The problem I see with Piranha Bytes's recent output is that they haven't progressed much from the formula they've been using since 2001. It was OK to only have a non-customisable male PC in the original Gothic, as the setting was a men's prison colony and they probably didn't have a budget for more PC options. But the fact that they have stuck to this template ever since and call it "Tradition" is really regressive. They mentioned in the adverts how they were "going back to their roots" but they never said what they new things they were going to do.
Instead of having a bland, nameless, voice-acted, male PC they could opt for either A: a strongly defined pre-generated main-character like Agent 47 and Adam Jensen that stills give leeway in how you can play, or B: a fully customisable character with options for race, gender and appearance like Fallout and the Elder Scrolls.
If Piranha Bytes really wants to attract new players, they could try to appeal beyond the Straight/White/Male/ARPG demographic and try making games within their scope and budget.
@morninglight: The real shame is that while Risen 3 won't attract a new audience it's also alienating to existing fans like me: A completely new cast of Voice Actors, a new Main Character who we've seen never before, Character Derailment and Chickification... Neither did Piranha Bytes evolve nor did they "return to the roots". I don't know what the audience for Risen 3 actually is; I only liked it because of the gameplay and because I'm really forgiving when it comes to Gothic and Risen, nostalgia is a big factor here.
Honestly, I can't say if Piranha Bytes actually has a future, they refuse to change. It's 2014 and they didn't evolve one bit. There's also the fact that the one game that DID change the formula (Gothic 3) was met with universal backlash and hate, so it's no wonder that Piranha Bytes now fears change and evolution.
I can't see them compete with big Western RPG developers ever again. Gothic 2 was - at least in Germany - THE big alternative to Morrowind, but Risen has no chance to compete with RPGs by Obsidian, CD Projekt RED or even BioWare. It's a niche game for a niche audience and runs on goodwill and nostalgia. Not exactly the best recipe to attract a growing and loyal fanbase. :/
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Risen 3 - It's really hard to love this game.
Risen 3 is a problematic game. I'm serious, there are tons of little problems and mountains of bullshit you have to slog through if you want to enjoy this game. Character Derailment left and right, new Voice Actors for every returning character (at least in the German version) and a plot that runs on your Lancers stupidity are just a few of this games problems. It's also quite sexist. There are NO female warriors and especially no female mages, every women is either a farmer or some kind of Gold Digger. Patty also got chickified which is especially troubling since she was the ONLY halfway competent female in the whole Risen universe. The faction system is once again nothing special, it makes really no big difference if you choose a mage or the pirates for example (at least no STORY difference, your learnable skills are different of course). Gothic 3 is still Piranha Bytes' only game where choosing a faction actually mattered; it's depressing to see that this studio didn't change the Gothic formula one bit while the Western RPG genre as a whole evolved. Risen 3 obviously can't compete with games like Fallout: New Vegas (my personal favourite Western RPG of all time), but even older RPGs like Fallout 2 are more advanced than Risen 3 in certain aspects.
And yet... and yet...
I can't bring myself to hate it. The core gameplay is very fun and engaging, and there is still this "Gothic feeling" i like about Gothic and Risen. This rough world where everyone is a hardass, and the humour is occasionally really funny (on other occasions it's cringeworthy which can be just as entertaining). There's also tons of stuff to do. Of course it's almost always monster killing or Twenty Bear Asses stuff, but at least I get to fight lots of enemies which is really fun as a mage. It almost reminds me of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning: Tons of stuff, not very creative, but backed by a fun combat engine.
And that's Risen 3. Not the best game ever and really stupid at times, but quite fun if you don't expect too much from it. Bonus Points for being the only Risen game that doesn't look like shit on consoles. There's the occasional framerate drop but nothing as gamebreaking as in Risen 2.
(Played the German version on Xbox 360.)