On the cusp of Starfield’s Early Access launch, an atmosphere of excitement, expectation, and retrospective musing has engulfed not just gamers but also the creators behind the upcoming open world space opera RPG. Todd Howard, long-time helmsman steering the Bethesda ship, extended warm and heartfelt congratulations to the development team as well as Xbox and Bethesda, in an internal memo that was later publicized, courtesy of Windows Central. This comes as no surprise given that Starfield is a brainchild of Howard, a project that has been a “holy grail idea” for him and his seasoned team who have been with the company for decades.
The significance of Starfield cannot be overstated. It’s Bethesda’s first new intellectual property in nearly 30 years and represents the first major game launched under the aegis of the Bethesda-Xbox union. This game promises to combine the studio’s long-term ambition with its insane creative potential, offering hundreds of explorable star systems set in the Milky Way and likely clocking dozens upon dozens of hours of gameplay. These elements form a part of Bethesda’s robust legacy that includes blockbusters like Skyrim, Fallout 3 and 4, each a pinnacle of expansive world-building and player freedom.
Interestingly, the road to Starfield was not without its bumps. When Todd Howard initially pitched the game to the late ZeniMax CEO Robert Altman back in 2013, the proposal was audacious. It was to be a “grand space RPG,” an enormous undertaking that would be Bethesda’s first new IP in, not just years, but decades. Altman’s reaction? Sounds fantastic.” The fact that Lynda Carter, the original Wonder Woman, who has lent her voice to Bethesda games ever since The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and was Altman’s wife, had a soft presence in these games adds a layer of familial warmth to the studio’s lineage.
Todd Howard’s memo also underscored enormous changes that marked the journey from 2020 to 2023: which, among many, included a global pandemic, Robert Altman’s passing, and Bethesda becoming a part of the Xbox ecosystem. The brave visionary highlighted the unwavering support he’s received from Phil Spencer, describing the relationship as nothing short of fierce.
Thanks to this multi-billion partnership, Howard pointed out that Starfield has the “fewest bugs any Bethesda game ever shipped with,” crediting Microsoft’s Advanced Technology Group, which he likened to “magicians,” for contributing to the game’s polished performance.
Bethesda, for all its awards and accolades, is as legendary as it is infamous for releasing bug-filled titles, especially at launch.
The excitement for Starfield has reached stratospheric levels, with both Bethesda neophytes who are looking for higher-quality Xbox action games and long-time aficionados awaiting the next Elder Scrolls iteration. The studio has managed to nurture an avid modding community, ensuring its single-player games enjoy a prolonged lifespan.
As the review embargo for Starfield lifts on August 31, the gaming community is tingling with the type of excitement that can only be attributed to a potential game-changer.
Starfield’s high expectations have a firm foundation. Todd Howard’s passion for a space RPG wasn’t a transient desire but a long-held aspiration, and the notion of a space game had been floating around Bethesda since the times of “10th Planet,” a 1998 project that was eventually shelved. Notably, with Microsoft’s extensive financial backing, Bethesda now has a whopping four studios, clearly signaling that future projects like Elder Scrolls 6 will be monumental.
Conclusively, Starfield is not merely a game for Bethesda – it’s a passion project, a sum of their long-held dreams, an epitome of their partnership with Xbox, and a tribute to their enduring legacy.
For Howard, it’s the culmination of not just three years but decades of imagining and reimagining. It’s a project that has made him proud of his team’s “continued dedication to create something truly special.”
For the fans and for everyone at Xbox and Bethesda, it’s a ticket to explore the galaxy starting this September 1st. And thanks to the time zones, as Todd Howard jokingly noted, New Zealand will give gamers a head start into this sprawling cosmic adventure.
