Wizards of the Coast Would License Planescape Games

[Marshall Honorof]

Wizards of the Coast Would License Planescape Games

Wizards turned down a Torment sequel, but can still license the IP.

When Brian Fargo, one of the minds behind Planescape: Torment, approached Wizards of the Coast about making a sequel, the RPG giant turned him down [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/121431-Brian-Fargo-Confirms-New-Torment]. The Torment sequel is still happening in the form of a spiritual successor, but speculation ran rampant that Wizards simply had no interest in licensing the unusual Planescape setting from Dungeons & Dragons. According to Wizards, however, it's completely willing to grant developers the right to explore the City of Doors and its surrounding planes, provided that the proposal sounds great.

"We would absolutely consider licensing out Planescape, or any of our other great D&D IPs, if we were approached with a proposal," says a representative for Wizards of the Coast. "We often get proposals and are actively pursuing opportunities to make great digital D&D experiences." The representative did not know exactly why Wizards declined Fargo's pitch, but explained that there may have been some confusion regarding previous licensing peccadilloes. "Brian [Fargo] suggested Baldur's Gate 3 had proven difficult in the past before we regained our digital rights, so, that probably didn't help the situation."

Colin McComb, another Planescape: Torment developer, contacted Wizards about a Planescape: Torment sequel with similar results. "I'm certain that there was discussion on the subject directly but it sounds like there is some internal miscommunication there," he reasons. Instead of Planescape, the Torment sequel will take place in the original sci-fi world of Numenera, linked by thematic elements rather than setting or story.

It's good to know that another Planescape game could emerge someday, but one must wonder what kind of pitch Wizards is waiting for. Planescape: Torment is one of the most popular properties attached to the setting. If a sequel isn't a good enough reason to bring the IP out of hibernation, what will be?

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-11-wizards-of-the-coast-declares-that-it-is-open-to-licensing-planescape]

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[Yeager942]

I'd give my left nut for another Planescape game. Though not a strict sequel, please. Leave TNO alone. He's been through enough. ;____;

 

[Scorpid]

LOL I guess this is a update for those not really following the trial of the Planescape franchise, but for me this is just more ass backwards corporate speech for 'we're not really that interested but have no reason to not license it so you know whatever'

 

[MrCalavera_v1legacy]

Shame they can't come to an agreement. I'd really like to visit Sigil again.

 

[Absolutionis]

I'm conflicted.

On one hand, Planescape: Torment was incredible and I'd honestly love a sequel in both theme and setting (not characters). On the other hand, a new IP may end up being better than the original.

I just hope that a new IP strongly similar to the original won't wreck all that is great about the original and appeal to the mass audience. Bioshock ended up being a horribly watered down "spiritual successor" to System Shock 2, and although it was popular for the nonsensical story it had, most SS2 fans were disappointed. A genre/setting-shifted Planescape:Torment would run the same risk.

 

[Scars Unseen]

Well here's a thought. How about Planescape: A Game That Has Absolutely Nothing to Do With That Other Planescape Game. I loved Torment, but the game doesn't need a sequel. It was entirely self-contained. Maybe WotC is waiting for a pitch more convincing than "You know that critically acclaimed Planescape game that came out over a decade ago? I was on the team that made it and would like to make another one."

 

[Soviet Heavy]

When Wizards closes a door, you just find another one.

And then you end up on the plane of fire. Watch your step in Sigil.

I actually like this guy's PR. He's very open and he sounds willing to speak his mind.

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

I'd give my left but for another Planescape game.

They don't want your left but; they prefer the right and.

OT: Wizards of the Coast is willing to license video games based of off D&D? If only I knew about this groundbreaking news [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neverwinter_Nights_(series)] before!

 

[Therumancer]

I think I can give an educated answer to this one:

The Planescape setting was pretty much ravaged by WoTC. It was one of the properties that pretty much died during the 3E transition, a bit point of contention with it was that it was promised that the Planescape setting would continue as it was IF "Torment" sold beyond a certain level (which it surpassed) and then they pretty much wrecked it anyway.

To make a long story short they tied it up with a "supermodule" in which all of the major power conflicts came to a head, and all of the factions were either destroyed or exiled from Sigil entirely. This was then followed by the complete discontinuation of it as a central D&D concept, replacing it as merely one glossed over possible cosmology in the new "Manual Of The Planes" but no real continueing "campaign setting" in of itself.

Currently as of the time of 4E they have pretty much taken a giant wrecking ball to all of D&D, demons and devils (even as Baatezu and T'anari) pretty much do not exist anymore. Tieflings were added to the core rules, but with a differant racial backround putting their fiendish lineage well into the backround as "ancient bloodlines", Aasimar (the flip side of the Tiefling coin) disappeared, alignments were removed from the game (which also means that the factions, each of which was arguably responsible for the echo that lead to an alignment become less relevent in a cosmic sense if they were to ever survive... and their conflict was one of the defining elements of Planescape and ultimatly behind nearly everything).

This is important because as a property the liscense holders have never been especially interested in allowing people to do things based on older versions of the D&D rules and mythos, all focus being on what's "current" for the game. This is apparently a big part of why we'll never see a true "Knights Of The Old Republic" sequel since the 3E engine combined with liscensing issues is a nightmare, along with spiritual sequels to a number of D&D games which are no longer possible given the changes to both the way the rules work, and the setting cosmology both in a general and "per campaign setting" basis.

