Because nearly everyone is talking about sex and are simping for the companions. So what does that tell other developers? That they just need to add sex and characters specifically made for sex appeal and "attractiveness", checking off various preferences on a list and they are good. No need to invest much resources in writing and storytelling. This will sadly be the near future of RPGs. Sure there will still be PG13 RPGs without sex (although they too will likely create their NPCs in a way to allow for simping/thirsting) but the flagship AAA RPGs will probably all go into this direction.
Not sure I agree totally with the sex part but certainly I agree with the companions and relationships part. Larian didn't start this but RPGs are on the slippery slope of dumbed-down, pap for the masses, lowest common denominator tripe. The direction the D&D rules are going in is part and parcel of this.
You said it perfectly, @Beechams. Couldn't agree with you more, other than that there are at least a few studios out there that I believe will continue to hold out against this tyranny of the lowest common denominator majority.
For studios like Obsidian and inXile, being part of Xbox Games is the best thing that could happen to them and to us *roleplaying* game fans. MS has been quite vocal in pointing out that they want small, niche games from their studios because they cannot have every game in GamePass be a huge blockbuster GOTY type game and NEED many smaller games to fill out GamePass to make it attractive to subscribers. So these studios can make those smaller games that are not meant to appeal to millions of the lowest common denominator. Per what the director of Obsidian said in a recent interview, that's exactly the choice they have made, to make smaller, single player only, story-focused, AA games and NOT huge AAA mass-appeal games. And I for one am extremely happy with this. Extremely.
