![]() So Howard is right, better safe than sorry, and I doubt we’ll see many more hugely confident release date proclamation like that in the future for sprawling games like this.įollow me on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. No, it’s probably not the case that Starfield will launch bug-free no matter when it comes out, but it’s easy to see how another 4-8 months, or whatever it ends up getting, will help it launch in a better state, as past Cyberpunk, even Xbox’s own Halo Infinite felt like it needed significantly more time in the oven, and that was even after a year-long delay had already happened. In the slate of Xbox’s past and present and even future first party releases, I think you’d be hard pressed to find a larger exclusive with more weighing on it than Starfield, other than maybe The Elder Scrolls 6 itself. And this exclusive games approach could be a very good thing for gaming fans in the long-term.Elsewhere in the interview, Todd Howard talks about how while he enjoys working with Microsoft and Xbox, it’s a new level of pressure, given that something like Starfield is meant to be a system seller (or Game Pass seller) as an exclusive offering after the $7.5 billion acquisition. So rather than feel the need to apologize for Starfield exclusivity, Hines should be touting it as the fuel for making Starfield the very best it can be once it launches on November 11, 2022. As such, if you get bored of one after a few years you could then swap it for the other, which should be flush with exclusive games. But having games that are made and optimized for specific consoles means both become compelling devices. Sure, finding a PS5 restock is also a nightmare and buying two near-$500 consoles isn’t the most affordable thing in gaming. Having more PS5 and Xbox exclusives is also an overall good thing. Thanks’ to Microsoft’s cloud tech - Azure has the second largest cloud infrastructure in the world - Starfield's Xbox and PC exclusivity could, somewhat ironically, make the game more accessible. Or Bethesda could tap into Microsoft’s coding and software expertise to ensure Starfield is well-optimized across a variety of Windows 10 machines and runs perfectly on the new Xbox consoles.įurthermore, Microsoft is expanding Xbox Cloud Streaming to allow Xbox One consoles to stream Xbox Series X games, and it's bringing game streaming to browsers so iPads and iPhones can stream some of the best Xbox One games, like their Android counterparts.Īll that means that Starfield, under Microsoft’s yolk, could be accessible to people who've struggled to find an Xbox Series X restock or don’t have access to some of the best gaming PCs. That’s because Microsoft has a vast amount of resources, from money and engineers, to powerful developer tools, machine learning research and a huge cloud infrastructure, which Bethesda could harness.Īll that could lead to more interesting gaming features in the likes of Starfield, say cloud-powered AI or high-fidelity procedurally generated worlds. While some might bemoan that Bethesda is under the Microsoft banner, I think that’s a positive thing, even if it means Xbox exclusivity for the developer's big games. If that happens all the efforts put into opposing the launch game could be carried over to Sony’s console though this is some rampant speculation on my part. And that's likely to lead to a better overall game.Įventually, Starfield could be ported over to the PS5. Exclusive enthusiasmĪs Hines said, keeping development focused on one console platform - or 1.5 if you count the Series S - can make for tighter development. However, I think that this exclusivity - for Starfield at least - is actually a good thing. ![]() But my colleague Rory Mellon argued the opposite, and has somewhat been proven correct I still think The Elder Scrolls 6 won't be Xbox exclusive.Īnd as much as I thought that Bethesda would keep its largest games as multiplatform games, the harsh reality is money talks and gaming is an industry not just a bunch of hobbyists and coders cranking out fun things for us to play. ![]() When Microsoft’s purchase of ZeniMax Media was first announced, I remember thinking that it probably won’t see major Bethesda games become exclusives, as Microsoft can still make money through Sony’s consoles. As does any effort by Microsoft to extract more value out of that deal, even if that might mean hampering its main rival from Japan. So it’s no surprise that Microsoft is going to use its investment in the publisher and its recumbent developers to get more Xbox and Windows 10 PC exclusives that’s just good business sense.īig triple-A games aren’t cheap to make, so having Microsoft’s financial clout makes sense for Bethesda. But putting that aside, Bethesda and parent company ZeniMax Media was bought by Microsoft.
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