The Outer World should've been Isometric cRPG. The fact that it needs to be "Fallout (New Vegas) in Space" proof how detrimental FNV impact has been to FPP CRPG-like games.
Seems more like it's proof Pillars didn't sell too well.
I haven't played many newer games besides PF Kingmaker, that was a modest success by crpg standards and despite console ports and hiw easy it is to learn about and purchase games nowadays, its sales numbers are comparable to how well BG2 did the first 5 years after release.
I followed the CRPG scene a bit the past 2 years, BG3 is really an anomaly as it sold very well but is tb and has a DND ruleset. Basically any similar game that I know of that's come out the past 20 years or so hasnt been terribly successful besides D: OS2 and BG3 allegedly has sold double of what that game did.
I can't blame Obsidian for trying to make something that would appeal to a larger demographic. They tried making a more traditional crpg and it didn't work out well enough to continue in that direction. Sawyer wants a huge budget to try that type of game again and I don't think he's just being dramatic about it. He feels like they won't make money if they don't have big money to produce something that could compete with BG3.
I guess there's something special about Larian. After the success of BG3 maybe we will get more games that are similar in the future.