Expectations Are Already Sky High for Baldur's Gate 3 Dev's 'Next Big Game'

I feel like it will win game of the year, but then Alan Wake 2 will win Best Direction and Narrative as a more filmic game, as they are much more filmic categories. And FF16 for Music, and maybe performance just because Clive is the lead character, whereas Astarion can be limited to side content, pr even totally missed, depending on how each player plays.

As for the next Larian game...
Swen Vincke's Hamsters From Space

I kind of assume they'll make Original Sin 3, now with their new notoriety.

And my money is on their next game not being able to live up to the hype.

I thought I remember them saying they were gonna to make their next game with a much smaller scope. Which I feel is smart. Let's your team work on something and get it out the door in a quicker time, but also doesn't force the pressure on you that so many developer have had over the years to follow up a masterpiece.

Let's hope a certain someone doesn't try acquiring them, something I can definitely see happening as they want to own everything western.

I would absolutely love it if they did a third Divinity Original Sin game, @kyleforrester87 @RudeAnimat0r. Until BG3, DoS2 was my all time favourite game. I suspect that, as with their previous games, I can see Larian putting their next game into Early Access on the PC once more, (indeed, I kick-started D0S2, though I doubt they will need to do that again after the phenomenal success of BG3). I'm all for that, to be honest, as you can get a real feel for the game that way. After playing BG3 in Early Access, I knew it was going to be a masterpiece, and I was not disappointed in the slightest...

No one is going to acquire them, @UltimateOtaku91. They are making money hand over fist and their leadership is superb. They do not need to be bought out...

We can be sure of one thing. Gamers will overhype and idolize this studio for the next few years like CDPR after Witcher 3.

Hopefully they can work on simultaneous games and return to Divinity universe while also branching out to other things. They're so big now they almost need to work on multiple titles to keep the cash flow going.

@Fiendish-Beaver Neither did Mojang, Ninja Theory or Obsidian but they still got bought out. The things you pointed out make them even more desirable to potential buyers.

Plus wasn't Larian Studios on Microsofts leaked hit list?

@UltimateOtaku91 I would argue that Ninja Theory and Obsidian wasn't exactly making money hand over fist, and Markus Persson who own Mojang wasn't exactly a good leader. He couldn't handle the stress that came with running the company.

I’m not sure I understand what’s SO boundary breaking about it. I must be missing something.

I get that there’s a lot of choice in chats and stuff and things can be approached lots of different ways. Perhaps it’s that most of those ways never occur to me and I just talk to people, make decisions and fight people in the way of my objective. I’m yet to see what is quite so groundbreaking apart from there being lots of options to choose from.

@Totheteeth The fact a CRPG and something as niche as D&D is this accessible and has this level of production values is pretty damn boundary breaking. This game has opened the doors for so many new fans for the CRPG genre as well get more people interested in D&D or at least curious about it.

Planescape torment remake (with improved combat) would be a nice palette cleanser.. just saying.

I would love for them to do something in the Warhammer universe, but DoS3 would be awesome as well.

@UltimateOtaku91 Mojang sold out. The owner couldn't handle the pressure of running a company the size Mojang turned into. Also as a independent they needed more games an he couldn't handle the pressure of what people would think of his new games an comparing it to mine craft.

+1 for Ultima VII remake as next project

It's wishful thinking, I know, but a modern Planescape game would slay.

I don't believe Larian were on the list to buy, @UltimateOtaku91, and Microsoft had also dismissed BG3 as being something they were initially interested in on having on the Xbox. It was way down the 'to do' list for Microsoft. It was only after the rave reviews that BG3 garnered that Microsoft realised their mistake, and then scurried to get on the Xbox. So if they were not interested in the game, they were hardly likely to be interested in the company...

@Fiendish-Beaver Yes that was before Microsoft saw how big Baldurs Gate 3 was, so now they know Larian can put out a game that attracts big numbers. Also I found this which mentions Larian as a possible purchase and apparently was considering in 2021 for an acquisition, so Microsoft are interested and even doubly so now.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/gamingbolt.com/microsoft-considered-acquiring-cd-projekt-red-larian-studios-fromsoftware-and-more-in-2021/amp

There is an enormous difference, @UltimateOtaku91, between citing 100 companies as possible acquisitions and making any firm considerations to approach them. Have you never written out a huge list of things you'd like to buy, before then crossing out those lower down the list because you either did not really need them, or simply could not afford them once you had bought the more important items? It's like writing a list of your favourite 100 bands, and then putting them in order before then going to see only the top 5 live in concert because they are your absolute favourites. Look at that list, and then see how few of the Developers Microsoft has actually acquired. The bosses at Microsoft probably sent some underling away and told them to produce a list of 100 companies that maybe worth buying, and I would put money on it that Larian was towards the bottom of that list at the time it was produced. Obviously now, with the success of BG3, Larian would be much closer to the top, but as it says in the article, Microsoft then excluded companies based on their earnings, with $100 million being the minimum requirement, and so even now, I'd be surprised if Larian would climb into the top 10, let alone the top 5.

Regardless, Vincke has already stated that he has no interest in being acquired, and they have absolutely no need to be bought out. Larian has made millions upon millions in the past couple of months. They have made a game that many consider to be the best ever made, and have a talented group of Developers that are widely thought of as being among the best around. They have no reason to sell, and they won't be bought. It is that simple.

I know you love to throw shade at Microsoft at every opportunity, but I'm afraid you're going to have to do a little better right now... 😉