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The original 'Pillars of Eternity' RPG comes to Switch on August 8th
Obsidian promised months ago that Pillars of Eternity 2 would come to Switch owners, but what good is that if you're a newcomer to the role-playing revival? Don't worry, you won't have to read a wiki to catch up. Obsidian has confirmed that the original Pillars of Eternity will reach the Switch on August 8th, with pre-orders already available. It's a Complete Edition, too, with the two White March expansions included to fill out the saga.
Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity to launch on March 26
Obsidian RPG Pillars of Eternity will launch on March 26, the developer announced on its Kickstarter page. The game entered a backers-only beta phase in August, available in early access form to those that pledged at least $110 to its development. Pillars of Eternity is currently available for pre-purchase on Steam for PC, Mac and Linux, starting at $45. The game earned $3.9 million on the crowdfunding service in October 2012, back when it was known as "Project Eternity." It was originally given a spring 2014 launch window, prior to its name change in December 2013. Pillars of Eternity received two more delays, the first in February 2014, when project lead Josh Sawyer said "virtually nothing good comes from [Obsidian] releasing a date before we're very confident in it." Paradox Interactive agreed to handle the marketing and distribution of the game one month later. Finally, the developer pushed Pillars of Eternity back to early 2015 this past October, noting that "since the very beginning of this project we promised our fans and ourselves that we would release this game only when we knew it would be absolutely ready for the best experience possible." [Image: Obsidian Entertainment]
Pillars of Eternity pre-orders open with 10 percent discount
It won't arrive until early 2015, but those still interested in Obsidian's crowdfunded roleplaying epic Pillars of Eternity can now pre-order the game from a number of online retailers. A visit to the game's website reveals two versions of Pillars of Eternity currently on offer: the $45 Hero Edition and the $60 Champion Edition. The former includes the game along with two "mystery items," while the latter features everything found in the Hero Edition as well as a digital almanac, map and soundtrack, ringtones, wallpapers and a "making of" documentary. As extra incentive, Paradox is currently offering a 10 percent discount on Pillars of Eternity for anyone who pre-orders either version of the game before November 24. If you're still on the fence about Pillars of Eternity, Paradox and Obsidian hope to push you over the edge with an upcoming Twitch stream hosted by project director Josh Sawyer where the developers plan to "reveal a wide array of never-before-seen game content." The stream starts on November 13 at 4PM ET, and you can catch the entire thing on the Paradox Interactive Twitch channel. [Image: Paradox Interactive]
Pillars of Eternity delayed to 2015
Pillars of Eternity has been delayed, but not into eternity – it's now due out in early 2015, rather than late 2014. Obsidian Entertainment announced the delay on publisher Paradox Interactive's forums. "Since the very beginning of this project we promised our fans and ourselves that we would release this game only when we knew it would be absolutely ready for the best experience possible," Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart said. "We're very close to that point, but not quite there yet. The feedback we have received through our playtest process has been invaluable to us. We are coming into the home stretch but are pushing the release out just a bit to make sure we honor that promise we made originally. Thanks for your patience and support, it will be worth the wait." Pillars of Eternity was Kickstarted in 2012, raising just shy of $4 million. In its post today, Obsidian said it recognizes that fans and financial backers of Pillars of Eternity are eager to play the complete game, but the extra time will allow developers to address feedback they've received from the beta. Pillars of Eternity was delayed once before, in February this year. We had a chance to play the game in its early form in August, and found it to be splendidly unsimplified. [Image: Paradox]
Pillars of Eternity and the dangers of fantasy pest control
"Streamlined" is a buzzword you hear often when talking to developers about games. "Simplified" is almost as common. The unspoken implication behind these descriptors is that complexity and time-consuming mechanics are a thing of the past. If that's true, Pillars of Eternity is a time machine. Developed by Obsidian and designed to evoke the look and feel of the Infinity Engine games – Planescape: Torment, Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale – Pillars of Eternity is as old-school as a roleplaying game can get without turning into a text adventure or a dice-rolling tabletop quest. There is nothing simple or streamlined about Pillars, and therein lies the appeal.
