I have never heard of a game coming from them that is not just completely filled with game breaking or crashing bugs.  From them now I've played Knights of the Old Republic 2, Neverwinter Nights 2 and Alpha Protocol which was also just kind of godawful and filled with bugs.  It is good to hear that New Vegas is a good game but once again the problem of extreme technical glitches just kind of makes me sad.  Maybe with the money they make from this game they can get themselves a quality QA department.

I'm with ya on NWN2 but they keep making games because....they sell.

To be fair, FA3 was pretty buggy at launch, and still can be.
 
Also, I don't think they had much time to work on KOTOR 2.
 
But yeah, they do seem to have really good games, that are super buggy.

They write really great stories. Yeah, the games are glitchy, but I'm on my third play-through of Alpha Protocol (I actually haven't encountered many glitches as much as UI issues).

Because they make fantastic games just very glitchy ones.

Gee, could it be the fact that they made the first two Fallout games when they were Black Isle? 
Neverwinter Nights 2 and Icewind Dale were also amazing and sold a billion copies, that's how they keep getting work. 
Chances are that F: NV will also sell huge and they will continue to make games.

Sometimes I wonder if we'll be needing to ask that question for too much longer. Then again, if New Vegas is a hit like Fallout 3 was, Obsidian is right back on track.

I'm fairly sure it's buggier because Gamebryo is a shit engine and the bug fixes that Bethesda did might not even be worth a damn to new vegas, since it's pretty much new models and stuff?

Yah. it's a simple question of Quality of Gameplay Versus Quality of Stability.
 
I played through Alpha Protocol, NeverwinterNights 2, Kotor 2. Kotor 2 and Neverwinter Nights 2 were both far better than the original games, and Alpha Protocol was one of the best Action RPG games Ive played in years. I'll take the Bugs.

" I have never heard of a game coming from them that is not just completely filled with game breaking or crashing bugs.  From them now I've played Knights of the Old Republic 2, Neverwinter Nights 2 and Alpha Protocol which was also just kind of godawful and filled with bugs.  It is good to hear that New Vegas is a good game but once again the problem of extreme technical glitches just kind of makes me sad.  Maybe with the money they make from this game they can get themselves a quality QA department. "

If I had to choose between super buggy but awesome game versus super stable but boring games I'll choose the buggy one.
 Not that this excuses Obsidian but they make damn good games.

" Because they make fantastic games just very glitchy ones. "

KOTOR 2 was not fully their fault. They had to release it before the year ended so they were rushed for development. In fact they had to kill a few questlines because they were pressed for time (although fans managed to bring most of the content). They had to release it by late December...so they did.

I kinda like to think it's just down to engine choices really.

With games as big and complicated as Fallout and Oblivion, glitches are just going to come with the territory. 
It sounds shitty, but it's something you have to learn to expect.  
I was 100% sure this game was going to be glitchy the moment it was announced, but for some reason I actually enjoy that in these types of games.

" @ImpendingFoil said:

" I have never heard of a game coming from them that is not just completely filled with game breaking or crashing bugs.  From them now I've played Knights of the Old Republic 2, Neverwinter Nights 2 and Alpha Protocol which was also just kind of godawful and filled with bugs.  It is good to hear that New Vegas is a good game but once again the problem of extreme technical glitches just kind of makes me sad.  Maybe with the money they make from this game they can get themselves a quality QA department. "

I played through Alpha Protocol once then about half through again. Never encountered one bug or glitch. "

They churn out good (or decent) sequels at strong speeds, and investors need to hear that.

People shouldn't have to choose between a stable game and a great game. That is Obsidian dropping the ball. The fact that they can't get their QA shit together tells me that they're a very amateurish studio when it comes to the technical aspects of game development. 
 
Great storytellers they may be, but that does not get them off the hook for shipping a half-broken game every damn time.

Yeah but we are in the FUTURE now. We can just patch games later on and still get the game out on time. Seems fair to me. You just have to bear with it for a while.

" @trophyhunter said:

" Because they make fantastic games just very glitchy ones. "

This. I'd rather a glitchy good game than a smoothly running pile of bore. "

" Yeah but we are in the FUTURE now. We can just patch games later on and still get the game out on time. Seems fair to me. You just have to bear with it for a while. "

Speedballing for long periods of time will catch up with anyone. Better change tempo before the ceiling comes crashing down. 

I honestly never had any issues with Neverwinter 2 or KOTOR 2. And both of those games not only had very very well written stories, but their role playing was phenomenal.

