GamesRPGPillars of EternityObsidian’s Josh Sawyer thought Pillars of Eternity’s Kickstarter had a 50% chance of failing, only for the RPG to be fully funded within 27 hoursWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesRPGPillars of EternityObsidian’s Josh Sawyer thought Pillars of Eternity’s Kickstarter had a 50% chance of failing, only for the RPG to be fully funded within 27 hoursWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Obsidian)
Obsidian Entertainmenthas been pumping out beloved RPGs for decades now, but there was a long period of time where the studio’s financial footing was on shaky ground, prompting it to turn to crowdfunding. Though Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity director Josh Sawyer now says that even Kickstarter, the studio’s saving grace at the time, seemed like a risky move.
Speaking toEdge MagazineIssue 404, Sawyer says the idea to go down the crowdfunding route with an Infinity Engine-style game came after Double Fine (Psychonauts, Brutal Legend) successfully raised millions on Kickstarter to fund both a throwback point-and-click adventure game and a behind-the-scenes making-of documentary. Despite Double Fine’s huge win on the platform, Sawyer recalls that Obsidian’s “owner did not want to do it” and that he himself “was actually ready to leave [the studio] to do it.”
“Other people at the studio were also like ‘are we really not going to do this? If we don’t do it, there’s going to be another studio that [does],'” he continues. “There were a few ideas and the initial work didn’t go very far. We knew the clock was ticking on this.” Sawyer then came up with the idea to plan an old-school-style CRPG that mixes Planescape: Torment’s metaphysical ideas, Icewind Dale’s dungeon-diving, and Baldur’s Gate’s emphasis on companions.
“That’s the dream, right? A lot of people will probably say we didn’t come anywhere close on any of those things, but that was the idea - to blend the best things from the different Infinity Engine games into our own thing,” he says.
The idea was rock solid. The studio had more than proven itself in the genre. Double Fine had legitimized Kickstarter as a viable funding route. And top-down throwback CRPGs were just as rare as point-and-click adventure games. Even still, “I thought there was a 50/50 chance that we would get funded in a month,” Sawyer said, “so the fact that it was funded in 27 hours blew us away.”
“Creatively, I did feel more constrained on both Pillars and Deadfire, because there were so many genre expectations, worldbuilding expectations, ruleset expectations,” he continued. “Sometimes I had ideas where I was like I think this probably could be a better game, objectively, if I could make different choices here - but if I make different choices, a big chunk of the audience is going to get really upset about it.”
Pillars of Eternity was eventually a big success for the studio, and it’s continued to have a ripple effect throughout the years. Obsidian’s next game, the first-person RPGAvowedcoming next year, actually shares the same universe as its isometric adventures, and Sawyer has mentionedthe possibility of a Pillars of Eternity 3 a fair few times after the success of Baldur’s Gate 3.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
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2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2
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3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”