SEGA signs Obsidian for next-generation RPG

SEGA has announced a partnership with Neverwinter Nights 2 developer Obsidian Entertainment, which will see the duo collaborate on an original role-playing game for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

There's no news on a name or release date at this point. When asked if the game would feature at E3 in May, a SEGA spokesperson declined to comment on the contents of its E3 line-up.

The worldwide deal is the latest in a number of partnerships SEGA's formed with notable developers including Bizarre Creations, Silicon Knights and Monolith, having also acquired UK-based The Creative Assembly last year.

Of those partnerships, only Monolith (Condemned: Creative Origins) and The Creative Assembly (the Total War series) have seen games released, and SEGA is expected to reveal the fruits of at least some of its collaborations at E3.

Obsidian's work certainly qualifies for comparison to that of SEGA's other partners - its relationship with famed RPG developer Bioware has seen it produce a critically acclaimed sequel to extremely popular Xbox and PC title Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, while it's currently busy working on a sequel to Neverwinter Nights - one of Bioware's most lauded titles.

"The development team at Obsidian has 'proven track record' stamped all over it," said Simon Jeffery, President and COO, SEGA of America, Inc. "When SEGA decided to create a fresh and captivating RPG franchise for new generations of hardware, we immediately knew who we wanted to work with."

"We are excited to be working with a great publisher like SEGA as they are willing and excited to launch new and visionary IP on next generation consoles," said Feargus Urquhart, CEO of Obsidian Entertainment, Inc. "At Obsidian, our focus is to make exceptional games and we see SEGA as a true partner in achieving that goal for our next epic RPG."