In a recent announcement at the CCXP in São Paulo, Brazil, Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, shared encouraging news about Bethesda’s role-playing space game, Starfield. The game, which was initially billed as and has since become one of Microsoft’s most significant releases this year if not ever, has now surpassed 12 million players, marking a significant milestone.
Spencer’s update indicates a steady growth in Starfield’s player base, with an addition of one million players in just over a month. This achievement is noteworthy, especially considering the game’s relatively recent release. The growth in the number of players underscores Starfield’s popularity and its ability to engage a broad audience.
During his talk, Spencer expressed gratitude to the fans for their support, acknowledging Starfield’s status among the top 10 most played games by Microsoft’s studios. This accolade is a testament to the game’s appeal and its ability to captivate players with its expansive universe and immersive gameplay.
Looking to the future, Spencer discussed upcoming developments for Starfield, including a story-based expansion for it, Shattered Space, and the eventual introduction of full-fledged modding tool support. These additions are expected to further enhance the game’s appeal and longevity, similar to the enduring success of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
The introduction of modding tools to Starfield, in particular, is poised to empower the game’s massive community to go ahead and create and share their own content, potentially leading to a richer and more varied gaming experience.
Starfield’s success isn’t limited to its gameplay and player count. The game has also become a benchmark for first-party Xbox games, setting new records and standards for Microsoft’s gaming division. Its success is could easily be attributed to its availability on Game Pass and an effective marketing campaign, which have played crucial roles in expanding its reach.
Despite the player count, the metrics used to gauge the game’s success is questionable. The figure, which is an impressive number, includes multiple platforms. The Game Pass, as previously established, plays a role in the success of Starfield. Plus, the fact that AMD and Bethesda partnered to give away copies of Starfield for each participating CPU and/or GPU model sold, further makes it difficult to ascertain the exact number of copies sold.
The publicly available numbers on platforms such as SteamDB and Bethesda’s post-launch actions haven’t helped either. The player experience has soured tremendously in recent weeks, with the game’s Steam review scores crashing. The lack of player enthusiasm even among hardcore Bethesda fans implies that it’s possible that Microsoft is using these “vague” numbers out of necessity – it can’t exactly brag about having to convince players that Starfield is good, which is what Bethesda is and has been doing on Steam for months now.
Nevertheless, Starfield remains a significant title in the RPG genre, especially given its presence on platforms like Steam and Xbox Series S/X.
With plans for expansions, modding tools, and ongoing support from Bethesda, Starfield should remain the talk of the United Colonies for the foreseeable future. Whether or not these talks will put it in a positive light remain to be seen.
