The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition - Obsidian's first-person sci-fi RPG set in a corporate space colony

[Saint_Proverbius]

5 million copies sold but it looks like they want to hit 10 million with the sequel.

10 million probably wouldn't have been a hard target to hit if they'd capitalized on Bethesda screwing up Fallout 76 in the game itself. Pretty much every interview and preview were talking about Fallout and Fallout New Vegas.

 

[Abu Antar]

They have Avowed coming. It takes priority.

 

[Fedora Master]

Can you not bump the thread please

 

[Abu Antar]

Can you not bump the thread please

Ok.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

Request denied.

 

[Roguey]

They have Avowed coming. It takes priority.

Oh sure, but the reason behind these TOW giveaways seems pretty likely to me. Building up an audience to buy the sequel (ideally). TOW->Avowed doesn't seem as likely. Different setting, different team, somewhat different gameplay.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Is HE in this GAME?



Can you mod him in?

 

[Abu Antar]

They have Avowed coming. It takes priority.

Oh sure, but the reason behind these TOW giveaways seems pretty likely to me. Building up an audience to buy the sequel (ideally). TOW->Avowed doesn't seem as likely. Different setting, different team, somewhat different gameplay.

Makes sense, but rumor also has it that they weren't supposed to have shown the TOW2 trailer yet, and MS got pissed. I don't buy it, but that's what was said at the time.

 

[Roguey]

Makes sense, but rumor also has it that they weren't supposed to have shown the TOW2 trailer yet, and MS got pissed. I don't buy it, but that's what was said at the time.

That's not quite it. They wanted trailers for both TOW 2 and Avowed but Obsidian thought they only wanted the former.

 

[Cross]

They have Avowed coming. It takes priority.

Oh sure, but the reason behind these TOW giveaways seems pretty likely to me. Building up an audience to buy the sequel (ideally).

It's a sound strategy...for a game that's fun and memorable. But if your game is as banal as The Outer Worlds, playing it would make you less inclined to buy the sequel.

 

[Baron Tahn]

So how on earth did the first one justify a sequel? Did this actually have a fanbase or is it like a tax write off somehow?

 

[ciox]

Did this actually have a fanbase

It's called a bandwagon.

 

[Decado]

Suspect they'll have another PoE situation on their hands (First game sells reasonably well, second game fails due to lost interest)

I'm of two minds on this. On the one hand, I think you're correct and that nobody really wants a sequel -- I think a large part of the original's success as the novelty, exploring the new universe, etc. But it was not good enough to warrant continued interest.

On the other hand, now being firmly in the grip of Microsoft who is looking to expand their territory when it comes to original ("original") IP, they might pump a hefty marketing budget behind this. Plus, they can always throw it on Gamepass.

That said I doubt they will hit 10 million units sold. I think they hit 7.5 if they're lucky. 10 million is immaturely optimistic. Unless, of course, the game is phenomenal and departs significantly from the first one in terms of mechanics, etc. Which it probably won't.

 

[Roguey]

So how on earth did the first one justify a sequel? Did this actually have a fanbase or is it like a tax write off somehow?

5 million sold.

 

[Yosharian]

So how on earth did the first one justify a sequel? Did this actually have a fanbase or is it like a tax write off somehow?

People bought it thinking it would be like Fallout New Vegas









It wasn't

 

[Vulpes]

So how on earth did the first one justify a sequel? Did this actually have a fanbase or is it like a tax write off somehow?

5 million sold.

And like Deadfire, TOW 2 will sell like shit because the first one didn't live up to the hype and Obsidian's fans now know what to expect from the next game. In this case, a boring cookie-cutter sci-fi ARPG. Most of them will not fall for the "it's just like New Vegas!!!!" marketing angle for a second time.

 

[Sannom]

I think a large part of the original's success as the novelty, exploring the new universe, etc.

Well, that might still be the case, since the action will reportedly happen in a completely different system. In fact the only thing from the trailer that I expect to be relevant to the final game is the armor design (very different from the previous games) and the fact that they have jetpacks.

 

[luj1]

The Outer Worlds Roguey's Choice Edition: Please Buy This Game

 

[Krivol]

5 million copies sold

Idk bro, 6 5 million sounds like a lot.

 

[mediocrepoet]

Outer Worlds 1 seemed like it could be good or interesting and it just managed to be incredibly dull on the game play front, whatever its merits (or lack thereof) in terms of narrative and world building. It felt like the game equivalent of paint by numbers except somehow less compelling.

Can you not bump the thread please

You first.

 

[luj1]

This thread is the lifeblood of Infinitron

 

[normie]

5 million copies sold

Idk bro, 6 5 million sounds like a lot.

maybe 250k at the most

 

[Butter]

Nobody has voted for The Outer Worlds as one of the ten greatest RPGs yet. I thought this was a Tim Cain fan site?

 

[Baron Tahn]

5 million is one hell of a successful marketing campaign for a shit game, but the worst bit is that it justifies a sequel regardless of the quality of the product.

Thats some sewer level cynicism from developers/publishers right there. 'We know it's shit but lets make another one anyway, because money.'

 

[KVVRR]

Suspect they'll have another PoE situation on their hands (First game sells reasonably well, second game fails due to lost interest)

I'm of two minds on this. On the one hand, I think you're correct and that nobody really wants a sequel -- I think a large part of the original's success as the novelty, exploring the new universe, etc. But it was not good enough to warrant continued interest.

On the other hand, now being firmly in the grip of Microsoft who is looking to expand their territory when it comes to original ("original") IP, they might pump a hefty marketing budget behind this. Plus, they can always throw it on Gamepass.

That said I doubt they will hit 10 million units sold. I think they hit 7.5 if they're lucky. 10 million is immaturely optimistic. Unless, of course, the game is phenomenal and departs significantly from the first one in terms of mechanics, etc. Which it probably won't.

Would more money even help here? I remember watching interviews with Cain and Boyarsky years ago and it always sounded like it was more of an issue of time rather than budget. Sure the AA budget affected their mentality on how big the game should be, but there seemed to be just a bunch of stuff that got cut just to make the deadline and a stable game. Maybe this is also why it feels like so much of the game is just checking boxes of "stuff rpgs must have"