The NPD charts for October are out, meaning that we now know which games sold the best in the United States in October. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare unsurprisingly tops the list, but the most exciting news is that The Outer Worlds debuted at #2! This is an incredible win for Obsidian. Sure, you can say that it was a weak month and that its main competition was from a game only on Switch (Luigi’s Mansion 3), but still. It easily could have lost to Madden or NBA, even though it wasn’t their first month out, just by virtue of having a more narrow appeal.
Best-Case Scenario For Obsidian
The Outer Worlds, an AA traditional-style RPG, was never going to beat a new Call of Duty release (which is likely to top the charts for the entire year once it’s all said and done), so this is the best possible outcome for Obsidian. It’s extremely well-deserved, as anyone who has played The Outer Worlds can tell you. Of course, this also makes it a great outcome for Xbox, who now owns Obsidian. Speaking of Xbox, the fact that The Outer Worlds was available day one on Game Pass makes this achievement even crazier.
Consider this: people with an Xbox One or a PC could play The Outer Worlds for exactly $1 the day it came out. Similarly, people with an existing Xbox Game Pass or PC Game Pass subscription could also play it the day it came out without spending any money. These Game Pass subscriptions do not in any way contribute to sales as defined by the NPD charts. Considering that Obsidian is now under Xbox’s wing, Game Pass subscribers were probably even more into The Outer Worlds than PS4 gamers, considering that any sequel would almost surely be limited to Xbox/PC. It is also possible that some people with Game Pass subscriptions bought the game anyways.
Best-Case Scenario For Xbox
In other words, The Outer Worlds debuted at #2 despite a large portion of the fanbase not contributing to its sales as tracked by NPD. This is remarkable, and suggests that gamers are extremely excited for classic RPGs with true roleplaying elements and a well-written story. It also highlights just how big of a get it was for Xbox to buy Obsidian (which was obviously mutually beneficial, as Obsidian can now just focus on making great games instead of having to worry about making enough money to stay in business).
