What Should Obsidian Make Next?

Quick Overview

The hosts discuss what game Obsidian Entertainment should develop next, speculating that while they have proven they can release three games in a year, the studio should focus on a new IP or a sequel to a successful title like Fallout 2, rather than immediately rushing a third Fallout game, as suggested by Todd Howard's previous comments.

Key Points: Obsidian released three major games in 2023: Grounded, Avowed, and The Outer Worlds 2, which is considered an impressive accomplishment (0:02-0:07). The host reading the card suggests that releasing three games in one year is on fire and causes context to be missing between them (0:16-0:56). The consensus among the hosts is that Obsidian should not make Fallout 3 next, despite the success of Fallout 2, due to the risk of burnout and lack of new IP development (0:26-0:52, 5:53-6:06). The director Josh Sawyer reportedly told Bloomberg that spacing out releases helps the company manage resources and avoid burning everyone out (0:41-0:48). The host suggests Obsidian should focus on making a smaller, weirder game in the Fallout universe, like Pentiment, or focusing on other IPs (3:34-3:46). The hosts point out that Todd Howard previously stated that Obsidian would not make Fallout 3 immediately (1:42-1:45, 5:55-5:58). The guest (Lucy) suggests Obsidian should focus on developing a new IP or a sequel to a game like Fallout 2, or even a New Vegas remaster (2:56-3:00, 6:17-6:19).

Context: The video features hosts Kurt and Lucy discussing a card prompt regarding the future direction of Obsidian Entertainment's game development pipeline, specifically addressing whether they should make a new Fallout game following the success of Fallout 2. The discussion revolves around managing development resources, avoiding burnout, and prioritizing new creative projects versus sequels to existing successful franchises.

Detailed Analysis

The segment centers on speculating about Obsidian Entertainment's next project following their busy 2023, which included the release of Grounded, Avowed, and The Outer Worlds 2 (0:02-0:07). The host reading the prompt notes that releasing three major titles in one year is impressive but suggests it might lead to context being missed between releases (0:16-0:56). The main consensus is that Obsidian should avoid making Fallout 3 immediately, despite Fallout 2's success, to prevent studio burnout and allow for new IP development, referencing comments from director Josh Sawyer about managing resources (0:26-0:48). The hosts argue that releasing three games in a year is taxing, and they would prefer Obsidian focus on smaller, weirder projects like Pentiment or sequels to other IPs, rather than immediately returning to Fallout (3:34-4:05). The discussion confirms that Todd Howard previously indicated Fallout 3 would not be immediate (1:42-1:45). Lucy suggests that if Obsidian were to make a Fallout game, a New Vegas remaster or focusing on smaller, weirder concepts within the universe would be preferable to simply jumping to Fallout 3 (2:56-3:00, 6:17-6:19). The segment concludes with the hosts agreeing that Obsidian is doing good work and that they should be given space to pursue creative endeavors outside of immediate sequels.