Obsidian Announces Pathfinder Partnership With Paizo, CRPG Release Planned

Through a press release on their official Facebook page, Obsidian Entertainment has announced a partnership with Paizo to release electronic games based on their successful pen and paper role-playing game Pathfinder. For now, the first announced project is simply a tablet version of the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, but given this partnership sounds longer term, I wouldn’t be surprised if they also aim to release a full-fledged CRPG based on the setting:

OBSIDIAN ANNOUNCES PATHFINDER LICENSE

Obsidian to partner with Paizo Inc. to release electronic Pathfinder games

INDIANAPOLIS — August 13, 2014 — Obsidian Entertainment, the developer of Fallout: New Vegas, South Park: the Stick of Truth and the Kickstarter phenomenon Pillars of Eternity, announced that they have entered into a long-term licensing partnership with Paizo Inc. to produce electronic games based on its popular Pathfinder Roleplaying Game intellectual property

Obsidian’s first licensed product will be a tablet game based on the highly successful Pathfinder Adventure Card game, a cooperative game for 1 to 4 players. Players each have a unique character composed of a deck of cards and a set of stats. Characters have classes such as fighter, rogue, wizard and cleric, as well as numbers that define attributes such as strength, wisdom and charisma etc. Players will be able to customize their deck to better suit each individual’s vision of their character.

“At Obsidian we have a long history of working with the greatest RPG franchises, and we’re thrilled to get to play in the Pathfinder universe now,” said CEO Feargus Urquhart. “We’re huge fans and can’t wait to bring what we do in the electronic gaming world to Pathfinder fans everywhere”.

In the world of Pathfinder, players take on the role of brave adventurers fighting to survive in a world beset by magic and evil. The Pathfinder RPG is currently translated into multiple languages, with hundreds of thousands of players worldwide. The Pathfinder brand has also been licensed for comic book series, graphic novels, miniatures, plush toys, apparel, and is being developed into a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game.

“Obsidian is a video game developer at the top of its game”, said Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens. “Being able to bring that type of experience and passion to Pathfinder can only mean great things, both for our loyal Pathfinder community and for all fans of great CRPG’s.”

Obsidian will be at Gen Con 2014 showing off an early prototype of the digital Pathfinder Adventure Card Game in the Paizo booth (#203) and in their own booth (#2151) featuring the first consumer hands on for Pillars of Eternity.

Update: On the Pathfinder forums, CEO Lisa Stevens has confirmed the partnership includes a CRPG (thanks ArenCordial!):

There will be a CRPG. Just no details to announce right now. Our deal with Obsidian is a long term partnership. I expect there will be many games over the coming years. The card game app was easier for them to get up running fast. There will even be a demo at our booth at GenCon. But there are other plans that will be revealed in time.

Super excited that this is finally public! Looking forward to working with Obsidian on a bunch of awesome Pathfinder games!