Bethesda exec wants fans to watch a Netflix documentary ahead of Starfield launch

The potential thematic overlaps between the Webb mission and Starfield becomes hard to ignore the more you watch the documentary.

Of course, it would be nice if Bethesda introduced an in-game mechanic where players built telescopes to uncover the mysteries of the past - of our modern-day era, if you will. Perhaps Starfield might even let us take a peek into the past of our dear planet, Earth, helping us gain a better understanding of the cataclysmic series of events that eventually led to its presumed demise in the game.

Then again, Starfield could also explore the motivations driving our current push towards space exploration, the still-ongoing Space Age that started all the way back to when the Soviet Union launched Earth's first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, back in 1957. The documentary, in essence, could be an homage to the present that seeds the future in Starfield.

Yet, one can't ignore the more philosophical implications. The Webb is an emblem of our undying curiosity. It stands as a beacon, reminding us of the challenges of executing a multi-year project, teeming with points of potential failure. But it also celebrates the slow and steady revelation of a costly project culminating in breathtaking images of the universe. It showcases the collaborative spirit required to launch such a project into a realm where no corrections can be made after the fact.

This sentiment parallels the spirit of games like Starfield. As players, we're presented with vast universes filled with challenges, risks, and potential failures. But we persevere. We collaborate. We innovate. And in that process, we often find beauty in unexpected places - just as the Webb has shown us vivid, previously unseen aspects of our universe.

While these speculations remain just that - speculations - it highlights how real-world achievements inspire fiction. The grandeur and scope of the Webb, an endeavor marked by collaboration and fraught with potential failure, which serve as a testament to human tenacity and innovation. Bethesda, too, with its extensive experience in RPG development and now with Xbox's backing, is poised to embrace this challenge, drawing inspiration from such real-world endeavors.

From Final Fantasy 16, arguably Square Enix's best outing in a while, drawing inspiration from stories of old, presumably the English Wars of the Roses, to the pandemic's influence on Death Stranding 2, and now, Starfield's promise of a near future where space exploration might become an everyday reality, the stories of such games become even more relevant. They serve as a bridge of what was, what is, and what could be.

Come September, the stars await as we all embark on this journey.

For now though, hopeful spacefarers will have to make do with the current and ongoing saga of Starfield dominating headlines for all sorts of reasons, from early leaks, to disappointed executives, "bland" start screens, and so much more.