Pentiment Dev Says the Game Wouldn't Have Been Possible Without Game Pass

Design director Josh Sawyer from Obsidian Entertainment, the developer of the historical narrative-driven game Pentiment, has recently shared that the game would have never been possible if it wasn't for Xbox Game Pass.

In an interview with Waypoint Radio, Sawyer said that such an unusual game as Pentiment couldn't appear anywhere except for Game Pass which gives way not only to major releases but niche games as well.

Indeed, a game that was heavily inspired by old manuscripts and the earliest printed books where you play as a medieval illustrator who has to conduct investigations and decide the fate of the community does sound like something niche and unusual.

The developer also acknowledged this noting that the game was made for a small audience and saying that "as long as that audience is into it, that's fine."

However, according to Sawyer, the "old mentality" of publishers and developers doesn't usually allow them to focus on small niche games so they mostly consider games that have a higher return on investment rate. This is why the only way to create such a game as Pentiment was the ability to put it on Game Pass.

"I never would have proposed making Pentiment without Game Pass. Like, I literally just wouldn't have done it. I just don't think it would have been possible," Sawyer said. "[Game Pass] is the only way in which I conceive of [Pentiment] being viable."

Xbox Game Pass' growth rate in FY 2022 fell short of Microsoft's expectations with many attributing it to the lack of major exclusives released this year. However, as we can see, the service can be really helpful for smaller games that can reach a broader audience thanks to it.

You can listen to the interview with Josh Sawyer here. Also, don't forget to join our Reddit page and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.