Tim Cain, co-author of Fallout, Arcanum, The Temple of Elemental Evil, and The Outer Worlds, stated in a video on his YouTube channel that he no longer plans to create new franchises. The reason, he says, is simple: he is tired of making other people rich with his ideas.
I love making games, so people are very surprised [that Cain is not creating new franchises], they ask: "Why aren't you making new games, new franchises?" Other people have made much more from my projects than I ever received. And it's not a small difference—it's huge… Series I created years ago bring more money to team members who simply work on them than I received for actually creating those games.
Tim Cain
Cain added that he simply doesn't have the resources to independently develop a new RPG. If he collaborated with a publisher to finance the project, the situation would repeat: someone else would again earn much more than him. So, the idea of new franchises is closed for him.
"I am making toys for myself, and that makes me happy. I'm no longer interested in making someone incredibly rich with my ideas," he explains.
The developer believes the gaming industry needs a system that would allow for a fairer distribution of project revenue—so artists, programmers, designers, and everyone involved in the creation process receive more appropriate rewards for their efforts. According to Cain, other industries—film, TV, and book publishing—have long devised fair ways to share revenue between creators and publishers.
Currently, Cain is working at Obsidian, but not in a leading role, rather in a capacity similar to his involvement in Tyranny or South Park: The Stick of Truth. Nonetheless, he does not rule out that interest in creating new franchises might return, but only with significant changes in the gaming industry.