Atari - Planning to Revisit NWN, Baldur's Gate

[Dhruin]

Eurogamer reports (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=323024) live from an ongoing Atari press conference that the publisher plans to revisit NWN and Baldur's Gate in the future - nothing we haven't heard before if you recall the rumours a few years ago that BG3 was under development after a similar comment:
Atari plans to revisit the likes of Baldur's Gate, Dungeons & Dragons, Neverwinter Nights and Test Drive Unlimited, but not in the next 12 months.
"You will hear more from these but not today, because we're focused on 2009," Infogrames president Phil Harrison told hacks assembled at a press event this afternoon.
More information. (http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/newsbit?newsbit=10877)

[Alrik Fassbauer]

What does "revisit" mean in this context ?
New games or just a re-release ?

[kalniel]

What does "revisit" mean in this context ?
New games or just a re-release ?

Hard to imagine how they could re-release them - they've already had multiple releases.

[Avantenor]

I think it means "We will do another D&D game like the ones mentioned above". No promise it will be Baldur's Gate 3 or NWN3. Maybe IWD 3? They transfered the name rights this year. Could be a good title for a multiplattform approach. The Fallout 3 for D&D series.

[Corwin]

How about a post apocalyptic game set around the destroyed ruins of BG where you're sent on a quest to find your father to fix a water problem!! :)

[Dhruin]

It means: "we made money with these in the past, so we need to use these franchises again in the future".

How, what, when, where remains to be seen but they'd be crazy not to continue all these in some form or another.

[Thaurin]

Maybe IWD 3? They transfered the name rights this year. Could be a good title for a multiplattform approach.

Oh, *excellent*!! I would love to see them do an Icewind Dale makeover like was done with the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance games. I think the original Icewind Dale gameplay comes closer to that action RPG approach in the first place. This would be a great idea, but I fear it will never happen.

[doctor_kaz]

I'd like to see Obsidian take at least one more shot at a PC D&D RPG. I guess that could be BG3 or NWN3. If it's BG3, I wonder if it's the "Black Hound" mod for NWN2 that J.E. Sawyer was supposedly working on. It might explain why that one completely dropped off the face of the earth since last year.

[blatantninja]

I just hope we don't see Dark Alliance 3

[Starwars]

The Black Hound never had anything to do with Baldurs Gate as far as I know, I can't quite remember the story behind it... I believe they temporarily named it Baldurs Gate for some reason but as far as I know, it was never actually meant to be a Baldurs Gate game.

Wouldn't surprise me if Obsidian is doing either NWN3 or BG3. They have one as of yet unnanounced project in the works (pretty early in development I believe). I think it'd be fun to see them take a stab at it but I am worried that it will lead to consolization of the games since I would guess they'd aim for consoles also. If not (or if it was simply ported to consoles later on) it'd be cool though.

Even so, I'd rather see something different other than BG3. It's not that interesting of a franchise, start up a new D&D game instead. NWN3 could be allright since it's more about the whole modding bit, and I'd like to see how Obsidian would design it now that they've had the experience of dealing with the community and so on.

[Essaliad]

I saw bits and pieces of what the Black Hound was/is going to be about. It seems to be a story focused on a personal journey, set somewhere bleak, with a tint of horror. Could've been really good if it ever bore fruit, and from the sound of it, it has very little in common with the BG series.

[woges]

There's an interview at GameBanshee that has the details on The Black Hound. (http://www.gamebanshee.com/interviews/theblackhound1.php)

There's been no update on Josh's site for a long time but it is still up. Basically, it was going to be called BG3 because Interplay didn't have the rights to call any D&D title anything other than BG or IWD.

[Starwars]

Last I heard from JE Sawyer, he was waiting for SoZ to come out since there were some things in it he wanted to make use of. Not sure if he's started on it again.

[Krzychu]

Damn all you licence holders, thinking you know best what's good for the classic series! Damn you!

Actually, I would love to see another Baldur'sGate-like game, or a NWN 3. Revisiting NWN is pretty obvious, but BG... well, the BG saga is over in terms of story. They could just think of another title, a new one... hm, and that's how NWN was born in the first place, wasn't it?

