Black Isle Studios

About

Best known for the Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale series of RPGs, Black Isle Studios was closed in December 8, 2003 then revived in August 22, 2012.

Black Isle Studios was a division of the computer and video game developer and publisher Interplay Entertainment, created specifically for the development of computer role-playing games. It was based in Orange County, California. The division was formed during 1996, adopting the name "Black Isle Studios" during 1998. The idea for the division's name came from the Black Isle in Scotland - founder Feargus Urquhart's native country. Black Isle Studios is most famous for working on the Fallout and Baldur's Gate series of computer role-playing games, though it only published the Baldur's Gate series.

In December 2003 due to financial troubles Interplay had to lay off all the Black Isle staff and the studio was made defunct. Most of the employees moved to found Obsidian Entertainment.

Interplay revived the studio in August 2012. With a new website launched, their focus will once again be to develop innovative computer role-playing games. Only two of the original Black Isle Studios team are working on the new team, Mark O'Green and Christopher Taylor, who is the head of the studio.