's a third game.

I wonder what this is all about... O_O

 

[80Maxwell08]

Baldur's Gate II ended pretty decisively... I doubt it's a third game.

I wonder what this is all about... O_O

i am wondering the same.. how exactly do you make a 3rd game from that? new character? striped of powers?

Well that would probably depend on Atari and how evil they are. Will they take the EA route and milk the living crap out of it regardless if it fits? I don't know how Atari compares to any of the other publishers since I don't hear much from them though it does confuse me why it took them so long to do anything with the Baldur's Gate IP. Seriously you would think they would have been using that one for years but nope nothing just GOG releases.