Summary
- Cult classic RPGs like Arcanum and Bloodlines never got sequels due to poor sales, according to Fallout co-creator Tim Cain.
- Despite fan love, the titles developed by Cain and his studio, Troika Games, struggled to draw sales.
- A game’s popularity as a cult classic doesn’t guarantee a sequel if sales are low.
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain has recently revealed why classic cult RPGs such as Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura and Vampire: the Masquerade – Bloodlines never got sequels: they simply did not sell well. Tim Cain is among the most well-known veterans in the gaming industry due to helping to create popular franchises such as Fallout, but some of the other games he developed were not so successful.
Cain has been in the game industry since the 80s, and he has participated in the development of over a dozen games since then, including the first Fallout, and in more recent years, Pillars of Eternity, Tyranny, and The Outer Worlds at Obsidian Entertainment. When working at the studio he co-founded, Troika Games, he also became known for some of the best RPGs of the early 2000s: The Temple of Elemental Evil, Arcanum, and Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines.
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Now, as reported by PC Gamer, Cain explained why beloved cult classics such as Vampire – Bloodlines or Arcanum never received sequels, considering their status as cult classics. “They’re like, ‘You made a cult classic.’ And I’m like, ‘The problem is the cult part.’ They didn’t sell well,” the developer revealed. Despite how some fans loved Bloodlines, for example, it was the Troika game that sold the least, and the company simply could not find publishers to fund a sequel, having to shut down in 2005. This was before Kickstarters became a popular way to fund development, and a game being a “cult classic” meant nothing if gamers did not actually purchase the title, and publishers did not want to support it. As Cain argued, a game that sold a million copies would often receive a sequel, while another that sold 50,000 units would not.
Fallout Co-Creator Tim Cain Has Not Made Sequels for Classic Cult RPGs Because They Didn’t Sell Well
They’re like, ‘You made a cult classic.’ And I’m like, ‘The problem is the cult part.’ They didn’t sell well.
While the creator did participate in the development of new games for a while after Troika shut down, Tim Cain is currently working on the upcoming The Outer Worlds 2. With a trailer revealed during The Game Awards, The Outer Worlds 2 is expected to release in 2025.
Fortunately, at least one of the series abandoned by Troika Games was not entirely forgotten. After a troubled development and several delays, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 will be out in the first half of 2025. Hopefully, the series will see enough sales numbers so that the franchise will not be relegated to the status of a beloved cult classic once more.
Fallout
Fallout is a franchise built around a series of RPGs set in a post-nuclear world, in which great vaults have been built to shelter parts of humankind. There are six main games, various spin-offs, tabletop games, and a TV series from Amazon Studios.