Bigots lost: How Obsidian Entertainment has plans to make it to 100 years in the business.

[I'm Not Buying A Game Ever Again]

https://www.eurogamer.net/avowed-studio-plans-to-make-its-100th-birthday-by-staying-lean-and-invested

I mean, if Nintendo made it, who says others can't? You just have to believe in yourself and stay focused on your true vision.

Sure, Avowed might not be everyone's cup of tea and be under attack by a minority of angry "gamers" crying "w0ke," but in the grand scheme of things, Avowed might be just a small title in the extensive catalog they'll build in years to come.

I personally find this exciting because of the prospect of more games and appreciating in real time the evolution of the studio through each release, instead of focusing in politics (which is something people seem to enjoy more today rather than the game itself).

[JacEEEBABY]

Only normies are playing this game, its over for Obsidian.

[Kain]

Originally posted by ffrotty:

Originally posted by Kain:

Ohhh and another thing, OW launched priced at 30$ on Steam. Avowed at 80$ in advanced access, and 70$ now. So, yeah, that's important.

avowed launched at $0 if you have game pass

i don't see what's so hard to grasp about it being filler content / subscription bait to the game pass

Wow, what a bad argument, GP deals are usually paid upfront and with bonuses later.

[Privatelvl25]

Originally posted by Kain:

Originally posted by happyPig:

Has anyone ever been able to give even one example?

They can't even prove the game will fail. Their assessment disregard crucial data to prove a point. I wouldn't expect much.

A few data points for you...

1) Other day one gAmE pAsS games vs steam charts

Call of duty gamepass day one/steam 488,897

Starfield gamepass day one/steam = 330,723

Stalker 2 gamepass dayone/steam = 121,335

Age of mythology gamepass day one/steam = 25,815

Avowed gamepass day one/steam = 18,000

2) The game is free on game pass and just broke into top 10.

Every game above was in the top 5 most played during launch.

3) POE 2 peaked at 22,600 and they admitted that game didn't sell as well and there wouldn't be another POE game.

The game is a failure and no chance there will be a sequel.

[Kain]

Only thing I'll agree with some here, is that Bigots was uncalled for.

[Kain]

Originally posted by Privatelvl25:

Originally posted by Kain:

They can't even prove the game will fail. Their assessment disregard crucial data to prove a point. I wouldn't expect much.

A few data points for you...

1) Other day one gAmE pAsS games vs steam charts

Call of duty gamepass day one/steam 488,897

Starfield gamepass day one/steam = 330,723

Stalker 2 gamepass dayone/steam = 121,335

Age of mythology gamepass day one/steam = 25,815

Avowed gamepass day one/steam = 18,000

2) The game is free on game pass and just broke into top 10.

Every game above was in the top 5 most played during launch.

3) POE 2 peaked at 22,600 and they admitted that game didn't sell as well and there wouldn't be another POE game.

The game is a failure and no chance there will be a sequel.

Different games with wildly different budgets and fan base, as data it's useless. But, if you factor in the established fan base of Obsidian and their usual peaks and budgets, the game seems to be doing great.

Also, PoE 2 wasn't on game pass or had advanced access.

[SaD-82]

Originally posted by Traveler:

Right, because multi-billion-dollar corporations totally risk shareholder lawsuits by lying about financial satisfaction.

Uhm...yes. Of course.
?
That's how things work. And that's how investment bubbles explode time and time again.
Is...this really something new for you?
Well, welcome in the wonderful world of finance.

Sales numbers:
Steam DB - the current sales-estimate ranges between 150k and 185k.
And those estimates are due to tracking actual sale numbers. Compare them with other games and you will see how accurate they usually are.

Cyberpunk:
Uhm, yes, fixing a game helps in sales.
Big times.
As you can see in the case of Cyberpunk.
Or in the case of No Mans Sky.
Or in any other case.
Shouldn't be something new for you, as well. If it was - well, check sale counter of those games for yourself.

GP being a stillbirth:
Yes it is. In the case of Avowed.
Read my statement again. I don't want to repeat myself.

Long term sales:
Correct: In the case of Avowed they don't matter.
Remember: You can play this game for free on GP (you already have the subscription running for all the other games). No future sales needed. And all the income from GP is split between all those companies who provide games for it. Between them and Microsoft.
It's irrelevant.
Obsidian can stop selling games on Steam - it would get a cut from the GP from Microsoft automatically.
But: Obsidian wouldn't contribute further financial gain.
Therefore being a liability for Microsoft.
You...see the problem and the reason for it?