A persona fit for Pillars of Eternity
Before computer-generated worlds came to life, we were running through dungeons in our heads, with rules on paper to govern our actions. Pillars of Eternity remembers those days and the games they inspired, and not just because it has an isometric perspective, or soul-storms, or tactical combat and special armor types, or even character creation. It's that right from the beginning, there's a space for the player to tweak the details, write a personality and imagine someone being there. The real challenge – and the agony – of a traditional role-playing game lies at the beginning, in the dungeon named ... "character creation." It inspires a dread worse than any stone golem or world-eating viper, because you want to make someone fit to save the world and gallivant through it for at least a hundred hours. Will she wield an axe or a bow? Tall or short? Pointy ears or wizard's cap? Is this name going to sound like high fantasy, or like fantasy fiction while high? And no matter how many times you save the world, you don't want to be forever known as that guy with the weird eyebrows. Let's just lower them a bit.
Pillars of Eternity enters beta next month for backers
Obsidian Entertainment has announced that a beta version of Pillars of Eternity will launch exclusively for Kickstarter backers next month, marking the first playable release for the team's long-in-development crowdfunded RPG. Noting that Pillars of Eternity has entered the "finalization stage," producer Brandon Adler revealed that Early Access beta keys will be available on August 18 for supporters who pledged $110 or more. Launched in late 2012, the Pillars of Eternity Kickstarter project racked up nearly $4 million in backer pledges, resulting in a delay as the game's scope ballooned to meet its expanded budget. Obsidian additionally announced that it has canceled its plans for a DVD and Blu-ray Pillars of Eternity making-of documentary release, as physical discs would need to enter production prior to the project's completion. Rather than release the documentary without a conclusion, Obsidian is opting instead to launch a "digital downloadable extended version" of the film at a later date. A replacement reward for backers who pitched in for DVD and Blu-ray copies of the documentary will be announced soon. [Image: Obsidian Entertainment]
Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity looks old, and that's good news
Pitched as a return to the days of games like Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment – isometric RPGs developed on BioWare's Infinity Engine – Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian is decidedly old-school. Where other games may tout streamlined gameplay and accessibility, Pillars holds its stats-based and number-heavy head up high as it walks through environments befitting a medieval fantasy world. This isn't a revolution or new beginning for the genre, but a return to form.
Obsidian gives your ears a taste of the Pillars of Eternity soundtrack
Just because we can't play old school-inspired, Kickstarter success Pillars of Eternity right now doesn't mean we can't experience it. Developer Obsidian has released a score from the game's soundtrack to give anxious adventurers a taste of what to expect when the game releases later this year. The music is an ambient background tune for the Dyrford Village area. Audio Director Justin Bell noted in a forum post that he looks to the Infinity Engine games (Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale) for inspiration, blending "tropes found in European folk and pre-Renaissance modal music" with modern techniques. Bell also wrote that he listens for inspiration during his daily commute to work, and that he reads Johann Sebastian Bach daily. Video games: classy stuff. [Image: Obsidian]
Paradox Interactive to publish Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity
Obsidian Entertainment announced a partnership with Paradox Interactive to launch Pillars of Eternity. Paradox will handle the marketing and distribution of the PC game, which is slated to launch by this winter. Formerly known as Project Eternity, the game earned $3.9 million on Kickstarter in October 2012. The game was originally expected to land this spring before suffering delays. Obsidian launched South Park: The Stick of Truth earlier this month, following Paradox's announcement of Hearts of Iron 4 and Norse mythology-inspired RPG Runemaster in January. [Image: Obsidian Entertainment]
Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity 'looking good' for winter 2014
Pillars of Eternity can now be expected by winter 2014, Obsidian revealed in a forum update. The developer announced its delay last week following its initial projected launch of spring 2014. It was delayed due to the increasing scope of the game following its generous funding. The game formerly known as Project Eternity was funded on Kickstarter in October 2012, earning a whopping $3.9 million. Junior Producer Rose Gomez's forum post this week noted that the developer will not pursue any more stretch goals for the project, which still accepts pledges on the game's site. Project lead Josh Sawyer also noted last week that the developer wasn't planning on announcing a specific release window after its delay, saying that because Obsidian isn't a publisher, it didn't "have to." He added that "virtually nothing good comes from us releasing a date before we're very confident in it." [Image: Obsidian Entertainment]
Pillars of Eternity delayed, devs cite unexpected outpouring of cash
