http://www.blackisle.com/

Developers of the original two Fallout's, Planescape, and the Icewind Dale franchsies, and the publisher of the Baldur's Gate franchise has been brought back to life by Interplay.

No word yet on what the end game of bringing this name back is as of yet, and people that work with Obsidian, who is made up of a lot of former Black Isle people, have no idea what is going on.

Fascinating, but it means nothing as of right now. Until a game is announced or its staffers listed, I can't see much reason to celebrate yet.

I wouldn't say they're reviving the studio. I'd say that Interplay are forming a new studio using the Black Isle name. It's not going to be the same development team or anything like that. Nothing that made Black Isle special is likely to be involved. They're just trying to play on nostalgia by re-using the name.

That's not to say that they can't collect a talented group of game developers together and put out a quality game. But we don't know that yet. Reviving the name doesn't mean anything until we know what they're going to do with it.

Sure... if they have raided the talent from Obsidian. and have something more to offer than Obsidian, then this is great news. God knows I'd be glad to see more games like those in the stead of Bioware hitting for the fences and trying the broad appeal approach which compromises what I'm looking for in an RPG.

Im pretty sure all the black isle guys work elsewhere now. Some went to obsidian, a bunch went to Troika but that died so idk where they went after that. Others went other places.

e: oh yeah I think some of the guys at overhaul games, the dudes doing the baldurs gate remakes, might have been og black isle guys

I wonder if it has something to do with Atari and Overhaul Games remaking the Baldur's Gate franchise, and their remarks about wanting to tackle the rest of the Infinity Engine titles. The old school Western RPG has changed a lot from the 90's to today, and they might be thinking that there is still a market for that more tactical brand of a RPG.

Only the son of Interplay, a half crappy developer, can stop what was once the Lord of RPG's, and end this fiasco once and for all. Leaving his home of Candlekeep for the gloomy franchises that don't include licensing fees...

As someone that adored that studio as a teen, I'm sad to hear this, because I feel like it means the name is just going to be (mis)used to bring out mediocre games and just try to make money off nostalgia. I REALLY hope I'm wrong and that they have/get some great talent.

I hope they make Facebook games in order to piss people off. This is a ploy on your nostalgia and the same people from Black Isle are long gone. Move on folks.

And then Capcom resurrects Clover Studios but without Kamiya, Mikami or Inaba.

Konami resurrects Team Silent but without Yamaoka, Ito or Toyama.

I guess all they could make are the remakes. I don't think they have the license to make D&D stuff anymore, which I suppose means all they could do is remake their existing IPs. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a remake of Icewind Dale 2, but I'd be even happier to see an Icewind Dale 3.

yeah Chris Avellone already said on twitter this new Black Isle has nothing to do with him or any of the former employees.

Too bad the Black Isle name couldnt be left alone, made some of my fav games of all time.

What does Interplay even do these days?

A new Baldur's Gate would be awesome.

@Sparky_Buzzsaw said:

Fascinating, but it means nothing as of right now. Until a game is announced or its staffers listed, I can't see much reason to celebrate yet.

This. Unless the talent that formed the original Black Isles comes back, this "resurrection" means nothing. Frankly, i'm not even gonna call it Black Isles, I'll probably call it Interplay's Frankenstein's Monster.

Color me waaaaaay skeptical.

And then Capcom resurrects Clover Studios but without Kamiya, Mikami or Inaba.

Konami resurrects Team Silent but without Yamaoka, Ito or Toyama.

Awesome, maybe!

I wouldn't say they're reviving the studio. I'd say that Interplay are forming a new studio using the Black Isle name. It's not going to be the same development team or anything like that. Nothing that made Black Isle special is likely to be involved. They're just trying to play on nostalgia by re-using the name.

@MattyFTM said:

I wouldn't say they're reviving the studio. I'd say that Interplay are forming a new studio using the Black Isle name. It's not going to be the same development team or anything like that. Nothing that made Black Isle special is likely to be involved. They're just trying to play on nostalgia by re-using the name.

That's not to say that they can't collect a talented group of game developers together and put out a quality game. But we don't know that yet. Reviving the name doesn't mean anything until we know what they're going to do with it.

This is what I was going to say. I was going to say it because it isn't true.

I just want to add, and this should be implied, that we can't even expect the same spirit of game development from this group. Unless they manage to get together a high number of the old team, the only similarity to the old team is the name.

I really want someone to put a bullet in Interplay for real. They've been this zombie husk of a company for the last 8 or so years surviving on their classic game library and not much else. Oh well. Considering the prior track record, the chance of seeing anything from fake Black Isle (real Black Isle totally just being Obsidian) is... questionable.

wack isle studios