Summary
- Obsidian Entertainment aims to be around until the year 2103 and has a detailed plan to achieve this long-term goal.
- The company will focus on sticking to more realistic objectives to sustain growth steadily instead of aiming for record-breaking sales.
- Obsidian also wants to prioritize its workers to keep morale high.
Obsidian Entertainment has shared that it wants to be around for 100 years and that the company already has a plan for making sure they’re still around in 2103. Obsidian Entertainment, an Xbox Game Studios subsidiary, is known for hits like Pillars of Eternity and Fallout: New Vegas, most recently releasing Avowed, with The Outer Worlds 2 soon to follow sometime in 2025.
Plenty of recent attention has been focused on titles like Avowed, from the 22-year-old studio Obsidian Entertainment. Avowed draws plenty of comparison to Skyrim and others, leading some gamers to see the release as direct competition. Though it floats within the same realm, statements from Obsidian’s executives largely signal that the company is focused on doing its own thing, and whether it does ultimately rival the legendary RPG is inconsequential.
Related
Avowed’s first-person combat and respect for player choice make it a journey worth having, but flaws in its story and design make it a one-way road.
Per a report from PC Gamer, Obsidian Entertainment’s vice president of operations Marcus Morgan, and vice president of development Justin Britch have stated an intent for the company to last for 100 years. Although it shocked some to see such an extensive goal stated so plainly, the developers emphasized that this is a serious plan. Obsidian’s VPs believe that the best way to achieve their goal is by sticking to objectives they consider to be more reasonable compared to the staggering budgets and sales expectations that other studios have. With games like Avowed dropping recently, this statement appears to highlight that Obsidian doesn’t expect record-breaking sales, instead searching for just enough to continue growing at a modest rate.
Obsidian Entertainment Wants to Last Until the Year 2103
Morgan and Britch expanded on the ambitious goal for Obsidian Entertainment’s future by laying out plans for the studio by the decade. They explain that this plan hinges on remaining “lean and invested.” In addition to making sure that the developer retains the agility that companies like EA have restructured to find, Obsidian aims to ensure that its workers feel that they are valued, ultimately guaranteeing that they’re motivated to succeed.
These types of goals echo what other recently successful developers have mentioned amid more turbulent times within the video game industry. Baldur’s Gate 3 director Swen Vincke has spoken out against corporate greed, citing it as the main cause of mass layoffs that continue to impact many talented developers. The big idea at Obsidian is to set realistic goals and scale their projects accordingly. Although Obsidian has also faced layoffs before, it seems like this 100-year plan is likely a response to these kinds of experiences, so that the studio won’t be put in similarly difficult situations down the road.
Obsidian Entertainment
- Date Founded
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June 12, 2003
- Headquarters
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Irvine, California, United States