Despite earlier claims that Obsidian's Kickstarter-funded roleplaying epic, Pillars of Eternity, would be released in the Spring of this year, the developer is now backing away from that timeframe, saying the game's current scope simply won't allow for it. "When we started with a million-dollar budget and a relatively modest game with five classes, that was assuming if we get $1 million we can make this game and we'll probably get it done by April," project lead Josh Sawyer told Eurogamer. "We got almost four times as much money and that's a much bigger game, and that doesn't mean that immediately we just dump four times as many people on it and it also gets done in April. There's a lot more stuff to do." While Sawyer notes that "more than half" of the game's content has been completed (if not polished), he's hesitant to offer a new timeframe for the game's release. "[U]ntil we get really close to releasing the game we don't want a specific release window, because we're not a publisher, we don't have to! Virtually nothing good comes from us releasing a date before we're very confident in it." [Image: Obsidian Entertainment]
Pillars of Eternity character sheet has +5 in Lookin' Good
Developer Obsidian has released new images and information for their upcoming RPG, Pillars of Eternity, and old-school roleplaying fans are in for a treat. Like the pen-and-paper tabletop RPGs that inspire it, Pillars of Eternity features character sheets brimming with stats and information. In the released image of Pallegina, we can see that she's an 8th-level Paladin of the Hylea race, which are apparently Godlike. We can also see she has a Con stat of 14, which gives her +28 percent Stamina and Health. Still following along? Good, because this character sheet is just getting started. There's also information on player characters' reputations, how long they've been active, how long they've been in combat, how many monsters they've slain, the most powerful foe they've slain, total damage dealt, etc. There's even an Export button - no official word on where it'll export to, though. Obsidian also released images comparing the concept art and final rendering of one of the game's enemies - a Cean Gŵla. Cean Gŵlas are the spirits of women who have died under "particularly tragic or traumatic circumstances," according to a post on the game's forums. Finally, a new image also shows representations of the gods Galawain and Woedica. Galawain is god of the hunt, while Woedica rules over law and rightful rulership. It won't be an eternity before you get to experience these assets and more - Pillars of Eternity is scheduled to release this year.
Obsidian CEO eyes a quick return to crowdfunded games
Though the newly-titled Pillars of Eternity has yet to debut, Obsidian Entertainment is already working on ideas for its next crowdfunded roleplaying epic. "What I'm trying to figure out is, how could we make something that is more like a Skyrim for PC – forget console for now – with the engine we made in Unity for Eternity?" pondered Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart. "Where we are with our conversation, quest, data editors, and all of that. If we were careful about scope and let Chris Avellone go wild with creating a new world, more of an open world, what could we do?" Good question, but given Avellone's earlier epic roleplaying games, giving him free rein could very easily result in George R.R. Martin-style roleplaying game that's 500 hours long and involves 200 different characters. Even with modern technology that's not feasible. Solution? Episodic games. "Would it make sense for it to be episodic? Because going out there and saying, 'We're gonna make 100 hours of gameplay,' everyone goes, 'Oh my god, how could it not cost millions?" states Urquhart. "But could we create ten hours and have people pay ten bucks? And generally when we say ten hours, it's usually 15. But if we go with five episodes, then people get between 50 and 75 hours." Obsidian's plans are actually further along than anyone suspected, and as Rock Paper Shotgun grilled Urquhart, he let slip that the company is working toward creating a game based on a licensed property. "There's something we're talking about that I think would be really cool, but it's not an original property," said Urquhart. "It's a licensed property ... It's something we can still do a ton of creative stuff with, though. And then the other thing is an original property. Also, there's a third thing that somebody approached us with, but I really don't think that's going to work out." It appears that the massive outpouring of crowdsourced cash and support has emboldened Urquhart and his colleagues at Obsidian. There's no telling which of these project they'll aim for once Pillars of Eternity is complete, but we can always cross our fingers for a new Planescape: Torment, huh?
Project Eternity now Pillars of Eternity, Obsidian debuts trailer to celebrate
As a name, "Project Eternity" always felt like a high-fantasy placeholder - which it apparently was, as Obsidian's crowdfunded roleplaying epic will henceforth be known as "Pillars of Eternity." While Obsidian offers no explanation for the new name, nor how these pillars grew to such a ripe old age, it has issued the above trailer. It describes the clip as a teaser, and while technically that might be true, there's far more footage of actual in-game content here than we normally see. Combat, spellcasting, biologically improbable huge spiders; it's all here, and the game's aesthetics look like a modern take on the Western roleplaying games of the late 1990s, typified by such classics as Baldur's Gate 2. Obviously that's by design as Obsidian's website is currently running a poll asking fans which late-90s RPG they'd most like Pillars of Eternity to resemble. Additionally, if you happen to have put down some cash to fund Pillars of Eternity, you can now pay a visit to the game's backer's portal. This allows you to make further donations to the project, earmark your donations for specific purposes and select which backers' rewards you'd like to receive in exchange for your optimistic contribution.
