Baldur's Gate 3 publishing director says the CRPG's latest players' choice win is proof that "a developer is not a dispensable asset"
Apr. 12, 2024Developers aren’t “something to be decommissioned when it suits,” he says
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Baldur’s Gate 3had a very successful night at the BAFTA Game Awards, taking home not just the Best Game award, but also accolades for the best music, narrative, and even players' choice. Speaking about the players' choice win, the CRPG’s publishing director, Michael Douse, says it’s “a testimony to the fact that a developer is not a dispensable asset.”
Posting his thoughts following the awards ceremony, Douse calls the EE Players' Choice win “the most meaningful suggestion that we’re doing something right, something resonant.” He adds: “Recognition from peers is always appreciated, but recognition from the players just hits different. You are our audience and, ultimately, those who understand us most.”
Speaking about the ceremony itself, Douse notes that it would have been “a scientific impracticality” to have crammed every single person from the Baldur’s Gate 3 team onto the stage, but “we can put them on a pedestal.” He says: “The folks at Larian Studios are the most driven, ambitious, chaotic people you will ever meet. See you next time!
“Let it be a testimony to the fact that a developer is not a dispensable asset. Something to be decommissioned when it suits. That idealistic drive and institutional knowledge is exactly how great games are made,” he continues. “Cherish your developers, don’t abandon them for easy gains.”
Douse’s words are particularly timely considering the issues that the games industry continues to face. Over the last year or so, layoffs have been ravaging studios across the world – in February alone,plans for hundreds of redundancies at EAandSony Interactive Entertainmentwere revealed. Otherwise, there are ongoingconcerns surrounding crunch cultureand burnout, with CRPG veteranJosh Sawyer recently calling the latter the “primary hazard of the game industry.”
Baldur’s Gate 3’s publishing directorrecently compared the success of the game to Palworld, and said “it’s not rocket science” why the survival game is doing so well.
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
I’m one of GamesRadar+’s news writers, who works alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield’s student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming’s news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you’re sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.
Pathfinder: The Dragon’s Demand devs say Baldur’s Gate 3-style level caps help make games shorter, because not everybody has “time for 100-hour RPGs”
Cyberpunk 2077’s surprise car customization update was co-developed by the Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake devs, lets you lower your wanted level on the fly GTA-style
Xbox teases “something little is coming,” pushing community manager to immediately shut down handheld and “Xbox 720” speculation
