In a recent enlightening interview with Bloomberg Technology, Todd Howard, the figurehead of Bethesda, and Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, opened up about the intricacies of their newly launched space exploration game, Starfield. The duo addressed various pressing questions from the audience and discussed the game’s development, technical specifications, and more.
Howard made it clear that Starfield is fully optimized for next-generation PCs. “It’s running great. It is a next-gen PC game, we really do push the technology, so you may need to upgrade your PC for this game, but it’s got a lot of great stuff going on in it and the fans are responding awesome,” he said. This may come as a relief for gamers who have been concerned about the game’s compatibility with their systems.
Both Howard and Spencer were adamant in rejecting the notion that Bethesda has a history of releasing substandard games. This sentiment comes in the wake of criticisms that Starfield’s early days have shown some quirks, such as crew members found floating outside their ships in deep space or interrupted minigames.
While Starfield is gaining attention for its intricate space lifestyle, Howard revealed his own gameplay preferences. “When I’m doing my ship I like to focus on shields and defence, because you never know what’s going to happen when you jump into a new system,” he said, underscoring the game’s versatility. Howard went on to say that Starfield allows players an incredible amount of freedom, making it “like five or six games at once,” depending on one’s gameplay style.
As for the future of gaming technology, Howard remained non-committal when asked if generative AI would play a role in upcoming Bethesda titles. Although he didn’t offer a definitive answer, he did mention that Starfield boasts over three million words, highlighting the game’s depth and complexity.
To wrap up the interview, Howard acknowledged the high levels of competition in the video game industry. “The competition is high, the bar is high, and we want to get there for our fans every time,” he concluded, signalling Bethesda’s commitment to meeting, if not exceeding, the expectations of their vast and eager fan base. With the launch of Starfield, it seems the studio is well on its way to doing just that.