Obsidian Backpedals: 'The Outer Worlds 2' Price Drops Faster Than a Corporate Apology
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Obsidian's dialed back the price of 'The Outer Worlds 2' after a bit of a kerfuffle, meaning pre-order refunds and re-buys all round – good news for gamers who were feeling the pinch of potential $80 price tags.
Alright, listen up, space cowboys and colony dwellers! Seems like someone at Obsidian Entertainment accidentally priced 'The Outer Worlds 2' like it was made of unobtanium, but they've had a bit of a rethink. The game's now going for a slightly less wallet-busting $70, instead of the originally planned $80.
According to a statement released (via Eurogamer, bless their souls for catching this), Microsoft (who, y'know, *owns* Obsidian) gave the thumbs-down to the initial price tag. Think of it as the suits suddenly realizing that charging an arm and a leg for a game during a galactic recession might not be the smartest move.
So, what happens if you already chucked your hard-earned credits at the pre-order screen? Well, Obsidian's got a (slightly) less convoluted plan than navigating a broken skip drive. Steam users get a refund and re-buy situation, which is a bit of a faff, but hey, at least you save $10. Battle.net pre-orders are being outright cancelled and refunded, meaning you'll have to re-purchase the game as well. Xbox and Playstation pre-orders will receive refunds for the difference in price. So keep an eye on your accounts!
Obsidian even put out a suitably cheeky statement on social media, pretending it was some kind of heroic intervention on behalf of oppressed colonists. The gist? They heard our cries about the price and, in their own way, fought the good fight. (I reckon it had more to do with bean counters than benevolent intentions, but let's not rain on their parade.)
This whole shebang highlights a pretty prickly debate, doesn't it? Game development costs are spiraling faster than a rogue AI escaping containment. We've heard whispers from industry bigwigs (like ex-Sony honcho Shuhei Yoshida) about potential price hikes becoming the norm. But on the other hand, us gamers are staring down the barrel of rising costs everywhere, and dropping eighty bucks on a single digital experience… well, it stings a bit.
We've seen some of the biggest hits this year are coming from indie studios like Peak, showing people are more than happy to pay for a good game, so long as the game in question is good, and they don't need to take out a mortgage to buy it. Some of the bigger publishers are still holding the line when it comes to price rises (EA said back in May that they weren’t planning on increasing prices “at this point”).
Ultimately, this price drop for 'The Outer Worlds 2' is a win for gamers. It's a tenner back in your pocket, which you can spend on… well, probably another game. Or some space rations. You know, priorities.
Tags: The Outer Worlds 2, Obsidian Entertainment, Price Drop, Gaming News, Refund
Original article: Eurogamer