RPG comapnies and videogames - problems?

[Allister]

While playing Fallout 3 and reminiscing about the series on gametrailers.com retrospectives, I wonder about something...

Does anyone know why there have been so many problems getting RPG companies to license their products.

From GURPS and Fallout, to Warhammer and Warcraft and even Champions to City of Heroes, it seems like there's interest but it all falls down at the end...

What gives?

As an aside, now that Bioware no longer needs the D&D license, how come there hasn't been a company to supplant Bioware/Black Isle?

Surely, a game developer would want to become the next Bioware and as such, would be trying to follow their model?

 

[Derren]

Does anyone know why there have been so many problems getting RPG companies to license their products.

From GURPS and Fallout, to Warhammer and Warcraft and even Champions to City of Heroes, it seems like there's interest but it all falls down at the end...

There is interest in RPG worlds, not RPG systems.
Nobody will pay so that they are allowed to use a specific rules system, the games companies are experienced enough with creating them so that they don't need that. What they will license are established settings with a fanbase which will increase sales.

For example no game company will pay only to e able to use the D&D rules system. They will pay in order to use the FOrgotten Realms, Eberron or other D&D settings.

What gives?

As an aside, now that Bioware no longer needs the D&D license, how come there hasn't been a company to supplant Bioware/Black Isle?

Surely, a game developer would want to become the next Bioware and as such, would be trying to follow their model?

You mean like Obsidian, the guys who made Neverwinter Nights 2?
ALso, its the Publishers who own the license and decide which games are made, not the developers. The D&D license is still with Atari and they contract developers to create a game.

Besides, every major PnP setting had PC games.
D&D had, among other things, Baldurs Gate and Neverwinter Nights 2, White Wolf had Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: Redemption and DSA recently had Drakensang. The only major setting without a proper game is Shadowrun, but that's because RPGs are not in Microsofts portfolio and they hold the license (I don't count that shooter as "proper" Shadowrun game).

In the early days of PC gaming, licensed RPGs were even more common, thanks to SSI and others, but as the costs of PC games increased people got more picky of what they are licensing.

 

[jdrakeh]

RPG publishers are notoriously tight-fisted when it comes to licensing their IP. For many, I think it's because their system is the lifeblood of their company at the time that licensing is sought, though for others, I think it has more to do with a need to retain all intellectual control.

The best example that I can think of is Metagaming's Fantasy Trip system, which was designed by Steve Jackson (of Steve Jackson Games), but which the owner (Howard Thompson) refused to part with when Steve Jackson attempted to license it in the wake of Metagaming's demise.

In the end, Steve Jackson ended up reimagining the basic TFT system as GURPS, though rumor has it that he continued to attempt TFT acquisition several times in the following years. To date, it still hasn't happened (though some arrangement apparently now exists between Thompson and Dark City Games).

 

[filthgrinder]

The only major setting without a proper game is Shadowrun, but that's because RPGs are not in Microsofts portfolio and they hold the license (I don't count that shooter as "proper" Shadowrun game).

Aparently you forgot the Shadowrun game for the Sega Genesis. That was an RPG, and it was really fun.

 

[jdrakeh]

There is interest in RPG worlds, not RPG systems.

Actually, the first Fallout game was going to use the GURPS system, but when talks fell through, Black Isle had to ditch GURPS (which had already been implemented) and rebuild it as SPECIAL.

 

[jdrakeh]

Aparently you forgot the Shadowrun game for the Sega Genesis. That was an RPG, and it was really fun.

It was also released for the SNES. And, yes, it used a modified version of the Shadowrun tabletop rules.

 

[Derren]

Aparently you forgot the Shadowrun game for the Sega Genesis. That was an RPG, and it was really fun.

No, I didn't forget it, but I was only considering (more or less) recent games. I probably should have said that.

In the 80s-early 90s it was quite common to have PnP PC games. That trend declined, together with the whole RPG genre.

PS: There was also a Shadowrun game on the SNES and imo it was better (fluff). If only the controls were a bit better.

Actually, the first Fallout game was going to use the GURPS system, but when talks fell through, Black Isle had to ditch GURPS (which had already been implemented) and rebuild it as SPECIAL.

Bioware? Wasn't Fallout from Interplay?

It was also released for the SNES. And, yes, it used a modified version of the Shadowrun tabletop rules.

No, that were two different games.

 

[WhatGravitas]

Bioware? Wasn't Fallout from Interplay?.

What? jdrakeh said "Black Isle"! Which was the development studio - Interplay was the publisher.

Cheers, LT.

 

[jdrakeh]

Bioware? Wasn't Fallout from Interplay?

My bad. You're right.

No, that were two different games.

Both the SNES and Genesis games use modified versions of PNP Karma system, etc. I haven't played the Mega CD Shadowrun game or the most recent 2007 game, however. Can't speak to either of those.

[Edit: You're right about the games being different, however. I seem to recall identical sequences in both, though.]

 

[Derren]

What? jdrakeh said "Black Isle"! Which was the development studio - Interplay was the publisher.

Cheers, LT.

Hm, strange. I didn't think Black Island made Fallout. The style is very different from their recent games.

You're wrong about this, however. Both the SNES and Genesis games use modified versions of PNP Karma system, etc (also, both games are virtually identical, save for some exploits in the SNES version). I haven't played the Mega CD Shadowrun game or the most recent 2007 game, however. Can't speak to either of those.

The system is of course the same, it were just two different games.

Genesis Shadowrun
Shadowrun for Genesis - MobyGames

SNES Shadowrun
Shadowrun for SNES - MobyGames