Topic: The Outer Worlds Discussion

Who else is excited about Obsidian Game's upcoming sci-fi RPG, The Outer Worlds? Let's talk about our thoughts and hopes for the game in this thread!

@TowaHerschel7 I can say it has interested me. I quite like the humour, the sci-fi setting and I do like western RPG games too so it has the main ingredients to appeal. Obsidian also made the 'best' Fallout game too so there is history - whether they can deliver or not, we will see but right now, it certainly grabbed my attention...

@TowaHerschel7 Yeah, I'm in. I don't really have any hopes for it as such, I'm just happy to keep an eye on it. I reckon they'll go all-in on the dialogue choices and crazily-branching plot, knowing Obsidian. Of all the Fallouts, New Vegas had the biggest range of different endings, so I'm guessing there will be many ways to play through this. Should be good.

I am getting a Fallout meets Borderlands meets Mass Effect vibe from it. Enjoyed Fallout and love Borderlands so I will at least be checking this game out.

*The outer worlds

Count me in! Certainly looks like my kind of thing. Had anyone heard of the game before the other day?

@kyleforrester87 Thanks for the correction! I just fixed that.

@Kidfried yeah, I though that was the first time it had been officially mentioned. I just find it amazing that something like that can be kept so hush hush.

They must be loving the fan feedback on the one trailer though!

I guess future sequels will be Xbox only, so don't get too attached to the franchise if you are purely PS only eh?

@Kidfried I think we need to move on from the fact that 'exclusives' on Xbox also being on PC and substitute 'Microsoft' only. There is a 'difference' between Microsoft only and being on PC too because the Microsoft only games on a PC have to have to be on Windows 10, have to be purchased from 'Microsoft' store and you also have to have a 'Microsoft' account - the SAME account that you have on Xbox too. They are not available on Steam or any PC that doesn't have Windows 10. Its not like Nier for example, which many here often referred to as a PS exclusive despite the fact that also was on PC.

Its kind of 'double standards' where 'PS exclusive' can just mean as far as 'console' gaming is concerned and not include PC's but then Xbox exclusive cannot be as far as 'consoles' are concerned and has to include PC too. In a lot of ways, the way MS are handling their 'exclusives, the PC is a 'virtual' Xbox - just not a 'fixed spec'. You have your 'Xbox' type Profile with the same cloud saves and Achievements - which will be the 'same' regardless of whether you sign in on Xbox Console or Windows 10 PC's. The only difference is 'hardware' and MS offer a 'console' to play on or if you prefer, you can use your PC as a 'virtual' Xbox - as well as use it to play games on Steam or whatever else you use your PC to do. In other words, you don't have to buy a physical console to play MS games but do need to buy a MS powered device and have an MS account/profile. Consoles aren't 'made' by MS as such either - like PS's are not made entirely made by Sony as they will get parts from numerous manufacturers - they don't make the internal HDD for example - and assemble them.

I think its time now to consider 'Xbox' as meaning 'Microsoft' and not 'just' as the console. Whether you play on a physical or virtual Xbox on PC, you still have to have a Microsoft powered product and Microsoft account/profile too. Its up to people if they prefer to game on Console with set specs, the convenience and specific features these offer or prefer to spec your own and have benefits of PC but still have to be locked to 'Microsoft' to play. MS are trying to 'merge' their PC and Console gamers into one big user base - not Console OR PC but just Microsoft gamers regardless of the 'hardware' you prefer.

Anyway, that's a bit off topic and not relevant to this release. No doubt this will be on multiple platforms and may well be the 'last' Obsidian game to be multi-OS (as in not just 'Microsoft') but then MS 'could' publish a potential sequel on other OS (like Sony consoles) similarly to supporting Minecraft. From an MS perspective as a Publisher, it may make more sense as it opens up the potential user base to sell more copies to.

Looks cool. I always wanted another go at an Obsidian-developed Fallout, and this seems to be pretty close to that.

It should also be noted that this game is created by the original creators of Fallout, so I am expecting a good store on this one.

