Avowed director says Xbox and Microsoft are “very happy” with the reception to its new Obsidian RPG

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These days, measuring the success of a first-party Xbox game can be challenging due to Game Pass, as sales aren’t always the primary focus. However, luckily for the well-regarded RPG studio, Avowed’s director reports that their corporate supervisors are pleased with its progress.

In an interview with Eurogamer, Avowed director Carrie Patel mentions that she doesn’t rely on a strict measurement of success. Since the first-person spin-off of Pillars of Eternity is available on Xbox Game Pass, players can either purchase the game at full price or play it through a monthly subscription. This approach allows gamers to try out the game without having to pay the full cost upfront, but for developers like Patel, this means that traditional sales numbers might not accurately reflect the game’s success because of the subscription option.

As a passionate fan, I can confidently say that the response to our game has been nothing short of incredible! From my interactions with people at the studio right up to the Xbox and Microsoft executives, everyone seems thrilled with the game’s success. This is evident in the high number of players and the significant time they’re investing in our game.

However, it’s important to note that our player base is diverse, with some accessing the game through Game Pass, while others are purchasing it across various platforms. As a result, I can’t pinpoint one specific metric or number to quantify this success. It’s the collective joy and engagement from players around the world that truly matters to us.

The conversation about this topic is intriguing due to the recent closure of Tango Gameworks and other studios by Microsoft last year, despite their claim that Hi-Fi Rush was a successful rhythm action game. Now, Tango Gameworks has been revived under a new publisher, but the brief shutdown leaves us wondering about the steps an Xbox-owned studio must take to ensure its survival or if such closures are merely due to changes in fiscal years.

Regardless of the perspective, Obsidian Entertainment appears remarkably secure in its position due to its consistent delivery of top-tier games at a rapid pace compared to most developers during this generation. Their recent releases, Grounded 1.0, Pentiment, and Avowed, have all been highly praised, and they’re set to unveil The Outer Worlds 2 later in the year as well.

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2025-03-12 20:10