LogIn"This is not a new baseline for RPGs – this is an anomaly."
What do you think about when you hear "an iconic RPG"? It can quite possibly be Baldur's Gate – a great series started in 1998. The second main game in the franchise was launched back in 2000, and now fans and those affected by nostalgia are waiting for Baldur's Gate 3 – one of the most anticipated games this year, in development for six years.
The game hasn't been released yet, but many already call it a new standard of RPG based on what we've seen in the early access version (which I feel has been around forever.) However, developers from prominent studios warn players against such thinking.
Xalavier Nelson Jr., Studio Head of Strange Scaffold (Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator, An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs, El Paso, Elsewhere) started a thread on Twitter, asking players to not "apply criticism or a "raised standard" to RPGs going forward."
"Like a lot of people, I'm deeply excited about what the lovely folks at Larian accomplished with Baldur's Gate 3, but I want to gently, pre-emptively push back against players taking that excitement and using it to apply criticism or a "raised standard" to RPGs going forward.
You can't separate a game from the process used to build it."
He then listed what brought Larian Studios to where it is now, mentioning a development cycle that started around 2017, two "massive" games (two parts of Divinity: Original Sin) and their Definitive editions "worth of tech and institutional knowledge to draw from", as well as a successful (and long) Early Access period, "providing crucial community feedback, bug hunting, and cash flow."
There are also over 400 developers, the license, brand, and the world of "one of the largest entertainment IPs in the world (D&D), at the apex of its popularity with the rise of the actual play movement, and a movie."
"In an era of megagames, Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the largest attempted, built by a specialized group of people using mature tech specially built to make this specific game, reinforced by invaluable mass player feedback AND market validation ahead of its launch.
This is not a new baseline for RPGs – this is an anomaly.
Trying to do the same thing in the same way, especially without the same advantages, could kill an entire GROUP of studios."
Nelson Jr. concludes by saying players should not expect every game to be of the same caliber as it sets up conditions to ensure other creators can't make games they love ever again.
He was supported by other developers. Obsidian's Design Director Josh Sawyer, who's worked on Pillars of Eternity, Fallout: New Vegas, and Pentiment, chimed in, agreeing that the conditions behind BG3 are atypical. "Having the foundation set and the funding to build things on your own terms is invaluable."
Rebecca Harwick, Senior Narrative Designer at Grimlore Games, also left a comment for the thread:
"You can’t be appalled about how much big games cost to make AND make those lavish productions the standard by which all games are judged.
I hope Baldur’s Gate 3 is a generous once-in-lifetime RPG. I hope no one expects a 10, 20, 40-person team to make one!"
Creators from Insomniac Games, Xbox, Epic Games, and Blizzard also supported the claim.
This game will definitely give us a lot to talk about when it comes out on August 3 for PC and September 6 for PS5. Earlier, Larian Studios' founder Swen Vincke shared some details on the evil path you can take there, saying it will make you powerful but very lonely.
What do you think about Xalavier's approach? Share your thoughts, read the thread here, and don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Threads, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.
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