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Interplay Targeted By Bioware-fare

Posted by michael on from the neverpublished-nights dept.

corby writes: "Bioware Corp., developer of the highly anticipated multiplayer Dungeons & Dragons game Neverwinter Nights, is escalating the conflict with their troubled publisher Interplay. In September, they filed a lawsuit against the publisher, and now they have terminated their contract with Interplay to distribute Neverwinter Nights. The problem is, these guys need each other. The loss of Neverwinter Nights means that Interplay will lose out on substantial revenue from a surefire hit, but Interplay is apparently the only company with rights to distribute games under the AD&D license."

16 of 215 comments (clear)

  1. D&D Nitpicking by taion · · Score: 5, Informative

    AD&D is generally taken to refer to the second edition Dungeons & Dragons Rules.

    Neverwinter Nights will be based on the 3rd edition D&D rules (D&D3e), which is different from AD&D.

    A link to the 3rd Edition System Reference Document with all the core rules released to the Open Gaming Foundation (including Psionics!) may be found here.

    --

    ----------
    Floccinaucinihilipilification - the action or habit of judging something to be worthless
    1. Re:D&D Nitpicking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      You my friend will never ever have sex.

  2. Just great by serps · · Score: 4, Informative

    When Hasbro bought out Wizards of the Coast and sold off their rights to D&D computer games, you could see something like this eventually happening. Wizards had a 'Mastertools' program under development which was designed to remove all the bookkeeping tedium of handling a campaign. Once the license was transferred to Interplay, WotC had to gut the project to ensure compliance. I wish them all the best against Interplay.

    --
    "Einstein argued that [...] God is not capricious or arbitrary. No such faith comforts the software engineer." ~ Brooks
  3. They've already cut back Neverwinter Nights... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting
    If you haven't heard, the editing tools (the part of NWN most people thought was nifty) were already stripped from the Non-Windowes versions. Talk was made of including them later, but...


    Stated reason was difficulty breaking them from an MS framework. Seems like a designer fubared by choosing that framework to begin with, huh?

    1. Re:They've already cut back Neverwinter Nights... by LMCBoy · · Score: 5, Interesting

      As I understand it, they designed the Toolset with Borland C++ Builder. They were expecting Borland to have a Linux version of this product (not Kylix), but it never materialized. However, the fact that they used BCB means a Mac version was never in the works...

      --
      Liberal (adj.): Free from bigotry; open to progress; tolerant of others.
  4. Penny Arcade's take on it... by hiryuu · · Score: 5, Funny
    Here.

    I got a giggle out of it, at least...

    --
    Karma: Excellent, but still won't get you laid.
  5. Dungeons and Dragons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Flamebait

    Who cares, those games are for nerds and satanists.

    1. Re:Dungeons and Dragons by matrix29 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Even more hilarious are the parodies of Jack Chick
      http://www.lunarpages.com/darkdungeons/

      --
      "Face it, a nation that maintains a 72% approval rating on George W. Bush is a nation with a very loose grip on reality.
    2. Re:Dungeons and Dragons by _Sprocket_ · · Score: 3, Funny

      Scott Kurtz of PvP fame write a nice rant followed by his own parody of this infamous work. I find it interesting considering Kurtz mentions his Christian beliefs on occasion (while still supporting gaming, including the dice-and-paper variety... or at least he did at the time - his roleplay link is no longer advertised). Its a nice counterpoint to Chick and the individuals he links to.

  6. Re:MasterTools by DAldredge · · Score: 3

    MasterTools HAS been gutted. They have removed the ability to play DnD online over the internet among other things (very limited prestige class support, no support at launch for anything other than the PHB, DMG and MM. I know they promise support for the add ons in the future but look how they support the Forgotten Realms Atlas, the have patch 3 for it but they haven't released it yet because the web team at WoTC won't be able to add a link to is before the end of the YEAR.)

  7. Whoa there! by HunterZ · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Back that truck up, slick! Check this out:
    http://www.poolofradiance.com/

    I don't see any mention of Interplay or Bioware there, yet it's an AD&D computer game. Would anyone care to explain?

    --
    Arguing about vi versus Emacs is like arguing whether it's better to make fire by rubbing sticks or banging rocks.
  8. Slashdot = Misinformation? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Once again slashdot amazes me with the ability not to be able to post reliable or good information.

    Bioware CAN publish titles under AD&D license, interplay has been rideing the "bioware" wave for over a year now. Bioware has every damn right to terminate their contract, especially since Interplay VIOLATED the terms of it.

    The game is slated to be released Mar 2002, and on another note, I submited this story on wednesday.

    I have posted anonymusly in order to protect myself and other sources.

  9. Someone should tell Infogrames by AlterEd · · Score: 5, Informative
    Infogrames bought Hasbro Interactive and now has publishing rights to all present and future Hasbro electronic games. Previous agreements notwithstanding, natch.

    If Bioware can't hash things out with Interplay, I'm sure they can get a deal with Infogrames.

    --

    Ed Chauvin IV
  10. Re:Jeez.. by HunterZ · · Score: 3, Funny

    Bunch of wart-faced trolls getting worked up over a bunch of "pimply-faced dorks". Don't YOU people have lives at all?

    --
    Arguing about vi versus Emacs is like arguing whether it's better to make fire by rubbing sticks or banging rocks.
  11. D&D is not enough by fm6 · · Score: 3, Interesting
    D&D software in itself is not that big a thing. Been around for years. Rogue (the original version of Nethack) was an early example. Though Michael Toy had to change the names of the monsters after TSR reminded him that he didn't have a license to use them.

    Put Baldur's Gate and Rogue side by side, and you see that Bioware has done more than just computerize D&D. They've greatly enhanced the user experience with sophisticated interaction, simulation, and non-player character engine. And they've also created a story that is sophisticated enough to engage but simple enough to be managed by a "Dungeon Master" that's just a piece of software, and thus has no ability to improvise. That last is not technically sophisticated, but it's what impresses me the most.

  12. Ok, right from the Bioware forums... by Drakin · · Score: 3, Informative

    Regarding our recent announcement of Neverwinter Nights contract termination with Interplay, we can't comment on this, except to say that BioWare is looking forward to releasing Neverwinter Nights on schedule, early in 2002. Development at BioWare is continuing on both Neverwinter Nights and Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic as well as on other as yet unannounced projects."

    I'm thinking people are jumping the gun.