Chris Avellone is one of those almost mythical developer figures in the world of computer roleplaying games (cRPG). Starting out as a Designer at Interplay on several Black Isle developed RPGs (Fallout 2, Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale), he eventually went on to be a co-founder of Obsidian Entertainment.
There, he spent over a decade working on Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, Neverwinter Nights 2, Alpha Protocol, Fallout: New Vegas, and more recently Pillars of Eternity and Tyranny.
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However, he abruptly departed Obsidian in June 2015. Earlier this year, Avellone finally revealed what happened there in a lengthy interview with Tech Raptor. He didn’t spare any accusations to Obsidian executives/upper management, as you can read in the article.
And he has not changed his mind since – in fact, he took to Twitter to directly recommend Microsoft’s Phil Spencer to keep the ‘good’ Obsidian developers while firing the executives. Some of the reasons he mentioned include routinely burning bridges, loving the profit of games rather than games themselves, and the general treatment of employees (including gender-related issues).
@XboxP3, if you ARE doing a deal with Obsidian Ent., I’d really, really look at Pillars of Eternity sales figures (which Fig has indirectly revealed this month, and tried to be cagey about it). Good devs there, terrible management – Hire the devs, fire the chaff at the top.
— Chris Avellone (@ChrisAvellone) November 7, 2018
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I’d add Obs. routinely burns bridges… it’s why no publisher works with them twice. While Paradox worked with them on 2 occ., w/PoE1, PDX was fulfilling marketing rewards, not guiding PoE. And their next effort with Obsidian? Tyranny? As PDX said, =/ expectations. (2/2)
— Chris Avellone (@ChrisAvellone) November 8, 2018
So yeah, no – if your executives don’t love games? And they only love the profit of them – that’s not my world view as a developer. Would never work with them again as a result of that being their narrow world view.
— Chris Avellone (@ChrisAvellone) November 11, 2018
I don’t hate him at all I just have some valid objection to how he treats/ignores employees and his management style, esp. along gender lines. Scroll down: past the paid ad and intern (child-friend-of parent-friend-of-CEO) ad: https://t.co/vq5fIXygDg
— Chris Avellone (@ChrisAvellone) November 11, 2018
That said, Avellone said he would be open to working with Obsidian once again if those leadership changes did happen after all under Microsoft’s new oversight. He reiterated his appreciation for the developers at the studio and said he’s particularly excited for Project Indiana by Leonard Boyarsky and Tim Cain; this is actually one of the mysteries of the acquisition since that RPG project is supposed to be published under Take-Two’s new label Private Division.
Not much beyond hope they didn’t lock upper management into key roles. Unlike BioWare, you want Ray Greg to stay, the same’s not helpful here (usu. key personnel, like owners, remain at the purchased company via contract for X years, like Ray Greg were when EA purchased BW).
— Chris Avellone (@ChrisAvellone) November 11, 2018
If there were leadership changes, sure, and it would depend on the game (but there’s some games they can’t do that I am free to pursue as a freelancer).
— Chris Avellone (@ChrisAvellone) November 11, 2018
The devs are good. I have high hopes for Project Indiana (Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky’s project).
— Chris Avellone (@ChrisAvellone) November 8, 2018
Meanwhile, Avellone himself is now freelancing. He worked on titles like Into The Breach, Prey, Divinity: Original Sin 2, is the Narrative Designer of Dying Light 2 and of the secret project being developed at Ghost Story Games, the studio started by Bioshock’s Ken Levine.
By the way, the folks at Obsidian (including several of the executives Avellone would like Microsoft to fire) have put up a video where they explain why they accepted the acquisition deal. You can find it below.