How about a post apocalyptic game set around the destroyed ruins of BG where you're sent on a quest to find your father to fix a water problem!! :)

:lol:

[kalniel]

How about a post apocalyptic game set around the destroyed ruins of BG where you're sent on a quest to find your father to fix a water problem!! :)
That's 4e isn't it? ;)

[Alrik Fassbauer]

Well, this doesn't sound too bad imho. Instead of some atom cataclysm, there's some magic cataclysm, but otherwise it could be the same ... Plus Elves and Dwarves, of course ...

[blatantninja]

I'd like to see the Sword Coast, specifically Baldur's Gate revisited, but of course nothing to do with the original saga. How about something that occurs earlier, maybe during the founding of Candlekeep or Baldur's Gate itself?

[Lucky Day]

once again, I seem to recall when OE left BIS and formed their own company they managed to finagle the rights for IWD to take with them.

I've also said it before (so I'll also say it again) IMO the Black Hound will turn into BG3. Now that they say "not 2009" I'm a little less certain.

With the lack of marketing $ and very few copies that seem to be on the shelves (I've checked Best Buy, Walmart and Circuit City - mind you the last is in bankruptcy and has no credit) this whole announcement strikes as a plea for investor cash for vapourware - sort of like when MS would make announcements about future OS's when DR-DOS released new versions.

[Corwin]

Ah, DR-DOS, now that was a fun OS. Much preferred it to anything M$ had available at the time!!

[JDR13]

I'd like to see the Sword Coast, specifically Baldur's Gate revisited, but of course nothing to do with the original saga. How about something that occurs earlier, maybe during the founding of Candlekeep or Baldur's Gate itself?

I agree that would be great. I really like the Forgotten Realms setting, but I don't want to see "Baldur's Gate 3." They need to leave that name alone.

[Alrik Fassbauer]

Ah, DR-DOS, now that was a fun OS. Much preferred it to anything M$ had available at the time!!

Yes, I remember. I even used Novell DOS 7.

This OS was far ahead of any MS-based DOS.

[Avantenor]

once again, I seem to recall when OE left BIS and formed their own company they managed to finagle the rights for IWD to take with them.
Afaik not true. It was mentioned in a Interplay 8-k this year that they transfered the name rights for Icewind Dale to Atari. An online check on the internet db for namerights showed the same result. Icewind Dale is registered to Atari since june or july.

The even more interesting thing is, that Baldur's Gate is registered to BioWare.

[kalniel]

He said "we are working on some of these, I'm not going to tell you which". The list of brands was baldurs gate, nwn, backyward sports, dungeons and dragons, test drive unlimited, v-rally.

[Krzychu]

The even more interesting thing is, that Baldur's Gate is registered to BioWare.

Really? That's very interesting... hm.

[Zygo]

Word Mark BALDUR'S GATE
Goods and Services IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Computer game software. FIRST USE: 19980100. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19981200

IC 016. US 002 005 022 023 029 037 038 050. G & S: Paper goods, namely, computer game instruction manuals, comic books, strategy guides for playing computer games, trading cards, adhesive stickers. FIRST USE: 19980100. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19981200

IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Entertainment services, namely, providing on-line computer games. FIRST USE: 19980100. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19981200
Mark Drawing Code (5) WORDS, LETTERS, AND/OR NUMBERS IN STYLIZED FORM
Serial Number 76678911
Filing Date June 29, 2007
Published for Opposition December 4, 2007
Registration Number 3433749
Registration Date May 27, 2008
Owner (REGISTRANT) BioWare Corp. CORPORATION CANADA 4445 Calgary Trail, Suite 200 Edmonton, Alberta T6H 5R7 CANADA
Type of Mark TRADEMARK. SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

=

Word Mark BALDUR'S GATE
Goods and Services IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Computer game software. FIRST USE: 19980100. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19981200

IC 016. US 002 005 022 023 029 037 038 050. G & S: Paper goods, namely, computer game instruction manuals, comic books, strategy guides for playing computer games, trading cards, adhesive stickers. FIRST USE: 19980100. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19981200

IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Entertainment services, namely, providing on-line computer games. FIRST USE: 19980100. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19981200
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number 76678910
Filing Date June 29, 2007
Published for Opposition December 4, 2007
Registration Number 3433748
Registration Date May 27, 2008
Owner (REGISTRANT) BioWare Corp. CORPORATION CANADA 4445 Calgary Trail, Suite 200 Edmonton, Alberta T6H 5R7 CANADA

