The Outer Worlds is a commercial success

[Infinitron]

Confirmed in today's Take-Two Interactive quarterly earnings call: https://venturebeat.com/2019/11/07/take-two-the-outer-worlds-is-outperforming-expectations/

Take-Two: The Outer Worlds is ‘outperforming expectations’

Publisher Take-Two Interactive says that it is happy with the launch of The Outer Worlds. Take-Two subsidiary Private Division published the space role-playing adventure from developer Obsidian on October 25. That put it outside of the company’s Q2 earnings reporting period, but Take-Two said that the game should have a noticeable impact on its Q3 results.

“It’s outperforming our expectations handily,” Take-Two chief executive Strauss Zelnick said today on a conference call with investors. “We’re very happy.”

Zelnick went on to say that the company wouldn’t provide any specific numbers because it’s too early.

But in Take-Two’s Q2 earnings release, Zelnick cited The Outer Worlds as one of the reasons the company is raising its guidance for the year.

“The third quarter is off to a solid start with the launches of The Outer Worlds, Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC, and WWE 2K20,” said Zelnick. “And we will bolster our holiday line-up with offerings for Google Stadia and Sid Meier’s Civilization VI for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.”

The Outer Worlds is out now for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. It has players making decisions, meeting characters, and going on quests in a distant solar system. The game takes a lot of cues from the Fallout series, which Obsidian worked on previously. Fans are responding positively to the game, and that includes GamesBeat managing editor Jason Wilson, who reviewed it.

It was the No. 3 most downloaded PlayStation Network game in October, according to Sony. It’s also a huge part of Xbox Game Pass for both Xbox One and PC. So anyone who has a subscription to those services can play the new game at no additional charge.

Finally, Take-Two said The Outer Worlds is coming to Switch before March 31, 2020.

[C2B]

To be fair, considering the budget that was probably more easily achievable than on an AAA game. They are also not giving numbers yet so who knows how big.

Highest indicator so far was definitly the 3rd PSN place in the US. If you're beating sports games in october in only 6 days that's quite the achievement.

Edited November 7, 2019 by C2B

[Hurlshort]

I don't really get how it isn't a AAA title. I mean, I understamd the economics of AAA titles, but I am not sure what it is missing that a bigger budget would provide.

[Wormerine]

8 minutes ago, Hurlshot said:

I don't really get how it isn't a AAA title. I mean, I understamd the economics of AAA titles, but I am not sure what it is missing that a bigger budget would provide.

That's a good question. Amount of it? I am nearing to the end and Byzantium felt really lackluster. Overal quest and area complexity could have been bigger. I don't think we get anything comparing to "Beyond the Beef" and such. Skills like lockpicking, hacking etc. rarely allow us to progress in a unique way, and even if they do, it feels small.

It certainly could have been bigger. It could have been deeper. I could have more lavish production.

Did it need to be, though? I don't think so. Gaming have been dumping lots of money into fewer projects, but really, mid range projects like OW are a great things. Plus add to that a drought of Bethesda/Bioware RPGs, and overall great timing of OW wide announcement, following Fallout76 controversy. 

What I wonder, whenever this is something that will continue for the series, or if it is PoE1 situation.

[ComradeYellow]

We could have hacked and lockpicked our way to eternal glory but Obsidian made an About Face.

[Ommamar]

1 hour ago, ComradeMaster said:

We could have hacked and lockpicked our way to eternal glory but Obsidian made an About Face.

What about picking pockets?  This is actually a much more difficult and dangerous process but you get no experience with the return being very poor for the effort required.

[DrWorm73]

2 hours ago, Infinitron said:

The third quarter is off to a solid start with the launches of The Outer Worlds, Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC, and WWE 2K20,

I'm not sure Obsidian wants to be lumped in with those games.  Both 2K20 and the PC port of RDR have dropped with disastrous results.  The bugs are so bad.  I know that Take Two is just the publisher, but eesh.  

[thearmourofGod]

2 hours ago, Hurlshot said:

I don't really get how it isn't a AAA title. I mean, I understamd the economics of AAA titles, but I am not sure what it is missing that a bigger budget would provide.

It is a AAA via all the actual gameplay components.

Unfortunately, fools have controlled the terminology and descriptions of what makes a so-called AAA game.

The result is a world full of “gamers” and industry members who are so dimwitted and sheepafied that they think money spent, graphics, accessibility, voice-acting and the like are what constitute a “AAA” game.

[DekarServerbot]

now i feel less guilty

[Mister Holdout]

I'm not surprised by the game's success. Obsidian really knows how to deliver RPGs.

I just hope that if there's a next installment for TOW, the devs produce a lengthier game with more content. 

[daven]

There you go, apparently if you make anything a first person shooter it will be successful. 

 

[213374U]

13 hours ago, Hurlshot said:

I don't really get how it isn't a AAA title. I mean, I understamd the economics of AAA titles, but I am not sure what it is missing that a bigger budget would provide.

A protagonist fully voiced by Nolan North. Expansive open world full of randomly generating quests. Battle Royale mode. And possibly Terry Crews TV ads.

So, nothing that would make it a better game, but ones that would make it much, much easier to mass-market.

[thearmourofGod]

11 hours ago, daven said:

There you go, apparently if you make anything a first person shooter it will be successful. 

 

thankfully, TOW is a first person RPG

[ComradeYellow]

1 hour ago, thearmourofGod said:

thankfully, TOW is a first person RPG

And a great one at that, unlike most of what Bethesda pumps out.  I mean sure Fallout 4 and even Skyrim had their moments but -all in all- they absolutely lack the ability to create a satisfying RPG experience.

[thearmourofGod]

1 hour ago, ComradeMaster said:

And a great one at that, unlike most of what Bethesda pumps out.  I mean sure Fallout 4 and even Skyrim had their moments but -all in all- they absolutely lack the ability to create a satisfying RPG experience.

absolutely

tho, id have to argue against FO4 being, in any way, a rpg

skyrim, i label a  sandbox sim with some very minor rpg mechanics