Image source: Bethesda
Starfield has been soaring high since its early September release, captivating gamers across all platforms with its expansive universe. Bethesda’s latest creation offers players the opportunity to explore an entire galaxy, and according to Todd Howard, the journey promises to be a long and captivating one.
In an interview with the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, Todd Howard, the creative mind behind Bethesda, sat down with Ted Price, the head of Insomniac Games, to discuss the monumental scope of Starfield. Howard revealed that the game has been meticulously designed for long-lasting appeal, drawing inspiration from the studio’s previous hit titles like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and the beloved Fallout series.
Todd Howard Designed Starfield to be Played for a Long Time
The interview clip, beginning at the 26:49 timestamp and encompassing the entire “Complexity and Scope for Recent Games” chapter, delves into the question of whether the demand for more complex games comes from the gaming community or the developers themselves. Howard shared his perspective, stating, “I think it starts with the developers. It has to, right? I think it starts with technology. You’re seeing new hardware, you’re wanting to use it in new ways, you’re looking at demos going ‘we could do this, we could do this, we could present it in this way.’”
When asked about the scale of Starfield, Howard didn’t mince words, calling it “irresponsible.” This choice of words becomes more understandable when considering the vast, open-ended nature of the game’s space-centric setting. Bethesda’s developers sought to take advantage of the boundless opportunities the cosmos offered, sometimes filling it with content and other times leaving it untouched, hence the use of the term “irresponsible.”
Expanding on the concept of scale, Howard referred to some of Bethesda’s monumental games from the past, notably Skyrim and Fallout. Despite being released years ago, these titles continue to enjoy a dedicated player base. Howard emphasized, “This is a game and it’s intentionally made to be played for a long time. One of the things we’ve learned from our previous games, from Skyrim, from Fallout, is that people want to play them for a very long time.”
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Regarding community input, Howard acknowledged the community’s role in shaping Starfield‘s features. Bethesda recently provided an official update in the previous Starfield 1.7.33 update, reassuring fans that features such as DLSS support and an HDR calibration menu are actively in development.
Starfield made its grand entrance on Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam and Game Pass on September 6th, with early access available starting from the 1st of the month. With its massive scope, enduring gameplay, and active developer engagement, Starfield promises to remain a celestial phenomenon in the gaming universe for years to come.
