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00:00:00 – 00:10:53
This video delves into the history and uncertain future of the "Dark Alliance" RPG series, a beloved part of the Baldur's Gate franchise. It begins with a focus on the series' past success, particularly noting the cliffhanger ending of "Dark Alliance 2" and a shift towards Egyptian-themed villains. The main thread throughout the video is the exploration of what "Dark Alliance 3" could have been had it not been affected by financial troubles and management issues at Black Isle Studios and their parent company, Interplay.
Black Isle’s abrupt closure by Interplay in 2003 resulted in the cancellation of several high-profile projects, including "Dark Alliance 3," with subsequent speculations on its features, which likely would have included enhanced multiplayer elements and updated D&D rules. The video also highlights the mishandling of the "Dark Alliance" license, including a lawsuit from Snowblind Studios, which developed the original game. Snowblind was initially granted rights to create more games but failed to meet contractual obligations, leading the rights to revert to Interplay in 2007.
The speaker notes that although "Fallout 3" and "Baldur's Gate 3" were eventually resurrected by other studios, “Dark Alliance 3” continues to remain unmaterialized. The video's conclusion speculates on whether Interplay, still holding the rights in a poor financial state, might revive the series, potentially propelled by the renewed interest following the success of Baldur's Gate 3. The video closes with the hope for future developments and a call to subscribe for more content on defunct companies and nostalgic games.
00:00:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the failure of “Vampires Gambit” and the impact on their mission, deciding to raise Tomb soldiers and take direct action. The speaker then shifts focus to the classic RPG series “Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance,” reminiscing about its successful blend of gameplay, D&D mechanics, and rich lore. The second game ended on a cliffhanger with an unexpected Egyptian-themed villain revealed. The speaker outlines the episode’s goals: to explore the history of the unreleased “Dark Alliance 3,” speculate on its potential features, and consider its future prospects. The video delves into Black Isle Studios’ history and its troubled parent company, Interplay, highlighting how financial mismanagement hindered the game’s development.
00:03:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the abrupt closure of Black Isle by Interplay in December 2003, which resulted in the firing of all employees and the cancellation of their ongoing projects, including “Dark Alliance 3,” “Fallout 3,” and “Baldur’s Gate 3.” While “Fallout 3” and “Baldur’s Gate 3” were eventually revived by other studios, there is little information about “Dark Alliance 3.” The video transitions into discussing what “Dark Alliance 3” might have been like, hypothesizing that multiplayer would play a significant role, likely incorporating both local co-op and online features, and that the game would update to 5th edition D&D rules. The potential storyline is speculated based on hints from “Dark Alliance 2,” but the exact direction Black Isle intended for the narrative remains unknown.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, the discussion revolves around the uncertain future of the game Dark Alliance and its development history. There is speculation that the interest seen in Baldur’s Gate 3 could potentially spark renewed interest in creating Dark Alliance 3. A detailed history of the Dark Alliance license is provided, explaining that the original game was developed by Snowblind Studios using their own engine, but Interplay produced sequels without permission and royalties. This led to a lawsuit in which Snowblind was granted the rights to create another Dark Alliance game, but these rights reverted to Interplay in 2007 when Snowblind did not meet the contract terms. The segment highlights Interplay’s troubled handling of their licenses and financial instability, suggesting the possibility that the Dark Alliance license could have been sold to another party.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, the speaker speculates on Interplay’s current status regarding the Dark Alliance rights and their potential to produce a new game in the series. They discuss the possibility that Interplay may still hold the rights but hasn’t used them due to the company’s poor condition. The speaker suggests that the success of Baldur’s Gate 3 might inspire Interplay to revive Dark Alliance, despite several uncertainties such as licensing, funding, and interest. Additionally, there’s a hopeful but light-hearted mention of Dark Alliance 2 making a comeback. The video ends with a call to subscribe for more discussions on defunct companies and old games.