Why KOTOR 2 Dev's Xbox One Launch Game Was Canceled

IGN:

Obsidian Entertainment was developing a role-playing game called Stormlands for the launch of Xbox One that was ultimately canceled, and studio CEO Fergus Urquhart has come forward to reveal why Microsoft scrapped the project.

[Herbalistic]

I'm not even surprised being as the suits within Microsoft expect everything to have Halo levels of success. Obsidian could have created an rpg gem for Xbox but Microsoft listened to the bean counters like always.

[XanderZane]

Well I can understand why. Look who was in charge? https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...

He obviously wasn't an advocate for the game and didn't hire anyone to be. Once the game started getting expensive to develop, they just pulled the plug. It's still to do that when the game is almost complete.

@Shin-Zantetsuken
Shooters and racers seem to sell better then RPG's, but it realy depends on the game. SW:KotoR sold very well on XBox. Lost Odyssey also sold well in Japan & U.S. RPG's seem more risky to Microsoft it seems.

[Trez1234]

Yeah it's a bit of a myth to say xbox is a shooter only brand because I didn't buy a 360 for halo or gears. Hell, gears wasnt even out when I got my 360. games like the first fable and ninja garden from xbox classics, kameo, blue dragon, lost odyssey, blue dragon, both ubisoft's naruto games etc..

They have changed from those times maybe their focus went on those big franchises but I certainly don't remember the 360, especially the first 3-4 years as being a shooter aND racer only console.

[Unspoken]

A JRPG would have been a risk on XB1. The latest Fable wasn't Fable anymore, so I can understand why both if those games had to be shelved.

[Bigpappy]

Not really. They supported Fable for a good run and that didn't sell Halo numbers, neither did Forza.

Obsidian is overrated. All the recent games they did well with, were all co-productions. They are yet the make a block buster of their own. I will like to see them succeed, but don't make them out to be some superstar studio when they clearly are not.

[YAO-BLING]

it was canned for trying new things, wasn't a bro shooter

[AngelicIceDiamond]

Considering MS launch line up didn't include a single shooter.

[G20WLY]

^I don't know, VideoGameLab, you have to keep the faith, I'm sure he will one day...eventually. Maybe.

[XXanderXX]

So it was cancelled due to not having someone at MS cheering it on and pushing on your behalf . Could it be that no one took such action cause they were not impressed with what they saw .

[aconnellan]

Nah, just remember - every single cancelled game was cancelled for no reason, and would have become an immediate gem upon release

/s

[BlackTar187]

well we have no way of knowing if it would have become a gem or not cause they get cancelled.

Of course some or all could have sucked but you can't say one way or the other as a consumer.

[Automatic79]

The project was canned because obsidian didn't have a champion to push the game.

Would have been great to see Xbox One have an action RPG along the lines of Mass Effect at launch.

[BlackTar187]

i like obsidian but the games are a mess sometimes(Most of the time)

They still made the best Fallout imo

[SuicidalTendencies]

No they didn't. Go play Fallout 2.

[kevnb]

That's a weird way to title the article, kotor 2 isn't really a recent game of obsidian or their defining moment.

[SuicidalTendencies]

You're being nice. It was a stupid way to title the article. Could have just put Obsidian.

[NecoTehSergal]

Never make deals with Microsofts' gaming division unless you're backed with a lot of money like EA/Activision - if not? Expect to take blows to your money, delays, or trashing years worth of work and having to consider cancellations. Not worth it. Go Indie-PC, get Backed as a Kickstarter if need be or get help from Sony at least. Microsoft-deals are prone to disaster...

[Razzer]

Makes me wonder why so many seem to think Platinum Games was to blame for Scalebound. This, Scalebound, and what happened to Darkside? Geez....a bit of a pattern.

http://kotaku.com/studio-be...

[Jayszen]

Clearly, the suits at Microsoft tend to think that the type of games that have sold the most in the past are the ones that need to be supported and championed which also shows that these guys are not gamers at heart. This generation there have been some really poor choices made at Microsoft which is why Xbox finds itself in a situation where it is having to start off a new generation with Scorpio after lagging way behind PS4 with the Xbox One and One S. There appears to be no one at Microsoft who is championing GAMES and the need for the company to invest immediately in first party exclusives. If you make the games, they will come...something Sony has done way back from the PS1 days and the attitude has served that company well.