Tim Cain Reveals His Reasons for Abandoning New Franchise Creation in the Gaming Industry

Tim Cain, co-creator of notable games such as  Fallout,  Arcanum,  The Temple of Elemental Evil, and  The Outer Worlds, recently declared in a video on his YouTube channel that he has no plans to create new franchises. The reasoning behind this is quite simple: he is weary of enriching others with his ideas.

Tim Cain

Cain mentioned that he lacks the necessary resources for independently developing a new RPG. He believes that even if he were to partner with a publisher to fund a project, the outcome would likely be the same, with someone else profiting far more than he would. Thus, the notion of developing new franchises is off the table for him. «I create games for my own enjoyment, and that makes me happy. I’m no longer interested in making someone else incredibly wealthy off my ideas,” he explains.

The developer also believes there is a need for a system in the gaming industry that allows for a more equitable distribution of revenue from projects, ensuring that artists, programmers, designers, and all other professionals involved receive fair compensation for their work. According to Cain, other industries—such as film, television, and publishing—have long established fair methods for splitting income between creators and publishers.

Currently, Cain is working at Obsidian, but it appears he is not in a leading position, similar to his roles in  Tyranny or  South Park: The Stick of Truth. Nevertheless, he has not ruled out the possibility of becoming interested in creating new franchises again, but only if significant changes occur within the gaming industry.