In a recent interview with VG 24/7, Chris Avellone (co-founder and ex-creative director of Obsidian) pretty bluntly stated that “I wouldn’t work with senior management” when speaking about Obsidian. Ever since leaving the company in 2015, Avellone has been pretty vocal about the issues he took with the studio. Those problems were given a bit more clarity when Avellone was asked how he felt about the direction of the company at the Reboot Develop conference this weekend.
“I think the most important thing is just communication on all levels,” Avellone explained. “There might be two owners who might actually really know what was going on with a certain project, with a certain issue, and the others might be in the dark. And that would happen at all levels.” An example he gives is with the art director not being informed of a change to art, which creates a situation where people’s toes end up getting stepped on. Someone would radically alter a piece of art, but the art director had a specific goal in mind that is then ruined.
Nepotism is something Avellone doesn’t think highly of, either. “Even if your friend or your family member is the best at their job, bringing in someone like that causes problems. Other people will view them differently,” Avellone said. “It isn’t just about perception, either. Humans are a flawed species and we’re not always aware of our bias, so there’s a chance we could subconsciously treat a family member differently to regular staff.”
Source: Destructoid Chris Avellone shoots down possibility of working with Obsidian again