Basically if someone pitched picking up "Planescape" as a concept, Hasbro/WoTC would probably demand that in doing it they keep it to the most recent entries and D&D lore. This means no factions, no demons, no devils, no blood war, no celestrials, tieflings only as the descendants of an ancient empire (all as far as I can tell)... and pretty much no anything that made the setting. Combine that with one of the least popular D&D engines ever, that is going to be unusually nightmarish to work with for a single player RPG... and yeah, I can see the problems.

Fans will always say "yeah but" when they want something bad enough, and might even point to a few things in the lore that point to a ray of hope or me perhaps being wrong on something (I confess to a less than encyclopediac knowlege of 4E and it's changes since I don't care for it much, despite being committed to the upcoming Neverwinter MMO), but I think the gist of what I'm saying is correct.

Unless WoTC decides to do a 5E and do what they should have a long time ago and pretty much say "okay, let's just pretend we never decided a lot of this other stuff" the odds of Planescape ever being close to what it us seem unlikely. As far as lore/material and the amount of options availible in the mechanics, the game peaked waaay back with 2E, 3E began a trend of simplification and obtuse retreads that kind of changed things well away from the state things were in back during the golden age of D&D computer games. Heck even getting away from the really far out concepts of "Planescape" consider "The Forgotten Realms" is hardly anything close to what you would have once recognized, I mean cripes... they've basically flattened it twice since 2E. "Baldur's Gate" the home of arguably the most classic D&D games ever saw the death of pretty much every major NPC (likely or not) and complete urban redevelopment at the hands of Shaughin during the transition to 3E, and then there is this whole stupid "Spellplague" thing... so yeah, needless to say "Baldur's Gate" isn't going to be anything like you'd expect even if they did approve it, which probably has a lot to do with why "Baldur's Gate 3" would be an issue. I haven't looked it up recently, while it seems to have survived, to be frank it should probably be a water filled crater by now.

 

[UnderGlass]

Personally, I'm more looking forward to the Numenera setting anyway. I still love the original Planescape: Torment and the unique setting and accompanying art-style is a big part of that. However, a sequel set in the same universe wouldn't feel as fresh as the sense of discovery I felt exploring Sigil for the first time. Torment needs an original, weird new world to explore and Numenera is a very compelling answer to that. I just think a thematic sequel to the original game, made by the same developers and set in the same world, would be a bit too on-the-nose.

Let someone else make a completely original game, set in the Planescape setting and I'll be all over that mofo.

 

[StashAugustine]

snip

I would buy every one of these.

 

[Bleidd Whitefalcon]

snip

you sir, have made my day...Bravo to you!

Now as to this new planescape game? Why not just take Planescape: Torment and remaster it like Baldur's Gate?

Maybe it would be prohibitively expensive? Torment has an insane amount of depth after all

 

[Little Gray]

It's good to know that another Planescape game could emerge someday, but one must wonder what kind of pitch Wizards is waiting for. Planescape: Torment is one of the most popular properties attached to the setting. If a sequel isn't a good enough reason to bring the IP out of hibernation, what will be?

They are probably waiting for one that doesnt suck and flows with the current d&d universe.

 

[Wilbot666]

I'd give my left but for another Planescape game. Though not a strict sequel, please. Leave TNO alone. He's been through enough. ;____;

I totally agree. The Planescape setting is fantastic and I'd love to play another game set in Sigil, but I REALLY don't want a direct sequel. The Nameless One's story was so well defined that any addition to his personal story would just end up feeling "tacked on".

Why not make a game where you play as Fell, the tattooing dabus? I would play that shit.

 

[vfn4i83]

I still waiting for the relaunch of the BloodWars Card Game, but as said I'll be waiting for a long time.

 

[eventhorizon525]

As far as lore/material and the amount of options availible in the mechanics, the game peaked waaay back with 2E, 3E began a trend of simplification and obtuse retreads that kind of changed things well away from the state things were in back during the golden age of D&D computer games.

Well for the most point I agree with your points, I don't agree with the representation of 2E v 3/.5E. Yes, all my experience with 2E has been pretty good and its been relatively robust for my needs. However, things like THAC0 are nonsensical and only add unneeded complexity. Some more complex or specialized characters are also somewhat difficult to fit with the "official" 2E rules, which causes a problem for cases where people want to play the more outlandish stuff.

However, I am not just supporting 3/3.5E. There are plenty of problems with it, part of the reason why I run a heavily modified version at my table (though honestly most of the changes are with magic because I rather dislike the vancian system), and it certainly isn't straight forward all that often. But I wouldn't call it simpler (for good or ill) than 2E. Once I got past the weird oddities of 2E, I've found a lot less "official" depth, with most of the complexity coming from the players and the now fairly ancient homerules.

Lore, on the other hand, I will agree is all sorts of wonky (which is also why I use basically none of it).

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

I think WotC fail to realise that by sitting on their "exciting IP" which has gathered dust for years, people will forget about it. They should get it out more, doesn't matter about the pitch. An IP is only worth anything if it's used and in people's conciousness.