No offense but this line of thinking is a bit ridiculous. Why should people settle for one or the other when there are companies out there making super stable games that also have amazing stories and graphics. Why settle for something at the quality level of Fallout when you can get something at the quality level of Uncharted 2. Imagine if Fallout had the story that it does, but with the quality of a Naughty Dog game. "

" @LiquidPrince said:

No offense but this line of thinking is a bit ridiculous. Why should people settle for one or the other when there are companies out there making super stable games that also have amazing stories and graphics. Why settle for something at the quality level of Fallout when you can get something at the quality level of Uncharted 2. Imagine if Fallout had the story that it does, but with the quality of a Naughty Dog game. "

I don't think you can really compare a linear shooter like Uncharted 2 with an open world RPG like Fallout 3 or New Vegas. It's always easier to make a linear, cinematic games like Uncharted bug free than an open-ended game like Fallout since you have more control over what the player is or isn't allowed to do in the game. Also, a lot of the issues with the game is due to an outdated engine. Hopefully, this is the last Bethesda game that uses the Gamebryo engine. "

" @velucyraptor said:

" @trophyhunter said:

" Because they make fantastic games just very glitchy ones. "

This. I'd rather a glitchy good game than a smoothly running pile of bore. "

No offense but this line of thinking is a bit ridiculous. Why should people settle for one or the other when there are companies out there making super stable games that also have amazing stories and graphics. Why settle for something at the quality level of Fallout when you can get something at the quality level of Uncharted 2. Imagine if Fallout had the story that it does, but with the quality of a Naughty Dog game. "

I wasn't referring to Uncharted as a comparison to Fallout in terms of gameplay. Merely referencing it's quality. If you want to talk open world games, alright, then Assassin's Creed. Great game, with a great story, open world, and also completely stable. "

" @EveretteScott said:

" @ImpendingFoil said:

" I have never heard of a game coming from them that is not just completely filled with game breaking or crashing bugs.  From them now I've played Knights of the Old Republic 2, Neverwinter Nights 2 and Alpha Protocol which was also just kind of godawful and filled with bugs.  It is good to hear that New Vegas is a good game but once again the problem of extreme technical glitches just kind of makes me sad.  Maybe with the money they make from this game they can get themselves a quality QA department. "

I played through Alpha Protocol once then about half through again. Never encountered one bug or glitch. "

Did you have fun? "

" @LiquidPrince said:

I wasn't referring to Uncharted as a comparison to Fallout in terms of gameplay. Merely referencing it's quality. If you want to talk open world games, alright, then Assassin's Creed. Great game, with a great story, open world, and also completely stable. "

Yes I realize that you weren't comparing gameplay, but what I was saying is that I'm not at all surprised that Uncharted 2 didn't have any major technical issues since it was such a linear and cinematic game. Whereas with open ended games like Fallout, I always expect some level of glitching or technical issues even if it comes from some of the world's best developers (i.e. Rockstar, Bioware, etc) since it's much more difficult to catch bugs in an open-ended/open world game compared to a linear game. Assassin's Creed has been one of the few examples of recent open world games that were pretty much bug free, but it's really the exception and not the rule these days. "

That's not completley true. All open world games have "some" glitches, but games like GTA and Mass Effect are pretty rock solid. I haven't crashed while playing those games even once. Although Mass Effect isn't really open world. "

Oh yes, because Fallout 3 is completely bug-free

" @spazmaster666 said:

" @LiquidPrince said:

I wasn't referring to Uncharted as a comparison to Fallout in terms of gameplay. Merely referencing it's quality. If you want to talk open world games, alright, then Assassin's Creed. Great game, with a great story, open world, and also completely stable. "

Yes I realize that you weren't comparing gameplay, but what I was saying is that I'm not at all surprised that Uncharted 2 didn't have any major technical issues since it was such a linear and cinematic game. Whereas with open ended games like Fallout, I always expect some level of glitching or technical issues even if it comes from some of the world's best developers (i.e. Rockstar, Bioware, etc) since it's much more difficult to catch bugs in an open-ended/open world game compared to a linear game. Assassin's Creed has been one of the few examples of recent open world games that were pretty much bug free, but it's really the exception and not the rule these days. "

That's not completley true. All open world games have "some" glitches, but games like GTA and Mass Effect are pretty rock solid. I haven't crashed while playing those games even once. Although Mass Effect isn't really open world. "

" @LiquidPrince said:

" @spazmaster666 said:

" @LiquidPrince said:

I wasn't referring to Uncharted as a comparison to Fallout in terms of gameplay. Merely referencing it's quality. If you want to talk open world games, alright, then Assassin's Creed. Great game, with a great story, open world, and also completely stable. "

Yes I realize that you weren't comparing gameplay, but what I was saying is that I'm not at all surprised that Uncharted 2 didn't have any major technical issues since it was such a linear and cinematic game. Whereas with open ended games like Fallout, I always expect some level of glitching or technical issues even if it comes from some of the world's best developers (i.e. Rockstar, Bioware, etc) since it's much more difficult to catch bugs in an open-ended/open world game compared to a linear game. Assassin's Creed has been one of the few examples of recent open world games that were pretty much bug free, but it's really the exception and not the rule these days. "

