"Tabletop D&D Has Lost Its Way" Says Pathfinder Video Game Exec

Feargus Urquhart, one of the execs from Obsidian Entertainment, which is behind an upcoming Pathfinder-themed video game, told Polygon why the company chose to go with Paizo rather than WotC for tabletop fantasy inspired games. "One of the reasons we actually went with Pathfinder was ... how do you say it? I'll just say it: We were having a hard time figuring out how to move forward with Dungeons and Dragons." The issue, he says, is that "D&D is a part of Wizards of the Coast and WotC is a part of Hasbro" and that he would "love to see D&D be bought by someone and become what it was before... Become TSR again."

Of course, TSR went bankrupt, so I'm not sure wishing that on somebody is a kindness.

Urquhart is a long-time D&D video game exec, having worked on games like Neverwinter Nights 2; he points out that "I'm probably one of the people who has one of the most electronic D&D games that they've worked on". Now, of course, his company has moved on to Paizo's Pathfinder.

The upcoming Obsidian video games will be based on the Pathfinder games - specifically a tablet game based on the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, due in the next few months. The studio is, of course, known to tabletop RPG fans for D&D games like Neverwinter Nights 2. Urquhart did hint at non-card-game based projects, saying that "We're thinking about how can we take traditional RPG stuff and put it on the tablet. No one has solved it really."

You can read the short interview here.

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[ExploderWizard]

I'm not familiar with Obsidian or its games, but I do think D&D and indeed all tabletop rpgs are better off in the hands of smaller companies. The fact that nothing for the D&D brand can take place without being combed through endlessly by the Hasbro legal team is a huge anchor weighing down great ideas. Large corporations eventually screw up everything cool about a product sooner or later in the neverending quest to wring more cash from it. D&D was started by gamers FOR gamers. There is nothing wrong with making money, but when that obsession gets in the way of everything people love about the hobby, the entire point is lost.

 

[Cybit]

I seriously doubt Obsidian couldn't afford the D&D license if they really wanted it -- most of the more popular computer game manufacturers operate in different stratospheres than D&D where RPG licensing is concerned. Ubisoft, one of the publishers who work with Obsidian, had sales fiigures of over a BILLION dollars last year; Obsidian has job postings for developers in the six figure range, and apparently employ something like 100+ people.More likely, it was a difficulty in working out licensing - work for hire WotC seems to handle pretty efficiently, but licensing, let's admit, is not one of their strengths from what we've seen.

Obsidian could not afford the D&D license most likely; they have not been doing well. They had to kickstart their last game (Wasteland 2).

 

[Barantor]

Mask of the Betrayer was better than either of those games. It's Obsidian's best and his best. I think it's odd that he harks back to pre-3.5 as his glory days.

That is the one expansion I didn't like because of the epic levels. Storm of Zehir was the best imo, though I know a lot of other folks didn't like that one as much.

I played the hell out of NWN1 and 2 and 2 never had the following that 1 had because the creation tools were superior but had a very steep learning curve.

Old Republic 2 was put out incomplete and it always showed when compared to 1. I still like it because it is star wars, but I wouldn't call it a 'great game'.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

I'm not familiar with Obsidian or its games, but I do think D&D and indeed all tabletop rpgs are better off in the hands of smaller companies. The fact that nothing for the D&D brand can take place without being combed through endlessly by the Hasbro legal team is a huge anchor weighing down great ideas. Large corporations eventually screw up everything cool about a product sooner or later in the neverending quest to wring more cash from it. D&D was started by gamers FOR gamers. There is nothing wrong with making money, but when that obsession gets in the way of everything people love about the hobby, the entire point is lost.

Yeah, I think that D&D would be better served being the flagship product of a gaming company instead of a tiny division of Hasbro.

 

[Zander]

I believe you are the one fooling yourself.

I'm not fooling myself. I might be wrong, but I'm not delusional.

Let's say you are right, and you probably are, that the Pathfinder license went for a song compared to the D&D price. Even if that was the deciding factor in a publisher like Obsidian, the fact that they didn't consider the D&D brand and D&D IP to be worth paying extra for means that the D&D brand is in big trouble.

Not necessarily. Obsidian could have all sorts of other costs or margin targets that mean that the WotC/D&D licence is out of reach for them. It doesn't mean that the extra cost might not be worth it for someone else. It also doesn't mean that D&D is losing brand equity which is what this Obsidian exec is implying.

 

[Alzrius]

WotC has been owned by Hasbro since 1999. NWN2 and expansions were released in 2006, 07, 08.

I do't believe that's correct. My understanding is that Peter Adkison sold WotC to Hasbro in 2001.

 

[Eejit]

I really don't think cost is the issue, the rights for Forgotten Realms (at least) are already in use by Cryptic Studios/Perfect World Entertainment.

 

[Eejit]

I do't believe that's correct. My understanding is that Peter Adkison sold WotC to Hasbro in 2001.

Wikipedia says 1999? Even if it was 2001 that doesn't affect my point, that Obsidian made their best game with WotC/Hasbro in 2007.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I'm not familiar with Obsidian or its games, but I do think D&D and indeed all tabletop rpgs are better off in the hands of smaller companies. The fact that nothing for the D&D brand can take place without being combed through endlessly by the Hasbro legal team is a huge anchor weighing down great ideas. Large corporations eventually screw up everything cool about a product sooner or later in the neverending quest to wring more cash from it. D&D was started by gamers FOR gamers. There is nothing wrong with making money, but when that obsession gets in the way of everything people love about the hobby, the entire point is lost.

As a general rule, niche hobbies are best served by niche companies, IMO.

 

[Astrosicebear]

D&D has a history of BAD products, and it kills the brand. D&D doesnt know what or who its audience truly is, and often makes mistakes. So Hasbro/WOTC has every right to ensure that its licensed property gets used properly.

Also we cant forget that there is still a court case going on about D&D licensing.

I mean take Pathfinder Online... bad products can really hurt. And D&D has every reason to be gun shy as well. So charge more money, make the investment substantial and you should get a substantial return.