As reported by Eurogamer at GDC (Game Developer's Conference), during the Game Developers Choice Awards where Baldur’s Gate 3 won Game of the Year, Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke had some strong words to say about the games industry.
Here's what Vincke said:
"Greed has been fucking this whole thing up for so long, since I started," Vincke said, while collecting the GDCA Best Narrative award for Baldur's Gate 3. "I've been fighting publishers my entire life and I keep on seeing the same, same, same mistakes over, and over and over.
"It's always the quarterly profits," he continued, "the only thing that matters are the numbers, and then you fire everybody and then next year you say 'shit I'm out of developers' and then you start hiring people again, and then you do acquisitions, and then you put them in the same loop again, and it's just broken...
"You don't have to," Vincke went on. "You can make reserves. Just slow down a bit. Slow down on the greed. Be resilient, take care of the people, don't lose the institutional knowledge that's been built up in the people you lose every single time, so you have to go through the same cycle over and over and over. It really pisses me off."
Vincke continued on X to also add:
"For the avoidance of doubt - there are plenty of people in publishing I met who have their hearts in the right place. This message was for those who try to double their revenue year after year. You don't have to do that. Build more slowly and make your aim improving the state of the art, not squeezing out the last drop. And respect the people making the games. You'll find it brings you more joy."
It's clear that Larian Studios are a great game developer worth supporting. Larian also confirmed that no DLC expansion is coming for Baldur's Gate 3, it's a complete game and they will be moving onto their next game although Baldur's Gate 3 will still get patches to fix issues.
With the amount of layoffs this year, which have been ridiculous, it's nice to see some speak out like this at events. Just look at the chart PC Gamer put up showing the layoffs in early February (and there's been more since)…
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Larian also confirmed that no DLC expansion is coming for Baldur's Gate 3, it's a complete game and they will be moving onto their next game although Baldur's Gate 3 will still get patches to fix issues.
Wow! I didn't know that.
I've been holding out on buying BG3 because I want to play the whole thing once the goty drops with all the patches & content. It will likely receive a bit more content & patches as time goes on but Larian deserves our support for avoiding all the BS tactics that the other AAA games employ.
After the whole Dragon's Dogma 2 fast travel dlc drama this article could not have come at a better time.
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BG3 is the only game in years that I started playing (with the intent to finish it) at release. Usually, I wait on expansions, the inevitable complete edition a year or two down the line. It's a nice feeling that it's pretty much done as is.
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williamjcm Mar 22, 2024
Larian also confirmed that no DLC expansion is coming for Baldur's Gate 3, it's a complete game and they will be moving onto their next game although Baldur's Gate 3 will still get patches to fix issues.All I need from BG3 at this point is a photo mode, to be honest. There are too few opportunities to take good close up shots of a character without the UI getting in the way.
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Mohandevir Mar 22, 2024
Well said. Starting a business just to make money is not a good reason. You have to put your soul and believe in your product or what you offer. More often than not, privately owned businesses are offering much more value to the customer than any publicly traded companies; they are must less prone to be veered away from their initial goals by greedy investors who don't care about the mission and just want a quick buck.
Last edited by Mohandevir on 22 March 2024 at 1:21 pm UTC
Last edited by Mohandevir on 22 March 2024 at 1:21 pm UTC
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"Larian also confirmed that no DLC expansion is coming for Baldur's Gate 3, it's a complete game and they will be moving onto their next game"
That deserves an award of its own. Actually, make it two: one for releasing a complete game, and another one for not inventing new ways to milk its success.
That deserves an award of its own. Actually, make it two: one for releasing a complete game, and another one for not inventing new ways to milk its success.
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BG3 aka Horny game made by horny polish devs.
Still from what i read the game is still unstable it will require knowledge on how to fix this game.
I'm glad i have ignored it, i like to focus on a story and not reading "shadowheart here" "shadowheart there" "shadowheart can bang a bear"
This game has a story but ruined by army of npcs who keep spoiling people on internet.
Still from what i read the game is still unstable it will require knowledge on how to fix this game.
I'm glad i have ignored it, i like to focus on a story and not reading "shadowheart here" "shadowheart there" "shadowheart can bang a bear"
This game has a story but ruined by army of npcs who keep spoiling people on internet.
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BG3 aka Horny game made by horny polish devs.Belgian actually.
No idea about the state of arousal in that country.
10 Likes, Who?
Larian also confirmed that no DLC expansion is coming for Baldur's Gate 3I've just seen an interview, where Vincke also announced that their new project is neither BG4 nor something else D&D. My bet is they'll be returning to their own IP, but I also would not be surprised to see something completely new from them.
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R Daneel Olivaw Mar 22, 2024
BG3 is the only game in years that I started playing (with the intent to finish it) at release. Usually, I wait on expansions, the inevitable complete edition a year or two down the line. It's a nice feeling that it's pretty much done as is.
I do find it interesting that Larian themselves have a history of doing expansions and then "definitive editions" or whatever they call it.
I wonder if they're just burned out on BG3 / dnd and want to move on.
I would love it if they'd do a more scifi themed rpg. Their products are always fantasy based, so that might be a fun departure.
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I'm trying to think of a country where one might reasonably expect devs not to be horny and I'm drawing a blank. Even in Japan, with the population decline and all, the devs are very likely horny--just for 2d things or robots rather than stuff that will result in having a proper Japanese dysfunctional family life . . .BG3 aka Horny game made by horny polish devs.Belgian actually.
No idea about the state of arousal in that country.
4 Likes, Who?
Arehandoro Mar 22, 2024
BG3 aka Horny game made by horny polish devs.Belgian actually.
No idea about the state of arousal in that country.