PoE:
You've mentioned PoE, not me.
Now getting upset because I responded to your mentioning?
That's rather strange.
But well, I guess you did understand why PoE was a pretty bad example.
That's good.
I guess.

[GetUrAssToMars]

That picture they used was amazing.

[SilverWing]

Keep up the hustle, make woke crap, tell everyone it's not for straight people, cry when nobody bats an eye at your garbage game, rinse and repeat

[Privatelvl25]

Originally posted by Kain:

Originally posted by Privatelvl25:

A few data points for you...

1) Other day one gAmE pAsS games vs steam charts

Call of duty gamepass day one/steam 488,897

Starfield gamepass day one/steam = 330,723

Stalker 2 gamepass dayone/steam = 121,335

Age of mythology gamepass day one/steam = 25,815

Avowed gamepass day one/steam = 18,000

2) The game is free on game pass and just broke into top 10.

Every game above was in the top 5 most played during launch.

3) POE 2 peaked at 22,600 and they admitted that game didn't sell as well and there wouldn't be another POE game.

The game is a failure and no chance there will be a sequel.

Different games with wildly different budgets and fan base, as data it's useless. But, if you factor in the established fan base of Obsidian and their usual peaks and budgets, the game seems to be doing great.

Also, PoE 2 wasn't on game pass or had advanced access.

You are delusional if you think 18K steam charts and barely making top 10 on xbox when its free on game pass equals "doing great".

They didn't have the backing of Microsoft during POE2 and the budget for Avowed is probably 5-10x more than POE2. No chance they make their money back.

[Kain]

I will ALSO say that Matt Hansen was an idiot, and definitely didn't help his own game with his dumbass comments.

[Kain]

Originally posted by Privatelvl25:

Originally posted by Kain:

Different games with wildly different budgets and fan base, as data it's useless. But, if you factor in the established fan base of Obsidian and their usual peaks and budgets, the game seems to be doing great.

Also, PoE 2 wasn't on game pass or had advanced access.

You are delusional if you think 18K steam charts and barely making top 10 on xbox when its free on game pass equals "doing great".

They didn't have the backing of Microsoft during POE2 and the budget for Avowed is probably 5-10x more than POE2. No chance they make their money back.

Quite the contrary, it's their usual fare if you consider the past games.

[Traveler]

Originally posted by SaD-82:

Originally posted by Traveler:

Right, because multi-billion-dollar corporations totally risk shareholder lawsuits by lying about financial satisfaction.

Uhm...yes. Of course.
?
That's how things work. And that's how investment bubbles explode time and time again.
Is...this really something new for you?
Well, welcome in the wonderful world of finance.

Sales numbers:
Steam DB - the current sales-estimate ranges between 150k and 185k.
And those estimates are due to tracking actual sale numbers. Compare them with other games and you will see how accurate they usually are.

Cyberpunk:
Uhm, yes, fixing a game helps in sales.
Big times.
As you can see in the case of Cyberpunk.
Or in the case of No Mans Sky.
Or in any other case.
Shouldn't be something new for you, as well. If it was - well, check sale counter of those games for yourself.

GP being a stillbirth:
Yes it is. In the case of Avowed.
Read my statement again. I don't want to repeat myself.

Long term sales:
Correct: In the case of Avowed they don't matter.
Remember: You can play this game for free on GP (you already have the subscription running for all the other games). No future sales needed. And all the income from GP is split between all those companies who provide games for it. Between them and Microsoft.
It's irrelevant.
Obsidian can stop selling games on Steam - it would get a cut from the GP from Microsoft automatically.
But: Obsidian wouldn't contribute further financial gain.
Therefore being a liability for Microsoft.
You...see the problem and the reason for it?

PoE:
You've mentioned PoE, not me.
Now getting upset because I responded to your mentioning?
That's rather strange.
But well, I guess you did understand why PoE was a pretty bad example.
That's good.
I guess.

Lol the finance guru of the year!

1. “Investment bubbles”: Yes, Microsoft—a $3T company—is clearly blowing a bubble by… checks notes… funding a AAA RPG from a studio they own. Remind me, when did long-term IP investment become equivalent to Dogecoin speculation? Your MBA from Steam U is showing.

