Black Isle Studios makes a mysterious comeback? (in name, at least)

Rabbiddog · August 11, 2020, 9:09am

Black Isle Studios, the well-remembered developer behind the first two Fallout games and the Icewind Dale series, hasn’t actually been a studio since 2003. That’s when parent company Interplay shut the studio down, after most of the development team there had already left to form Obsidian Entertainment. But it looks like Interplay is gearing up to make Black Isle a thing once again, registering a website at BlackIsle.com alongside some (currently mostly empty) Facebook and Twitter pages.

Despite the name, the new studio doesn’t seem to have much to do with some of the high-profile developers that were once associated with it. Obsidian Creative Lead Chris Avellone, who worked as a senior designer at Black Isle, tweeted that the new studio doesn’t involve him or anyone he knows, and Interplay founder Brian Fargo (who is currently working on a Kickstarted Wasteland sequel with indie house inXile Entertainment) tweeted that he doesn’t have enough information to comment on the matter.

Interplay hasn’t issued an official announcement about the resurrected studio, but the website does include the somewhat cocky statement that “our goal has always been to make the world’s best RPGs. Black Isle Studios is back.” As the Facebook page helpfully adds: “Black Isle Studios is a division of Interplay formed to develop and publish high quality, commercially successful computer role-playing games.” Good to know!

Interplay is a mere shadow of the major PC game publisher it once was, notable recently more for financial troubles and legal battles with Bethesda over a planned Fallout MMO than for any actual high-profile new releases. With the rights to further Fallout games being squarely under Bethesda’s control and the Black Isle-published Baldur’s Gate series currently set to make an Enhanced Edition comeback from an outside developer, the new Black Isle appears to be starting out without some of its biggest names in tow. Still, this is a hopeful sign for anyone hoping for a new Icewind Dale or Planescape: Torment sequel.

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/08/black-isle-studios-makes-a-mysterious-comeback-in-name-at-least/

Hmm, am I reading too much into this?

gibbelin · November 25, 2018, 2:03am

Looks like a cheap cash-in. Maybe they should reform the Beatles with none of the original members while they’re at it.

Rabbiddog · November 25, 2018, 2:03am

Yeah, that’s about what I figured.

k3nny1550 · November 25, 2018, 2:03am

I’d say reserve judgement until they announce what they’re making. I’m inclined to give the reformed studio a chance. Who knows? They might make something cool.

Bloodshot · November 25, 2018, 2:03am

All i want from Interplay is a god damn descent 4 that’s actually a good game

Dreadmoth · August 11, 2020, 9:09am

Interplay has these guys from the original Black Isle - I’m assuming that they’ll be moved into the new team:
Chris Taylor (lead designer of Fallout, creator of the SPECIAL character system)
Mark O’Green (wrote the talking head dialogues for Fallout and Fallout 2)

Now THAT would be awesome! Another FreeSpace game would be great as well.
I wonder if they’ll make Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 3?

xalener · November 25, 2018, 2:03am

Now all we need is pandemic to come back.

Rabbiddog · November 25, 2018, 2:03am

Now your just reaching for the stars. Stop reaching for the stars, you can’t make it.

Jack_Freeman · November 25, 2018, 2:03am

We need Blizzard to go back to the times of when they made good games like Warcraft III.