Belgian company, with offices in the UK and Barcelona (at least that I know off). Devs nationatilities will be even more varied :P
4 Likes, Who?
Arehandoro Mar 22, 2024
I'm tempted to get a second copy of BG3 to support Larian just for these comments...
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what's the most profitable way to hunt whales?
is it to hunt just under the amount of newly bred whales each year so their population (and your business) doesn't get gradually over-hunted into oblivion?
nope... it's to hunt all of them at once, get the money and invest in something completely different
it's the fallacy of self-regulating markets, based on the wrong assumption that money must stay on the same business, while capital investment rules make it all too easy to scorch the earth and move on to a new business
this and the fact that even when a market does self-regulate it does so *after* bad things have already happened in a big way to most people involved (clients, workers and often even some of the investors)
i think this neatly summarizes what's happening with open capital gaming studios/publishers nowadays
hm... how's that triple "i" story unfolding? time to check on them again
is it to hunt just under the amount of newly bred whales each year so their population (and your business) doesn't get gradually over-hunted into oblivion?
nope... it's to hunt all of them at once, get the money and invest in something completely different
it's the fallacy of self-regulating markets, based on the wrong assumption that money must stay on the same business, while capital investment rules make it all too easy to scorch the earth and move on to a new business
this and the fact that even when a market does self-regulate it does so *after* bad things have already happened in a big way to most people involved (clients, workers and often even some of the investors)
i think this neatly summarizes what's happening with open capital gaming studios/publishers nowadays
hm... how's that triple "i" story unfolding? time to check on them again
2 Likes, Who?
slaapliedje Mar 22, 2024
The funny thing about DLC; I believe there is a good use of it and a bad use of it.
Good use is the original intention (at least the first game I saw use it, before it was called DLC) was Bioware's Neverwinter Nights. Pay 5-10 dollars for a module using the same engine. Perfect! This gives you an entirely new adventure using the same game engine. If Doom had done something similar, where you buy the engine and then people could sell their total conversions for pretty cheap... well that sort of happened, but they were sold as full games, that would have been great!
If BG3 did that, where they just had the D&D engine out there and sold 'new' games that were basically just using all the engine work they've already done, they could crank out some great adventures.
Solasta seems to have done similar.
Where it went wrong was with Oblivion and the Horse Armor...
Good use is the original intention (at least the first game I saw use it, before it was called DLC) was Bioware's Neverwinter Nights. Pay 5-10 dollars for a module using the same engine. Perfect! This gives you an entirely new adventure using the same game engine. If Doom had done something similar, where you buy the engine and then people could sell their total conversions for pretty cheap... well that sort of happened, but they were sold as full games, that would have been great!
If BG3 did that, where they just had the D&D engine out there and sold 'new' games that were basically just using all the engine work they've already done, they could crank out some great adventures.
Solasta seems to have done similar.
Where it went wrong was with Oblivion and the Horse Armor...
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those "good uses" were called "Expansions" and the wider catch-all name "DLC" was coined to put "bad uses" under the same umbrella and slap extra DRM-control on them
the oldest expansion i'm aware of... probably "Hellfire", for "Diablo 1"
It's an expecially interesting case because Diablo was done by Blizzard and Hellfire was done by Sierra Games, so it was pretty bold!
More so if you realize it wasn't an independent adventure but added in-game extra content (a new story arch, a new cave, new high-level spells, etc) to the original game
the oldest expansion i'm aware of... probably "Hellfire", for "Diablo 1"
It's an expecially interesting case because Diablo was done by Blizzard and Hellfire was done by Sierra Games, so it was pretty bold!
More so if you realize it wasn't an independent adventure but added in-game extra content (a new story arch, a new cave, new high-level spells, etc) to the original game
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those "good uses" were called "Expansions" and the wider catch-all name "DLC" was coined to put "bad uses" under the same umbrella and slap extra DRM-control on them
the oldest expansion i'm aware of... probably "Hellfire", for "Diablo 1"
Much, much earlier there were "data disks" that gave you a set of new levels for the game. ;-)
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those "good uses" were called "Expansions" and the wider catch-all name "DLC" was coined to put "bad uses" under the same umbrella and slap extra DRM-control on them
Much, much earlier there were "data disks" that gave you a set of new levels for the game. ;-)Oh No! More Lemmings, anyone?
2 Likes, Who?
BG3 aka Horny game made by horny polish devs.Belgian actually.
No idea about the state of arousal in that country.
*flips the table* i got fooled
I'm trying to think of a country where one might reasonably expect devs not to be horny and I'm drawing a blank. Even in Japan, with the population decline and all, the devs are very likely horny--just for 2d things or robots rather than stuff that will result in having a proper Japanese dysfunctional family life . . .BG3 aka Horny game made by horny polish devs.Belgian actually.
No idea about the state of arousal in that country.
i would say australia maybe.
The issue with japanese people is i don't know i guess both parts have different passions
1 Likes, Who?
those "good uses" were called "Expansions" and the wider catch-all name "DLC" was coined to put "bad uses" under the same umbrella and slap extra DRM-control on themMuch, much earlier there were "data disks" that gave you a set of new levels for the game. ;-)Oh No! More Lemmings, anyone?
I thought this one was standalone (that's the one I had), but wiki says there were actually two versions and one required the original disk to load. I was thinking about level packs for Timekeepers or Benefactor (unreleased, but later made by the community, just a few levels sadly) where you loaded the 'data disk' in place of Disk 2 or 3 to play another set of levels.
Now that I think of it, the first time I bought a game expansion was for Talisman (the board game). ;-)
Last edited by pb on 22 March 2024 at 8:13 pm UTC
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*flips the table* i got fooledTurns out they just opened a new branch in Poland so I guess they fooled us all?
They seem to be doing very well. Branches in six different countries now plus the HQ in Belgium.
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