You might already know that first-person fantasy RPG Avowed began life as Obsidian’s take on Skyrim, but did you know that it was originally pushed as a multiplayer game, prior to being acquired by Microsoft? That’s according to studio head and founder Feargus Urquhart, speaking in the latest and final episode of the Obsidian 20th Anniversary documentary, which is chock-a-block with intriguing factoids from throughout the studio’s history.
The Appeal of Multiplayer
“One of the things I really pushed was that Avowed was going to be multiplayer,” Urquhart said. “And I kept on that for a long time. And I think in the end – not ‘I think’, I know, in the end, it was the wrong decision to keep on pushing on it. Now [the reason I did it] was when we still independent and we were selling it, it was a more interesting game to publishers. And when you’re asking for $50, $60, $70, $80 million, you have to have something interesting to talk about. And multiplayer made it interesting. It was this idea of sort of the peanut butter and chocolate, putting it together – it must be something that’s good.”
The studio believed that incorporating multiplayer into Avowed would make it a more marketable and appealing game, especially when seeking funding from publishers. The allure of combining the strengths of a traditional RPG with the dynamic and social elements of multiplayer seemed like a winning formula. However, as the development progressed, Obsidian realized that they were straying away from their core strengths.
Deviation from Strengths
“We were too focused on co-op,” head of development Justin Britch observed in the video. “And we were too focused on changing the way our pipelines work, and the way that we write conversations, the way we do quests and everything else.”
Obsidian’s primary expertise lies in crafting rich and immersive single-player experiences, where players can fully immerse themselves in the game world and delve into intricate storytelling. The focus on adding multiplayer elements shifted the studio’s attention away from their core strengths and forced them to reevaluate the direction of Avowed.
The Pivot
“After working on it for a little bit we realized that we weren’t focused on the things that we’re best at, and so we did make a pivot on the game to refocus, basically, and make sure it was at the end of the day an Obsidian game, and not something different,” said Britch.
This “pivot” occurred relatively late in the project’s development, leading to a tight timeline to redefine the direction of Avowed. The team had to define a new vision, build a vertical slice, and prepare for production within a short span of eight months. The pressure of this transition was immense, but the Obsidian team rose to the challenge.
It’s interesting to situate the change of approach with Avowed against Obsidian’s subsequent/parallel success with “Honey I Shrunk The PvE Genre” offering Grounded, which is also discussed in the video (and which we rather liked, both as a solo experience and in company).
Grounded, a survival game with cooperative multiplayer elements, showcased Obsidian’s ability to incorporate multiplayer mechanics while staying true to their strengths. This successful experiment raises the question of whether Obsidian will draw insights from Grounded and apply them to future fantasy franchises like Avowed.
The Influence of Publisher Demands
I wonder whether there’s any insight from that game Obsidian might someday carry forward into one of their totemic fantasy franchises. I’m also trying to work out whether that early pitch reflected a time when publishers were super-keen on multiplayer functionality – these things tend to move in cycles.
The decision to emphasize multiplayer in the early pitch of Avowed may have been influenced by the demands of publishers at that particular time. Publishers often prioritize market trends and align their investments accordingly. As multiplayer functionality gained popularity, it was more compelling for Obsidian to emphasize this aspect when seeking funding for Avowed. However, as they delved deeper into development, the studio realized that staying true to their strengths was more important than chasing market trends.
Avowed’s journey from a multiplayer-focused game to a single-player RPG demonstrates the importance of understanding a studio’s core strengths and aligning the game’s vision accordingly. Obsidian’s decision to pivot and refocus on their expertise ensures that Avowed will be an authentic Obsidian experience. As fans eagerly await the release of Avowed, they can expect a captivating and immersive single-player RPG that showcases the studio’s storytelling prowess and commitment to crafting memorable gaming experiences.
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