James Ohlen was the lead designer of Baldur’s Gate 2 and worked at BioWare, a role-playing game company for over 22 years. He left in 2018 to co-found his own studio, Archetype Entertainment, and work on a new sci-fi RPG. Exodus that people can’t help but keep comparing Mass effect. But he left his new studio before the match shipped under mysterious circumstances last year. He now says the experience “almost killed me.”
“As a creative you care so much about everything, and then as a studio head you have to cut the baby in half all the time and let people constantly attack your vision,” he said in a new statement. in-depth interview with PC gamer. “I definitely wouldn’t put myself in that situation again; it’s not a healthy place to be.”
Exodus is an ambitious RPG shooter in which time dilation effects allow you to see the consequences of your actions play out in different worlds over the centuries. He also involves Matthew McConaugheyfor some reason. Wizards of the Coast is funding the project and would apparently like to use its deep lore and extensive worldbuilding as a springboard for new tabletop role-playing games, collectible card games, and potential film or television spinoffs. The game is expected to be released in 2027, making it a project that will have spanned a pandemic, three presidential administrations and potentially several console generations.
Ohlen detailed difficult contract negotiations with Peter Hamilton and difficult bureaucratic hurdles at Wizards. It also seems that running a brand new studio while being the creative lead on a brand new IP has taken its toll. “Everyone I know has run studios because they love it, and I hate it,” he said, adding that he struggled without a “peak executive producer” to help him protect the creative side of Exodus’ production of the highest ranks.
The video game industry veteran is currently working on a series of RPG adventure books with former BioWare creative director Jesse Sky. It doesn’t look like he’ll be diving back into the world of video game startups anytime soon.