D&D General Hasbro Is Looking For Partners For Baldur's Gate 4

Last month, Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larion Studios revealed that it was 'elated' not to be working on further D&D video games, expansions, or DLC.

However, Wizard of the Coast's Eugene Evans says that a sequel is still "very much on the cards". Evans is Senior vice president of Digital Strategy and Licensing for Hasbro and WotC, and was talking in an interview with PC Gamer.

“We’re now talking to lots of partners and being approached by a lot of partners who are embracing the challenge of, what does the future of the Baldur’s Gate franchise look like? So we certainly hope that it’s not another 25 years, as it was from Baldur’s Gate 2 to 3, before we answer that. But we’re going to take our time and find the right partner, the right approach, and the right product that could represent the future of Baldur’s Gate. We take that very, very seriously, as we do with all of our decisions around our portfolio. We don’t rush into decisions as to who to partner with on products or what products we should be considering.”

Fans of the characters, such as Shadowheart and Astarian, created by Larion and introduced in BG3 will be pleased to know that they are now owned by WotC, meaning that it's not impossible that they would show up in any sequels. Evans said "Larian created a much loved cast of characters, who were even celebrated by their nominations, the voice actors behind them and the talent behind them was celebrated at the [BAFTAS]...And they are now essentially part of D&D canon."

 

[SteveC]

As someone who has been following BG3 since the start (BG1 and 2 are two of my favorite games) you will not see something AAA quality anytime soon. BG3 was in development for a looooonnggg time.

 

[comrade raoul]

In the best case scenario...

BG3 as it stands gets used to generate additional content without building a whole new game. The amount of time and energy the company could save by using the same engine and structure to release new content while maintaining the 5e design structure already built into the code is -phenomenal-.

You'd still need an ever growing art-library and voiceovers/music, but the framework and core structure exist so just keep using it. You'd also have the benefit of having the -current- art-library already in place to build new material with the lego-bits you're already sitting on.

This would have the added benefit of allowing the mods designed for BG3 function for BG4 without much issue, maintaining a continuity of player-generated materials.

THEN release the "Baldur's Gate Development Kit" which is just BG3 broken down into component pieces for the audience to build EVEN MORE MATERIAL for the game.

Add in an "Eberron" art pack and create a whole game set in Sharn the City of Towers. You could literally just adapt entirely pre-written material into the game to save money on writers by re-using old work. So add in a "Ravenloft" Art-Pack and use the engine to create a Curse of Strahd game.

Don't just chase the next generation of graphics or whatever.

So they keep the same engine, but use it to produce an infinity of new content? (I spent five minutes trying to devise a corresponding "Gold Box" pun, but came up short. In any case, this strategy has certainly worked for D&D computer games before!)

 

[MGibster]

Larion raised consumer expectations to a level that other developers will not be willing or able to meet or exceed, IMO.

I thought the same thing when I saw this thread. As a studio, I sure as hell wouldn't want to follow up on Larian's efforts so soon. I'd give it a decade before I tried.

 

[Reynard]

So they keep the same engine, but use it to produce an infinity of new content? (I spent five minutes trying to devise a corresponding "Gold Box" pun, but came up short. In any case, this strategy has certainly worked for D&D computer games before!)

Sadly, those days are long gone.

 

[SteveC]

Sadly, those days are long gone.

I don't know, I'm enjoying remembering them on a thread right here. But in the same line, I suggest people look at Solasta for other 5E gaming content. No, it is not an AAA game. It has bad voice acting and some not-so-great graphic choices, but for a 5E game? Spot on.

 

[Stormonu]

I'd like to see them go a little far afield - out of the Realms if possible.

Personally, I'd love a Spelljammer/Planescape game that had procedurely generated D&D worlds (as well as famed existing ones) and themed locations on the planes - while still telling a 5E story.

"Tales of the Silver Void" - A Multiversal D&D game.

 

[Azzy]

I don't know, I'm enjoying remembering them on a thread right here. But in the same line, I suggest people look at Solasta for other 5E gaming content. No, it is not an AAA game. It has bad voice acting and some not-so-great graphic choices, but for a 5E game? Spot on.

Yeah, it certainly scratched the itch of a D&D video game. I think with more time and money that they could put into voice actors, and graphics (where heads don't look like potatoes), and story.

While Solasta wasn't an AAA game (and it shows), it really got that D&D feel spot on.

 

[MerricB]

Almost all good studios don't need D&D.

At which point, you get to the less good ones. And we've seen enough of those. Remember Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance? Sword Coast Legends?

(Dark Alliance was only three years ago!)

Video game development is hard. Even games that are mostly competent have trouble succeeding. (Forspoken, Immortals of Aveum, Rise of the Ronin).

Can a studio come out of nowhere and blow us all away? Absolutely. Will they? Far less likely.

Cheers,
Merric

 

[Mistwell]

I don't know enough about video game design to know if my impressions are correct. But I always assumed the ability to add new content to an existing game like this one, in the form of a DLC, was built into the back end designer access for the game. As in you don't need to do most of the difficult work of system design to add new content, you have an existing well organized graphic user interface developer system in place. You obviously still need to create graphics, text and voiceover, items, etc.. but the work of that is more of a routine nature and not a complicated design nature.

If that is the case, and WOTC owns that system along with the game, I wonder why they couldn't hire someone to issue a DLC for BG3?

 

[LesserThan]

BG4 should be built on the Dwarf Fortress engine.

I had to look this up... you got me.