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What does the Baldur's Gate 3 "standard-setting" discourse mean for devs?
13.09.2023 - 14:31 / gamedeveloper.com
Baldur’s Gate 3 has become a smashing success since its launch on Steam, winning praise for the sheer breadth of content made by Larian Studios that fulfills the tabletop role-playing fantasy.
But the sheer amount of content in the game has sparked a conversation online about the state of the video game industry. It’s a multi-layered discussion that speaks to the high demands of players and the amount of time and money developers need to sate those demands. In advance of the game’s release, Larian revealed that the game contains over 174 hours of cinematics—a metric that documents the sheer volume of content the game possesses.
An IGN video titled “Baldur’s Gate 3 is Causing Some Developers to Panic" sparked controversy and unusual discourse around the game, with arguments that were either shaky or built on incorrect premises.
We wanted to hear from developers and experts about the scope and scale of games like Baldur’s Gate 3, and how these shifts in the market impact their work. Here’s what they had to say.
Since the discussion around Baldur’s Gate 3 raising the standards of RPGs was started, many raised concerns over player expectations. Some have said this new 'standard' might put unreasonable pressure on developers—especially indie ones. Others have argued that if Larian could do it, players should expect other big studios to produce engaging RPG games with similar scope.
Larian CEO Swen Vincke addressed this conversation in an interview with Game Developer, rejecting the idea that the game’s success should be a standard for other developers to aspire to.
Damien Crawford, the developer of Purgatory Dungeoneer and Labyrinth of Wild Abyss, also offered some context: “Baldur’s Gate 3 is a game that's been in development for 5-6 years, using a name that carries a significant legacy. Players are hoping for this title to set a new standard of RPG when few game franchises/companies can claim such a history or survive such a long development cycle.”
Something strange about the ongoing discourse over Baldur's Gate 3 is how some commentators act like the game sprung out of nowhere. The legacy of the Baldur’s Gate and Dungeons & Dragons franchises and Larian’s successful Early Access launch, combined with other contributing factors like an extended development cycle, culminated in what feels like the closest digital experience to a tabletop D&D campaign.
“Baldur’s Gate 2 is still one of the biggest RPGs ever, and the same can be said about spiritual successors like Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous,” points out Felipe Pepe, author and curator of the CRPG Book Project. “What is amazing is that Larian managed to replicate this gigantic scope with a level of presentation and polish that few triple-A studios can
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