Obsidian did Neverwinter Nights 2 and though it was a huge resource hog with the graphics turned up, it was a fine game otherwise; not excessively buggy. But I think every other title they have put out, even that last game they put out as Black Isle, Lionheart, has been a buggy mess. It seems to me they just arent getting the amount of time they need to make a polished game but that is still something that is their fault. They need to start roadmapping their development better. I loved Icewind Dale , IWD2 and the Original Fallout Games but I won't touch their games again until it seems like they have had ample dev time. I almost wish they would go back to making games in 2D and just make something stupidly well crafted.
ZeniMax buys Starbreeze founder's new studio - Report
Swedish business records indicate Machinegames is the latest indie developer to be scooped up by Bethesda and id parent company; shop home to several Riddick vets.
ZeniMax media has been on a tear of acquisitions of late, buying up Arx Fatalis creator Arkane Studios in August and Resident Evil director Shinji Mikami's Tango Gameworks last month. Now, according to a Gamasutra report, the Maryland-based media company may have scooped up another studio.
Sparked by Twitter chatter, the report found Swedish business records, which indicated that the indie studio Machineworks has had its named changed to ZeniMax Sweden AB. The name change presumably came from a buyout of the indie shop, which was founded in 2009 by Starbreeze cofounder Magnus Hogdahl and other members of the Chronicles of Riddick development team. According to its bare-bones website, "Machinegames is a developer of exciting AAA titles for next-gen platforms."
As of press time, requests for confirmation of the buyout sent to both ZeniMax and Machinegames had not been answered. However, if true, the purchase would bring even more talent into the ZeniMax fold, which already includes such major names as id Software (Doom 4, Rage) and Bethesda Softworks (Fallout 3, the Elder Scrolls: Oblivion). The company also has an online division currently working on an unnamed massively multiplayer project and recently received $150 million in funding from a private equity company.
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Related Game
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay - Developer's Cut
- Publisher(s): VU Games
- Developer(s): Starbreeze
- Genre: Action
- Release:
- ESRB: M






