Obsidian Entertainment is open to being purchased and talks about pains being a indie video game development company.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1248738

So why did I make this topic? Because I want ZeniMax Media Inc. and Bethesda Softworks to purchase them.

I don't want AAA video game publishing companies like Activision or Electronic Arts (EA) to purchase them.

ZeniMax Media Inc. and Bethesda Softworks can use Obsidian Entertainment to develop AAA spin off Fallout video games and The Elder Scrolls video games.

Anybody else thinks like me? Thoughts?

DO IT BETHESDA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXsQAXx_ao0

I think it would be a great idea. It could open up an opportunity to co-operate on game development in the manner of Fallout: New Vegas.

God no. Someone that knows how to make video games and not hollow theme parks needs to buy that company, so they can use the talent right (and give them a fair chance for that matter.) From Software maybe, or CDPR.

Under ZeniMax Media Inc. and Bethesda Softworks Obsidian Entertainment did a good job developing Fallout: New Vegas to me it's better than Fallout 3, but it could of used like one more year of development time.

CD Projekt RED cannot afford to own another AAA video game development company for now. Probably in the next three years they can.

From Software I'm afraid would just have them develop video games exclusively for the PlayStation 4 (PS4), probably.

The Dark Souls video games are the only From Software developed video games on PC.

I agree, Bethesda would probably be the best company to buy them given that Bethesda owns fallout and Obsidian is descended from the studio that originally made the Fallout series.

That wouldn't be a bad thing though, as the talent there knows how to develop games for the PC and so does From Software. The last 2 Dark Souls games on PC were actually very good compared to their first attempt. One of the few companies that ports games from console to PC that actually listens to customer complaints about the product AND does something about it.

It is true that the founders of Obsidian descended, as well as a few of the game designers...but the bulk of the hands-on talent they do have now probably are not part of that original group. Though they likely passed down some of their game building traits to the next guy, but eventually styles will slightly change as games evolve; just look at the TES series.


The other issue with ZM/Bethesda buying them though is that they just opened a new BGS studio in Montreal last year. So whatever they have them working on probably wouldn't be what they would task Obsidian with, and now that's two "new" studios (in terms of recent investment) that you have at least a couple years down the road before you even see any fruits from their labor. Maybe they have the money to expand by acquisition, but even if they do, that's now two large income gaps between initial investments. If it were me, I would consider buying them and their assets, but essentially gut the company and bring the talent into the fold into two existing BGS studios rather than run BGS-West studio.

Yes! I need another Obsidian developed fallout game in my life. If they don't buy obsidian, it will never happen. Make my dreams come true Bethesda.

I dunno, I kinda would like for Bethesda not to lose its' focus on being able to make free roaming non static worlds

You do realize Bethesda Softworks is different from Bethesda Game Studios right?


ZeniMax Media Inc. and Bethesda Softworks are the ones who purchase Obsidian Entertainment and let them develop spin off The Elder Scrolls video games and spin off Fallout video games.

I am willing to put down 20 just to see.


Would be nice to see who would be to blame for rushing games and such.

We all know (or should) that. I think the point that fantasy is trying to convey is that Obsidian would likely put out a game either using the Creation Engine, or something else entirely (that they would probably need to pay license fees for) but it would still be a game with a similar style to TES and FO. Then the question comes in: would Bethesda want another title out there that would saturate their library and maybe dilute the sales of their other two hallmark titles (or three..."Starfield" pending)?

Bethesda Softworks certainly used Arkane's talent right. And id's too, apparently, since Doom 4 is enormously popular and well reviewed. Unless you disapprove of both of those games and think that they're "hollow theme parks" too.

He's right, EA should buy them. They have a ton of experience with handling small dev teams and producing widely popular games.

As far as the major (read: have their own E3 showcase) publishers go, Bethesda is certainly the most respectful of its developers' autonomy. They've never tried to cynically strong arm the likes of Arkane, id or Machine Games into doing the sort assembly-line development that Ubisoft and the like do.

But as a comment in the link of the article perfectly words it: "I feel that would have happened by now if it was going to. [...] Bethesda bought Arkane, Tango, id, and machinegames, and they even got into a bidding war over Relic with Sega. Feargus has also made it clear that he always intended to get bought at some point, but Obsidian hasn't been purchased by Bethesda despite making a major hit title for the company."

There's potentially some sort of cultural incompatibility there, considering the circumstances, or else a concern for the lack of diversity it brings to their portfolio. Still, you'd think a publisher that was willing to have Doom, Wolfenstein AND Quake in the ring at the same time wouldn't worry too much about overlaps in the RPG genre.

Zenimax would probably be the best option for Obsidian.

Doom, Wolfenstein, and Quake were part of a package deal- I believe they all came with Id Software.

It would be great. Bethesda pretty much lets their developers do what their own thing. The comment about turning Eternity into a Skyrim-like product could be interpreted as a hint, in fact.

Sounds like a match made in heaven for them to be bought by Zenimax. Even more so considering Bethesda, you know, owns Fallout. That one series many of the leads at Obsidian worked on as leads back then for the original games. It's would be one step closer to seeing them develop another Fallout game.

Don't see any other publisher better suited to take them in.

Very true, but at the same time, those are the types of games you can release practically annually. Activision has pretty much proven that it can be done with the CoD franchise...at least with those 3 you're looking at different IPs. Really not much different...2 CoD series released every other year on an annual basis, Wolfenstein/Doom

I would certainly hope so. It seemed after FONV, the relationship between the two pretty much went sour and now they're throwing out, indirectly, an olive branch. When it comes to story integrated into gameplay, Obsidian has some of the best writers in the business (imo, in the Top3).


My earlier comments were just me playing Devil's Advocate...I'm a much bigger advocate of Obdisian and Bethesda joining forces again (even if it means one owning the other). Creatively, the potential for game building seems almost limitless.

Aren't a lot of the people who worked on New Vegas gone now though?

Leave Obsidian alone, no need to see some larger company run it into the ground. Especially EA, anything the evil empire touches is destroyed in its assimilation.

Thanks Dark. Sometimes I have problems articulating what I mean to say. Much appreciated.

I think Zenimax should buy them.

Nah, I can see one year Bethesda Game Studios release for sale their video game after they finished developing it then two years later Obsidian Entertainment release their video game for sale after they finished developing it.

Then three years after that Bethesda Game Studios releases their video game for sale after they finish developing it, etc, and so on as a cycle.

Bethesda should really just sell the IP then... their next DLC is literally a theme park.

I'd love Bethesda to buy Obsidian, but I just don't see it. Having Obsidian work on Fallout games and the odd TES spin-off could really free Bethesda to explore new IP.