That's not completley true. All open world games have "some" glitches, but games like GTA and Mass Effect are pretty rock solid. I haven't crashed while playing those games even once. Although Mass Effect isn't really open world. "

dude GTAIV crashed on me constantly, so I don't know how you would get that. "

" @wolf_blitzer85 said:

" @EveretteScott said:

" @ImpendingFoil said:

" I have never heard of a game coming from them that is not just completely filled with game breaking or crashing bugs.  From them now I've played Knights of the Old Republic 2, Neverwinter Nights 2 and Alpha Protocol which was also just kind of godawful and filled with bugs.  It is good to hear that New Vegas is a good game but once again the problem of extreme technical glitches just kind of makes me sad.  Maybe with the money they make from this game they can get themselves a quality QA department. "

I played through Alpha Protocol once then about half through again. Never encountered one bug or glitch. "

Did you have fun? "

Yes, I did. "

There's no telling what Obsidian's relationship with Bethesda will be going forward, but on a tangentially related note, I really hope idTech 5 turns out to be a truly solid engine that Bethesda can use to create their future open world games with, whatever they may be.

Who are "they"?

" @neoepoch: I mean, yeah... and I'd totally give them a pass for that if every one of their other releases weren't plagued by the same bug/performance issues, even games they weren't rushed to do.  I kept telling myself that they were a company that made great games but were just pressured for time, but then they released Alpha Protocol, and time wasn't an excuse for that one. "

" @velucyraptor said:

" @trophyhunter said:

" Because they make fantastic games just very glitchy ones. "

This. I'd rather a glitchy good game than a smoothly running pile of bore. "

No offense but this line of thinking is a bit ridiculous. Why should people settle for one or the other when there are companies out there making super stable games that also have amazing stories and graphics. Why settle for something at the quality level of Fallout when you can get something at the quality level of Uncharted 2. Imagine if Fallout had the story that it does, but with the quality of a Naughty Dog game. "

" @AndrewB said:

" @neoepoch: I mean, yeah... and I'd totally give them a pass for that if every one of their other releases weren't plagued by the same bug/performance issues, even games they weren't rushed to do.  I kept telling myself that they were a company that made great games but were just pressured for time, but then they released Alpha Protocol, and time wasn't an excuse for that one. "

I thought Alpha Protocol was an underrated game actually.  A few bugs sure but the story was pretty good. "

Probably because they have such an awesome name.  Also their games are fun.

It is tough to see technical issues continue to plague their games. I think they've got some quality talent there (I'm a big fan of Chris Avellone) so I want them to come out with a smash hit, both financially and critically, some day. I do think they're good at certain things, like story and characters. I've enjoyed their games despite some glaring problems. Alpha Protocol was unfortunate, though. I didn't experience a single redeeming quality while playing that. Terrible game. 
 
But let's be honest, Fallout 3 wasn't devoid of these sorts of problems either. I'm really getting sick of the Gamebryo engine.

Obsidian make some of the best if not the best RPGs with writing, gameplay systems, story, characters, world depth, etc ...
 
Also with 3 full play throughs of AP I didn't have a single issue and enjoyed the hell out of it.
Nor did I have any major issues with NWN2.
KOTOR2 and F:NV are made on engines from other companies.

" People shouldn't have to choose between a stable game and a great game. That is Obsidian dropping the ball. The fact that they can't get their QA shit together tells me that they're a very amateurish studio when it comes to the technical aspects of game development.  Great storytellers they may be, but that does not get them off the hook for shipping a half-broken game every damn time. "

Look at the publishers who demand that games be released by certain deadlines before they are ready, rather than just assuming that game developers involved in some of the greatest CRPGs of all time don't know better than you. If they were Valve or Blizzard they could print money while they take 10 years to make a game. Context plz.

New Vegas is pretty comparable to Fallout 3 before patches as far as bugs go.
 
People just forget how a game launches with problems these days. Even bethesda released one of the DLC packs for F3 that was completely broken and had to be taken down.

"Look at the publishers who demand that games be released by certain deadlines before they are ready, rather than just assuming that game developers involved in some of the greatest CRPGs of all time don't know better than you. If they were Valve or Blizzard they could print money while they take 10 years to make a game. Context plz. "

Alpha Protocol was repeatedly delayed to give Obsidian time to tighten everything up, for almost a year at one stage, so they really have no excuses.  Neverwinter Nights 2 was also an utter mess and after several patches and two expansions, is still almost unplayable.

It is worth pointing out that both of these games were excellent, technical issues aside..  but they have no excuses for the state they leave games in.