2. Steam DB “sales”: Wow, 185k Steam copies for a Game Pass Day One title? That’s terrible! Except, oh wait—Game Pass has 34M subscribers, and Microsoft measures success in engagement, not Steam charts. But sure, let’s pretend Steam is the only metric. Sea of Thieves flopped too, right? (Spoiler: 40M players.)

3. Cyberpunk/No Man’s Sky: “Fixing games helps sales!” Groundbreaking. Except Avowed isn’t a “buggy mess”—it’s sitting at 80+ on Metacritic. But hey, keep hoping it’ll “No Man’s Sky” itself so you can finally say “told you so!” Copium tastes sweet, doesn’t it?

4. GP = Stillbirth: Ah yes, the service that added 10M subs in 12 months is “irrelevant” for Avowed. Let’s ignore that Game Pass games see 6x player engagement vs. non-GP titles. Obsidian’s cut? They’re owned by Microsoft. The money isn’t “split”—it’s called revenue sharing within the same corporation. But sure, Microsoft is definitely crying over their “liability” while banking $10B/year from gaming.

5. Long-Term Sales Don’t Matter: Because everyone who plays Avowed on GP will never buy DLC, expansions, or sequels, right? The Outer Worlds got a DLC boom after Game Pass, but nah, Obsidian should just… stop making games? Genius!

6. PoE “Bad Example”: Ah, yes—let’s dismiss Pillars of Eternity as a “bad example”! Because clearly, a crowdfunded CRPG reviving a dead genre, selling 1M+ copies without AAA marketing, and birthing a cult franchise is totally irrelevant. Obsidian’s ability to turn $4M into a beloved IP that proved their RPG chops to Microsoft? Pfft, meaningless! Who needs a decade of goodwill, fan loyalty, or proof of concept when you can just screech “but Avowed cost More”?

• PoE’s Success: 1M sales on a shoestring budget = 25x ROI (math is hard, I know). It funded sequels, spin-offs, and cemented Obsidian as RPG royalty. But sure, call it a “failure” because it didn’t sell like Fortnite.
• Avowed’s Literal Existence: Microsoft greenlit Avowed because of PoE’s success. It’s called leverage. You build a niche hit, earn trust, then scale up. Wild concept!
• Budget ≠ Ambition: PoE was a passion project; Avowed is a AAA evolution. Comparing them isn’t “stupid”—it’s how studios grow. Unless you think Elden Ring should’ve been judged against Dark Souls 1’s budget and called a “flop” for costing more.

Fact: PoE saved Obsidian from bankruptcy with 1M+ sales on a $4M budget.

Fact: Its success directly led to Microsoft buying Obsidian in 2018.

Your Logic: “A game that saved a studio and spawned a franchise is irrelevant!” Next you’ll claim fire is overrated because lighters exist.

When you conflate Steam stats with corporate strategy and pretend Microsoft doesn’t understand money, you sound like a troll explaining rocket science. Come back when you’ve grasped that Game Pass ≠ Steam wishlist.

[ryan13ts]

Originally posted by AndreGon:

Do you know who also "won"?
Concord, Dragon Age Veilguard, Unknown 9, Dustborn, Suicide Squad. And if we go further back there's even more games that "win" like Forspoken.

Long story short:
https://youtu.be/a8MZBUoQt68?si=eVDVfVrlIaRQYqpQ

Literally no one has said that about those games, especially Concord and Suicide Squad.. those were failures out the gate.

Why even be THAT disingenuous?

[rizon72]

Most of the critiquing I see comes from comparing this game to games that are 15-20 years older. Sadly, Avowed isn't showing itself to be the better game and deserves such criticism.

[Kain]

Originally posted by ryan13ts:

Originally posted by AndreGon:

Do you know who also "won"?
Concord, Dragon Age Veilguard, Unknown 9, Dustborn, Suicide Squad. And if we go further back there's even more games that "win" like Forspoken.

Long story short:
https://youtu.be/a8MZBUoQt68?si=eVDVfVrlIaRQYqpQ

Literally no one has said that about those games, especially Concord and Suicide Squad.. those were failures out the gate.

Why even be THAT disingenuous?

Also, Concord itself had extraneous characteristics that would affect it's success much more than simply being woke, which I admit didn't help much with those designs, but the fact it as a premium game with little content with a crowded market filled with free to pay games that are successful. Marvel Rivals knew what they were doing.