Microsoft rumoured to purchase Obsidian Entertainment

[HoloDust]

Bofferbrauer2 said:

IamAwsome said:
ITT: "This is bad because I personally don't like Microsoft because reasons".

Seriously? People always complain because Microsoft doesn't have many studios, so why are people complaining when they acquire one? Especially a studio with experience in something MS doesn't do often (probably a response to "Xbox has no diversity!"). I can understand not wanting to build a studio from scratch as it takes time, so why is there so much backlash when MS does exactly what people say they want them to do?

Obsidian is one of the oldest independent studios with a very dedicated fanbase. The studio had been formed when their previous company, Black Isle Studios (hence the name, Black Isle, Obsidian, geddit?) got bought up, which most employees didn't like one bit. You can be damn sure that a similar exodus would happen if Microsoft would buy Obsidian, draining the Studio off all it's talent. Basically what Microsoft would get would be a bunch of IP and nobody anymore to continue them.

Hm, I don't remember it went like that - Black Isle was part of Interplay. Cain, Boyarksy and Anderson left it due to disagreement to from Troika Games (both Arcanum and VtM: Bloodlines remain RPG classics to this day), but that was way back in 98 (Cain and Boyarsky are now in Obsidian).

Obsidian was formed in 2003, just before Black Isle got shut down by Interplay, which was crumbling at that point.

I wish I'm wrong and MS actually gives them all the freedom and budget they need - these are the very people who made some of the best C/W/RPGs and if anyone can come up with something unique and true to the genre, yet on large scale, that's them.