Obsidian is Interest in a Buy-Out “If the Right Opportunity Came Up”

Obsidian Entertainment has had a unique history. Founded by former Black Isle developers Feargus Urquhart, Chris Avellone, Chris Parker, Darren Monahan and Chris Jones, they were formed in 2003. They produced a number of rough gems that all had flaws but also became cult classics.

They're responsible for games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, Neverwinter Nights 2, and Fallout: New Vegas. Now, KOTOR 2 had issues in that the ending was heavily changed due to time constraints, and Fallout: New Vegas launched riddled with bugs. Both of these issues were fixed post-release, but considering Obsidian's tendency of taking sequels that may not have happened otherwise and making them a reality, they're a company that many of us are glad to have around.

When Obsidian has full control over the titles they produce, they really hit home. Games like Pillars of Eternity is their own take on a D&D world, complete with an entire rule system of their own design meant to mirror D&D while bringing something completely different to the table. They've also made the game Tyranny, and South Park: The Stick of Truth. 

The studio today seems to juggle between their own creations and partnerships. With the rise of crowdfunding through sites like Kickstarter, they've been able to flourish lately, but that hasn't stopped the discussion of acquisitions from bigger companies to come across the table. 

In a discussion with Eurogamer, CEO Feargus Urquhart explained Obsidian's contract deals.

"We sign a contract and we must hit that number and it is the end of the earth if we [can’t]. We’ve had to sign away royalties, we’ve had to sign away ownership of IPs…Whereas internal studios, it’s just another month – they’re already paying the people, it’s already in the budget these people are going to be paid."

The contract deals obviously have more riding on the line, but ultimately can lead to a bigger pay-out. He also dispelled the notion of them staying indie no matter what.

"It’s not like we’re ‘indie for life’, not like we bleed indie blood. We were an internal studio [as Black Isle] for a publisher for a long time and we were successful. We just didn’t think the offers were commensurate to what we’re worth and then what we would get to do."

Chris Parker even added, "If the right opportunity came up, it's certainly something that we would do."

If Obsidian were acquired by a big-time publisher, who would be the best pick? Or would you prefer Obsidian stay independent and free of creative restrictions? Let us know in the comments.