We've heard of game development being impacted by all sorts of causes, including layoffs, pandemics, software and unrealistic expectations, among other reasons. But what about a game being impacted by too much success? Well, it turns out that was the case for Baldur's Gate 3.

Indeed, according to Larian Studios' CEO, Baldur's Gate 3 received so many awards that game development was being impacted. That's because Larian has made every effort to accept any award or recognition. That decision, in turn, caused various members to miss time, prompting the studio to shift its awards strategy to not hurt the game. It sounds crazy, but it's true.

Baldur's Gate 3 Won Too Many Awards
In an interview with Edge Magazine, and as transcribed by GamesRadar, Larian Studio's CEO and Baldur's Gate 3 director Swen Vincke revealed the unique predicament that his studio faced. "It affects development - there's a lot of them," he said. "This has been a real problem."

As Baldur's Gate 3 continued to pile on the awards, Vincke said that "rotating teams" were called upon to go to the various shows and events. Larian might be the first, and potentially only, studio where "different people went to different award shows," because of the sheer number of awards it was receiving.

To this day, Vincke says that they're still collecting awards. And unlike some creatives, Larian is making every effort to be there for them. "We still have award shows that we're going to," Vincke revealed. "Because they're important, and we really appreciate it."

In the future, though, Vincke hopes that the award shows could happen at the same time. Not because Larian wants to make fewer trips, but because "it is surprisingly draining on the soul." Indeed, Vincke and crew are hoping to finally get closure on their critically acclaimed project, but it's impossible with the constant praise still being given. "We've all been more emotional because we can't get closure. And you want to have closure at the end of a project."

By our count, Baldur's Gate 3 has won nearly three dozen awards, and that's just the ones that are listed on IMDB. It's no small feat, and is certainly well deserved. There's no doubt that Larian knew it had a gem on its hand, it probably just didn't anticipate game development being impacted by its success. That said, of all the ways to have a game impacted, this is certainly the best way.

Posted: Jul 18, 2024 12:06 pm
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: https://www.thegamer.com/baldurs-gate-3s-many-awards-impacted-game-dev-says-larian-critically-acclaimed-crpg/