Xbox's continued "rest" has seen a further reduction in jobs, possible shuttering of studios, and several shake-ups in how the companies report and are structured, with one of the biggest surprises being Obsidian reporting to (and thus being "under") Bethesda. How that shakes out remains to be seen, but Bethesda has commented on its relationship with Obsidian, especially as Obsidian is also making a Fallout game.
While Bethesda's Todd Howard has previously dismissed any perceived Bethesda-Obsidian rivalry as fan chatter, it does feel odd for Obsidian to be "under" Bethesda. Obsidian Entertainment has released several games under the Xbox Game Studios banner, including both Grounded titles, Pentiment, and Avowed. That said, Obsidian previously created Fallout: New Vegas and has had some kind of relationship with Bethesda for a long time. And according to Bethesda's president, that relationship isn't necessarily changing that much.
Jill Braff, Microsoft's president of Bethesda and Casual Games, addressed concerns about the change in a recent email. According to Aftermath, which obtained the email, Braff said Obsidian's creative identity will remain intact, while Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart and the existing leadership team will continue running the studio. Obsidian will simply now report directly to Braff, as opposed to its prior supervision due to the new structure:
"The creative identity and strengths that make Obsidian distinct will remain at the core of their studio and work. Feargus and the Obsidian leadership team will continue to lead Obsidian, with the studio reporting to me. Bethesda Game Studios will continue to lead the Fallout franchise. Together, the teams will build on their longstanding relationship and the early work already underway on a new Fallout project, with more to share in the months ahead. This structure supports the franchise-led model we’ve been strengthening while keeping accountability for both the studio and the franchise clear.”
هونەری بەرگەکە بناسە لەکاتێکدا کە فۆیلی کەم وەک...
ئەگەری هەیە.
Braff also confirmed that Bethesda Game Studios will continue leading the Fallout franchise, possibly suggesting some contention there, while Bethesda and Obsidian build on their existing relationship and the early work on Obsidian's new Fallout game. The clarification is particularly notable given Obsidian's history with Fallout. Fallout: New Vegas is one of the best, if not the best, games in the franchise, and many fans have long wanted Obsidian to return to Fallout either with a sequel, spiritual successor, or new game, though not like this. (I, myself, have often screamed for Obsidian to make Fallout: New Orleans).
Beyond Bethesda and Obsidian, Xbox's latest changes as part of its "reset" have impacted hundreds, if not thousands, of devs. Iconic Xbox franchise Halo is now under Activision, Rare is now part of Activision, and Turn 10/Playground Games have also merged for Fable and Forza. State of Decay 3 developer Undead Labs is now independent, and Ninja Theory appears to be shutting down without a buyer.
Xbox's reset was reported to reduce roughly 3,200 jobs. Reports indicate that it might not hit that full figure, but it is still thousands of people regardless. In other news, Xbox is still pursuing other avenues and projects—recently picking up Kojima Productions' Physint after PlayStation abandoned it.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://gamerant.com/bethesda-statement-fallout-obsidian-creative-integrity/
