Video
game production is as complex and expensive as animation production. An
inexpensive production costs a couple of million dollars, and the
expensive efforts can tally $10 million-$20 million. Even with the
expense, only a few games earn a profit for their producers. That's one
of the reasons that game companies release so many sequels, including
Obsidian Games, which is rushing to release a sequel to its Neverwinter
Nights game. (From left to right) Josh Sawyer and Tramell Issac of
Obsidian were on hand to discuss how they're finishing the sequel. "I
inherited what was left to put into the game," said Sawyer, the game's
lead designer since March of 2006. "Whether it was these spells or
these cases, one by one I had to go through that with the designer...it
was very very necessary." Added Issac, "I inherited a group of
individuals as well as issues that had to be sorted out. When it comes
down to the end of a project, you have to make the tough decisions.
People try to hold on to those ideas, but you have to make a decision
-- do we need it, will this help the game? If not, cut it." The new
Neverwinter has hundreds of new branching paths, and the designers have
needed to decide what to leave in and what to leave out.
Chris
Avellone, Obsidian's founder, noted that the new Neverwintrer needed a
fresh editing program for its designers, and that took longer than
anyone expected. Neverwinter is a project from the Dungeons and Dragons
- Forgotten Realms universe of Wizards of the Coast games, and Obsidian
had to follow that company's guidelines to get things right. "There's a
specific look, and Wizards knows what they're looking for," Sawyer
said. Our concept artist came up with these four styles, and we
designed characters to go along with that. A designer might write `this
character is rich, tall and handsome,' and the concept artist, given
something that is very loose, will come up with something that's very
specific." It's taken two years for dozens of designers to get to the
point where they've nearly finished the Neverwinter sequel. "It will
reveal itself, all the hard work that we did in the two years.
Hopefully, you guys will see the results of our labor," Issac said.
Video
game production is as complex and expensive as animation production. An
inexpensive production costs a couple of million dollars, and the
expensive efforts can tally $10 million-$20 million. Even with the
expense, only a few games earn a profit for their producers. That's one
of the reasons that game companies release so many sequels, including
Obsidian Games, which is rushing to release a sequel to its Neverwinter
Nights game. (From left to right) Josh Sawyer and Tramell Issac of
Obsidian were on hand to discuss how they're finishing the sequel. "I
inherited what was left to put into the game," said Sawyer, the game's
lead designer since March of 2006. "Whether it was these spells or
these cases, one by one I had to go through that with the designer...it
was very very necessary." Added Issac, "I inherited a group of
individuals as well as issues that had to be sorted out. When it comes
down to the end of a project, you have to make the tough decisions.
People try to hold on to those ideas, but you have to make a decision
-- do we need it, will this help the game? If not, cut it." The new
Neverwinter has hundreds of new branching paths, and the designers have
needed to decide what to leave in and what to leave out.
Chris
Avellone, Obsidian's founder, noted that the new Neverwintrer needed a
fresh editing program for its designers, and that took longer than
anyone expected. Neverwinter is a project from the Dungeons and Dragons
- Forgotten Realms universe of Wizards of the Coast games, and Obsidian
had to follow that company's guidelines to get things right. "There's a
specific look, and Wizards knows what they're looking for," Sawyer
said. Our concept artist came up with these four styles, and we
designed characters to go along with that. A designer might write `this
character is rich, tall and handsome,' and the concept artist, given
something that is very loose, will come up with something that's very
specific." It's taken two years for dozens of designers to get to the
point where they've nearly finished the Neverwinter sequel. "It will
reveal itself, all the hard work that we did in the two years.
Hopefully, you guys will see the results of our labor," Issac said.
