Tyranny Publisher On Sales: “Everyone Was Hoping It Would Do Better”

Tyranny, the PC-exclusive RPG from Fallout: New Vegas developer Obsidian Entertainment, did not sell as well as publisher Paradox Interactive would have wanted.

Speaking to PCGamesN, Paradox CEO Fred Wester said, “Tyranny did OK.” Paradox VP of business development Shams Jorjani added, “We’re overall OK with it, I think. Everyone was hoping that it would do better.”

Wester went on to say that Tyranny sales could improve further still, as he mentioned that, “A lot of people are still on the fence to buy it.” He sees Tyranny as having a “long tail” as it relates to sales.

But as for the initial launch, “It didn’t really meet the expectations we set for it initially, no.”

A statement from Obsidian praises Tyranny for being an “incredibly deep and unique RPG that players adore,” though the company also acknowledges its (initial) shortcomings.

“While a better reception in the market during a packed holiday season would have been great, we think it’s the kind of game that has legs and can do great over time,” the statement said.

Tyranny came out during a busy time for games–November 2016–while Jorjani also said he believes the market might not be as enthusiastic about ’90s-style RPGs as they used to be.

For lots more on why Tyranny might have underperformed at the start, be sure to read the full story at PCGamesN.

GameSpot’s Tyranny review scored the game an 8/10.

“While I have some personal misgivings over how much I enjoyed such a twisted, unscrupulous game, this is a unique experience that makes you think about human nature, morality, and what role mercy and compassion should (or even could) play in a centuries-old war,” review Brett Todd said. “It reaches beyond the standard heroic fantasy RPG where you slay monsters and save the kingdom, inverting that familiar story and setting and creating something utterly different–and somewhat depressingly realistic.”

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