@Kidfried @Thrillho actually, the existence of this game was revealed a while back in a game informers article on Private Division, so you can take a look at it.
And I wish people would stop spreading this story that Microsoft is a published so they will out games on other platforms because it's honestly pure nonsense. Sony is also a publisher and they would certainly sell more copies of Spiderman and other games if they were on other platforms but they don't do it, just like Nintendo don't do it. I don't understand where people get this idea?

@BAMozzy I guess sometimes you could say there is a doubles-standard, but the frightening frequency of Xbox game on PC doesn’t occour on PlayStation. If it was a rarer occurrence, I’d give them some slack and count then more towards their cause, but it happens so much. It’s reliable is the problem. And yes you need an MS account, but you still don’t need an Xbox.
Nier was an exception, not the rule. I’d prefer a game in a console to PC, so there is merit to it, but when it always happens, I’ll just rely on PC.

@Jaz007 So you think MS should abandon their MS customers on PC? Next, you will say that MS should keep their PC software exclusively for Microsoft Surface devices because that's made by Microsoft. That mentality is SO DATED. The 'hardware' is immaterial to MS, they are catering to ALL MS customers and selling to 'just' MS customers. The difference between an Xbox and PC is one is built to be more as a living room device and the other isn't. Both have MS operating systems, both have exactly the same profiles and access to the MSN store to buy the games - Consoles at least do allow you to buy the games physically from a retailer but that also means you can't play them on your PC like their digital games allow. If you want to play MS games on PC you have to buy digitally from MS so they get all the money where as on Console, you can buy on disc. A lot use the same MS servers too.

The Xbox was originally a MS built gaming PC in a console format. The name came from DirectX and was intended to be the first game system built like a PC, bringing all of the flexibility and power of a gaming rig to the console market. The system would run on Windows 2000, making it easy for traditional PC software developers to work within the console’s architecture. The 360 moved more towards the console side of things though and MS basically separated the Console and gaming off from the rest of MS. A lot of PC gamers became frustrated that MS were only focussed on their Xbox gamers and neglecting all them despite the fact that they too had bought into MS, using DirectX too.

What MS are doing is supporting ALL MS gamers equally now, amalgamating everything into one MS brand. The 'Xbox' is just the physical console hardware for those who prefer the console format where as PC's are for those that prefer to spec their own hardware and Windows10 offers 'Xbox' on PC but with whatever 'specs' your PC has - its still essentially an Xbox. They are all still MS gamers and will have MS exclusives. Sony don't have ANY other gamers other than those on Playstation to cater too.

Its like Apple iOS allowing you to play the same games on your iPhone, iPad or Macbook because they all share the same OS, same account etc. The difference is that MS aren't making Gaming PC's - just the OS for them which is basically the same OS in an Xbox - maybe tweaked and optimised specifically for the console - like they used to have a 'lite' OS and software for their Surface and because the console isn't being used to run word or adobe or the vast array of different software PC's are built to run besides games but the point is, windows 10 is required to play any MS exclusive - regardless of the hardware.

These games are 'exclusive' to Microsoft Windows 10. Not any PC as some PC's maybe Windows 8 (or lower), maybe Linux, not available on steam like Nier was and must be bought from the same MS store as on Xbox. You basically need an Xbox account to play Xbox games on a windows 10 PC - just like you do on console. If Sony built an OS for TV's for example and TV's had the ability to run PS games locally and connect to the PSN, should they not sell PS games on that to PS account holders? Abandon all the people that bought the TV because they want to keep the console separate? Sony don't have a wider ecosystem, like Nintendo don't either, so their first party games are ONLY on 1st party hardware. MS has a much larger ecosystem as they also have the MS powered PC and therefore have to cater to those customers too.

Xbox is just the brand of hardware - ok its assembled by MS - but like a PC, its OS is Windows 10, requires a MS account and MS make games for Windows10 hardware. MS have their own brand of PC too (Surface) but don't limit their PC software to just 'Surface' but any Windows PC. An Xbox is just a gaming PC locked to MS with fixed specs and built for the living room where as a PC is more general but to play MS games, you have to buy into MS's ecosystem, still bought an MS product. If you build your own PC, you still have to buy Windows 10 to play MS's games.

