WotC Wizards of the Coast Announces Sci-Fi Video Game with ex-BioWare Developers

Wizards of the Coast announced they are forming a new video game studio called Archetype Entertainment headed by former BioWare developers James Ohlen and Chad Robertson. Ohlen will serve as the Head of Studio while Robertson will take on the title of General Manager. The debut project from the studio will be an original IP, “set in an all-new science fiction universe that will send players on a story-driven epic where choices they make will have real consequences on how their story unfolds.”

Ohlen's credits at BioWare include Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect, Anthem, and of course Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate 2, and Neverwinter Nights. Roberts served as Head of Technology for BioWare from 2015 to 2019 and Studio Director from 2017 to 2019. In addition to their video game credits, Ohlen and Robertson also collaborated on the recently released 5e compatible campaign setting book Odyssey of the Dragonlords distributed by Modiphius.

Wizards of the Coast originally announced the formation of this new video game studio in April of last year.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Exactly! He worked on Mass Effect, which is pretty much the definition of an ARPG.

It depends on which Mass Effect you mean. ME2 and beyond where much more "action" than ME1.

And frequently, when people talk about ARPGs they mean Diablo clones - classes and levels, but little in the way of meaningful story choices.


"How does this game differ from Mass Effect?" could be the key question - pretty much everything we know about this game so far could just as well describe pre-release Mass Effect.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

It depends on which Mass Effect you mean. ME2 and beyond where much more "action" than ME1.

And frequently, when people talk about ARPGs they mean Diablo clones - classes and levels, but little in the way of meaningful story choices.


"How does this game differ from Mass Effect?" could be the key question - pretty much everything we know about this game so far could just as well describe pre-release Mass Effect.

All the Mass Effects are ARPGs, there's just a bit less RPG in the later games.

Story choices etc. have nothing to do with whether a game is an action game or not, a lot of classic RPGs have little in the way of story choices. An ARPG is a game where player twitch-skill is a major factor in playing the game well. They can still have deep stories and meaningful choices, the Witcher series is an excellent example.

I agree that the most likely scenario is that this new game will be very similar in style to Mass Effect, but they might surprise us.

 

[Reynard]

All the Mass Effects are ARPGs, there's just a bit less RPG in the later games.

Story choices etc. have nothing to do with whether a game is an action game or not, a lot of classic RPGs have little in the way of story choices. An ARPG is a game where player twitch-skill is a major factor in playing the game well. They can still have deep stories and meaningful choices, the Witcher series is an excellent example.

I agree that the most likely scenario is that this new game will be very similar in style to Mass Effect, but they might surprise us.

I think this is just a difference in terminology. For us olds, ARPG means Diablo Clone. Other RPGs have been what you are describing as ARPG since Kotor at least.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I think this is just a difference in terminology. For us olds, ARPG means Diablo Clone. Other RPGs have been what you are describing as ARPG since Kotor at least.

Yup. If you consider any CRPG that isn't turn based an ARPG then Mass Effect and KOTOR are ARPGs. But I would just consider those standard CRPGs, most of them are like that these days.

I would consider an ARPG as something different and more specific.

 

[Abstruse]

I think this is just a difference in terminology. For us olds, ARPG means Diablo Clone. Other RPGs have been what you are describing as ARPG since Kotor at least.

I'm 40 and an action RPG is any game where the focus is as much on action gaming tropes as roleplaying gaming tropes. Mass Effect, Elder Scrolls/Skyrim, Fallout post-Interplay, and Outer Worlds are the leading series in this genre. This is also the style of classification you'll see games organized in on storefronts like Steam, Epic, GOG, Microsoft, and others.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I'm 40 and an action RPG is any game where the focus is as much on action gaming tropes as roleplaying gaming tropes. Mass Effect, Elder Scrolls/Skyrim, Fallout post-Interplay, and Outer Worlds are the leading series in this genre. This is also the style of classification you'll see games organized in on storefronts like Steam, Epic, GOG, Microsoft, and others.

I would consider all those standard modern CRPGs. Something like Pathfinder: Kingmaker I would call a retro CRPG. An ARPG would be something like Sword Coast Legends or Grim Dawn (to name one that doesn't suck).


It's kind of pointless to have an ARPG subcatagory if it includes 90% of the total output of CRPGs.

 

[Abstruse]

I would consider all those standard modern CRPGs. Something like Pathfinder: Kingmaker I would call a retro CRPG. An ARPG would be something like Sword Coast Legends or Grim Dawn (to name one that doesn't suck).


It's kind of pointless to have an ARPG subcatagory if it includes 90% of the total output of CRPGs.

shrug Tell that to the video game industry.

 

[generic]

I hope that this game does well, but, I find it odd that WotC is assembling an array of game developers and teams as of now. Are they hoping to eventually create a full-fledged AAA studio?

D&D videogames have been fairly profitable in the past, and, I suspect, WotC wants to eat up a portion of the videogame market again.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Videogames can be very profitable but they need a lot of time and work. At least it may be the best advertising to promote old forgotten lines.

A new sci-fi franchise is right because in the business you shouldn't put all the eggs in only one basket. If there are too many medieval fantasy then it becomes "old fashion", because people wants new things, out of the ordinary, enough exotic.

* If they find the right keys for the new d20 Future the next step will be the genre of superheroes.

* Sometimes I try to imagine a space fantasy based in the retro/vintage sci-fi comics from the pulp age.

* How many XPs got by Skywalker when he destroyed the Deathstar?

* We are thinking they are going to produce a "Mass Effect" clone or a "Baldur's Gate at space" and this is a mistake. We don't know about it will 100% scientific or also with some magic/supernatural elements.

 

[Reynard]

shrug Tell that to the video game industry.

A quick googling shows that both interpretations are right (ex: Steam includes Witcher 3 in it's ARPG category but PC Gamer restricts it to Diablo-likes). It's certainly not worth arguing over. In any case, I hope that WotC is successful at this. Remember that many, many professionals in the TTRPG industry do work in the video game industry, so there's no lack of talent. Whether they will have the budget is a different question entirely.