=

Word Mark ICEWIND DALE
Goods and Services IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Electronic, video and multimedia game software for use on personal computers and electronic game playing machines; recorded computer game software programs; video game machines for use with television receivers; downloadable video game software; and magnetic, optical and numerical computer game programs
Standard Characters Claimed
Serial Number 77380064
Filing Date January 24, 2008
Published for Opposition June 10, 2008
Owner (APPLICANT) Atari Interactive, Inc. CORPORATION DELAWARE 417 Fifth
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

=

Word Mark BALDUR'S GATE DARK ALLIANCE
Goods and Services IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Computer programs for video games and computer games and instruction manuals sold as a unit with the games, and computer programs for video games and computer games which may be downloaded from a global computer network. FIRST USE: 20010101. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20010101
Serial Number 77358969
Filing Date December 24, 2007
Owner (APPLICANT) INTERPLAY ENTERTAINMENT CORP CORPORATION
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

per USPTO.gov, extraneous info deleted.

The Icewind Dale one is probably most interesting, as it is new registered, and by Atari. The BGDA one will be transferred to Atari as well. While Bioware holds the BG trademark registration, it's unlikely that this would prevent any future games and would likely not stand a challenge as on the game boxes Baldur's Gate is TM Wizards of the Coast and there is the preexisting BG DA as well.

Caveat: IANAL

[xSamhainx]

l'm all up for some sequels.

"BG3: Return to Candlekeep" = ]

[Zygo]

Update:
Word Mark BALDUR'S GATE
Goods and Services IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Computer game software. FIRST USE: 19980100. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19981200

Filing Date June 29, 2007
Published for Opposition December 4, 2007
Registration Number 3433749
Registration Date May 27, 2008
Owner (REGISTRANT) BioWare Corp. CORPORATION CANADA 4445 Calgary Trail, Suite 200 Edmonton, Alberta T6H 5R7 CANADA

(LAST LISTED OWNER) WIZARDS OF THE COAST LLC CORPORATION DELAWARE 1027 NEWPORT AVENUE PAWTUCKET RHODE ISLAND 02862
Assignment Recorded ASSIGNMENT RECORDED
Attorney of Record James R. Meyer
Description of Mark Color is not claimed as a feature of the mark.
Type of Mark TRADEMARK. SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

Note italic = change of ownership...

Also, Interplay's registration of BG: DA has now lapsed.

[Dasale]

A remake would be quite dangerous for BG1 or BG2 and a sequel I don't see the point, the sequel is already NWN1&2.

But a remake of some other older CRPG could interest me much more.

[JDR13]

Oh, *excellent*!! I would love to see them do an Icewind Dale makeover like was done with the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance games. I think the original Icewind Dale gameplay comes closer to that action RPG approach in the first place. This would be a great idea, but I fear it will never happen.

Please tell me you're just being sarcastic. BG: Dark Alliance was terrible imo.


A remake would be quite dangerous for BG1 or BG2 and a sequel I don't see the point, the sequel is already NWN1&2.

I'd prefer that Atari didn't touch Baldur's Gate with a ten foot pole. I'm 99% sure they would just screw it up.

[Avantenor]

Dark Alliance was a good game, if you take it as what it is: A console Action-RPG. DA and it's derivates have been the best H&S RPGs for the PS2.

[JDR13]

Dark Alliance was a good game, if you take it as what it is: A console Action-RPG. DA and it's derivates have been the best H&S RPGs for the PS2.

I was probably being a little harsh due to the fact that it used the "Baldur's Gate" namesake. I remember renting it for a weekend because of the title, and then being incredibly disappointed to find out that is was more like a Diablo clone than BG.

[Alrik Fassbauer]

An Dark Alliance kind of game would very much fit into the action RPG genre, which is quite popular, as it seems to me.

Not only would this be an action game (relatively few risks, especially if well made, with relatively high profits of successful), but also it would contain a strong name (BG label).

I'd see this as very tempting.

[wolfing]

I was probably being a little harsh due to the fact that it used the "Baldur's Gate" namesake. I remember renting it for a weekend because of the title, and then being incredibly disappointed to find out that is was more like a Diablo clone than BG.
That was exactly my same situation. I fired it up, and didn't last long (think I played it a couple of hours and never again)

[kalniel]

Have to say BG:DA is one of the best games I have on the Gamecube. Really good old (gauntlet)-style multi-player mayhem. I was very disappointed the sequel didn't come out on the system.