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Video: How Obsidian built Pillars of Eternity by looking back while moving forward

At GDC Europe 2016 Obsidian's Josh Sawyer looks at Pillars of Eternity's origins, and how Obsidian went about trying to update the RPG genre while paying tribute to the games that inspired it.

January 31, 2019

1 Min Read
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Obsidian Entertainment's Kickstarted RPG Pillars of Eternity was a bona fide hit in 2015, in part because it evoked the essence of classic '90s Infinity Engine games like Baldurs Gate and Icewind Dale while delivering a modern take on a tactial RPG.

In this GDC Europe 2016 session, Obsidian Entertainment's Josh Sawyer looks at the origins of Pillars of Eternity, and how Obsidian went about trying to update the classic PC RPG genre while paying tribute to the games that inspired it.

Sawyer's talk was full of practical insights and interesting anecdotes about the Obsidian RPG design process, so take advantage of the fact that you can now watch it completely free via the official GDC YouTube channel!

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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