Video games are a luxury. An expense that we have to justify before we enter our card details and hope our overdraft holds strong. To fork out between £40 and £70 for a new game means we demand a lot of bang for our buck, either through continued updates or because the story stands the tests of time and still entices us decades later. It’s a balance Bethesda finds more times than not, and the promise Todd Howard is teasing when he says The Elder Scrolls VI will last gamers at least 10 years.
During Lex Fridman's podcast, Bethesda’s Howard, while remaining frustratingly vague on specific details regarding the game’s development, was able to explain the thought process behind taking it slow when creating such a hotly anticipated game.
What would you add to our Elder Scrolls VI wishlist?
“People are playing games for a long time, you know. Skyrim is 11 years old – still probably our most-played game, and so we don't see it slowing down. And people will probably be playing it 10 years from now also," He continues, "So you have to think about 'Okay, people are gonna play the next Elder Scrolls game for a decade, two decades... And that does change the way you think about how you architect it from the get-go.”
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Howard does have a point. As much as it’s angered fans that the first reveal of Elder Scrolls VI was five years ago, the fact that the devs are taking their time bodes well. Moreover, unlike Rockstar Games, which seem to be trolling its players, Bethesda hasn’t taken the casually cruel approach of saying nothing. GTA VI fans have to sustain themselves on rumours, rumours that are leading to disappointment more than excitement, while Elder Scrolls fans are able to hear about the game straight from the horse’s mouth. It’s by no means perfect, but it offers more comfort than being left to blow in the wind like tumbleweed.
True to form, ex-Bethesda employee, Bruce Nesmith, has opened up about the intended progression system in Elder Scrolls VI, discussing how it’ll based on Skyrim. Not only will this ensure familiarity for players, but it’ll also give them a more organic levelling up, dependent on what you use and how often. For all intents and purposes, the vow that Elder Scrolls VI will be a “major upgrade” on Starfield seems to have weight. However, the proof is in the pudding, and it’s a pudding we’ll be waiting to taste for several years yet.
Featured Image Credit: BethesdaTopics: Bethesda, The Elder Scrolls, The Elder Scrolls 6, Skyrim, PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Steam