Last year saw Obsidian Entertainment release not one, not two, but three big games – The Outer Worlds 2, Avowed, and Grounded 2 (albeit in early access). Despite relatively strong critical acclaim for the first two, however, studio Feargus Urquhart revealed to Bloomberg that they didn’t meet Microsoft’s sales expectations.
“They’re not disasters. I’m not going to say this was a kick in the teeth. It was more like: ‘That sucks. What are we learning?’” said Urquhart. Meanwhile, Grounded 2 emerged as a fairly sizable hit (and based on its latest big update, The Toxic Tangle, it’s only gotten better).
As a result, Obsidian is re-evaluating how it develops games, or as Urquhart says, “Think a lot about how much we put into the games, how much we spend on them, how long they take.” One such step is to reduce development time, targeting three to four per game, as opposed to the six-plus that Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 necessitated.
“I don’t think anybody really likes five-, six-, seven-year dev cycles. We’ve kind of grown into that,” says Brandon Adler, who directed the latter. Comparatively, Grounded 2 was developed in just two, and it wasn’t even on the cards until Eidos Montreal pitched the same back in 2023.
While Obsidian could look at outsourcing more work in the future, you likely shouldn’t expect it to release three titles in the same year again. “Spacing those releases helps the company manage its resources and not burn everybody out. It’s not good to release three games in the same year. It’s the result of things going wrong,” says Pentiment director Josh Sawyer.
As for what’s next, Obsidian Entertainment is reportedly working on four different unannounced projects. With rumors of a Fallout: New Vegas remaster circulating, there’s hope that it could return to the iconic RPG. In the meantime, it still has more updates for Grounded 2 and will bring Avowed to PS5 on February 17th.
It’s interesting to see how the financial performance of major titles can vary, especially after such a busy year for Obsidian. Their creativity and dedication to storytelling are always commendable, and it’ll be intriguing to see how they adapt moving forward.
You’re right; it’s always surprising how expectations don’t always match reality. The competitive gaming landscape can really overshadow even well-received titles. It makes you wonder how much marketing and timing play into a game’s success.
You’re absolutely right! The competitive gaming landscape definitely plays a big role in how games are received. It’s interesting to see how even well-crafted titles can struggle when they face off against massive franchises. Hopefully, Obsidian can find a way to leverage their unique storytelling in future projects.
It’s interesting to see how the timing of releases affects sales, especially with so many titles vying for players’ attention. Obsidian’s unique storytelling often sets them apart, but it can be tough to stand out in a crowded market. Hopefully, their future projects can find a wider audience!
Absolutely, timing can make a huge difference! With the crowded release schedules we’ve seen, it’s tough for even quality games to stand out. It would be interesting to analyze how marketing strategies could also play a role in their financial performance.