Its so narrow minded to think that MS should abandon MS customers and focus on a select group - those that bought the console. The exclusives aren't 'Xbox' exclusives but MS exclusives, built by MS owned studio's, published by MS and run on MS powered devices. They are 'console' exclusives - just like Sony or Nintendo games and 'unlike' Sony or Nintendo, do have other customers to cater to as well. They are catering to MS customers, like Sony and Nintendo are. If Sony or Nintendo had an OS to rival windows, should they not cater to their customers? I would expect Sony to make games for Sony customers who have a Sony account and make their games accessible to ONLY those with Sony's OS and a Sony account - they would still be Sony exclusives, still be console exclusives etc...

Like I said, I think it is extremely narrow minded and very dated to think that MS should only make games for Xbox and completely ignore their MS customers on PC. It doesn't make sense to make some games for Xbox exclusively and some games for Windows 10 PC owners exclusively - they don't make enough games as it is without 'halving' the output to split between the two groups of customers they have. It makes much more sense to amalgamate and merge the two areas into one big ecosystem - all MS gamers and make as many games as possible for all.

Hardware isn't very profitable - as we know. Consoles have been sold at a loss but the profits come from software. MS may not sell 80m consoles again but then they can still have a much bigger user base, sell many more games and make more profit than they would by selling 80m consoles.

When a friend from work first mentioned this game to me, and then I saw the trailer, I thought there would be a lot more hype for this one. I personally can't wait! I can't believe the last post for this is from December. I think we need to show this game some love!

I was interested in it, but the footage from E3 has put me off as it is looking a bit dodgy and low budget. I think the animations look terrible. So I will probably get Bordrlands 3 instead and get TOW when it is cheaper.

@JohnnyShoulder I am not surprised it looks a bit 'indie' budget as Obsidian weren't exactly thriving financially before they joined up with MS and I bet it was the financial security and promise of almost unlimited budgets that was a major reason why they are now part of Xbox Studio's

This game was a development before that and its due to be published by Take-Two (If I remember correctly), not Microsoft. When you consider that they were very close to closure, relying on crowdfunding for Pillars of Eternity which saved them, this game, whilst ambitious for a studio that wasn't financially secure, its not pushing the technical boundaries visually. Whether MS stepped in and/or funding the latter stages of its development as Obsidian are now part of MS, I would expect that MS will help them get it finished as quickly as possible to then begin focussing on MS games. That's not to say it will be downgraded and/or buggy, but that they probably wouldn't want to fund a complete over-haul of the visuals to make it look like a AAA next gen, pushing the release window back and delaying them from creating exclusive content.

Admittedly, I thought the first reveal looked better and the footage from E3 had an 'indie' look to it - I thought it was a reveal for a new indie game at first and it didn't register that this was the same game. Still a while to go and it may improve or maybe come out as a mid-price game.

@BAMozzy It's currently 50 quid on Amazon so looks like it is gonna be a full priced title.

@JohnnyShoulder For all we know, that could be a 'holding' price as they tend to put most newly announced games up for pre-order before there are any details about the price and editions (special, collectors etc) so I never look at those prices as final.

I am not saying it won't be a full price AAA release or that it will be priced as an 'indie' game either, just saying that closer to release, they may decide to price it as a mid-price game - along the lines of games like Uncharted: Lost Legacy for example. They have said that the game isn't 'long' but with the potential for multiple play-throughs. It doesn't sound as 'big' as we tend to expect from a full priced AAA game - those with short campaigns tend to have online modes to make up more content.

Again, I have no knowledge of the pricing they will be looking to sell this game for and they may well try and price it as a full price AAA release. However, until we know for sure, we can speculate. If they do decide to release it as a full price though, from the information we have had, as well as the less than stellar visual look (not that visuals are always an indicator - but Mass Effect Andromeda had better environmental visuals even if the facial expressions were a bit off), I think it would be a 'hard' sell. Drop the price, either before launch to a mid-price level or post-launch drops, I can see this selling more.

In my opinion though, I think it will do better if it launches at a 'mid-price' because I think the critics will be quite harsh if its launching at a full price which I think would hurt the game even if they drop the price post launch. Something that may score say an 7-8 at mid price, would score a ~6 at full price and that score will stick regardless of the post launch price drops.

No doubt we will see what happens but right now, I can see the game either launching at mid-price or myself only considering it once the price drops post launch. I don't see enough there to warrant a full price release...