Delaying Starfield was the right thing to do, says Xbox gaming chief, Phil Spencer. Let’s hope the delay does indeed pay off.
Developed by Bethesda, Starfield has been years in the making and as a result, anticipation is through the roof. Well, I suppose we could say anticipation is through the stars.
Fallout and Skyrim can be buggy
However, as critically acclaimed as some Bethesda titles can be, they can also launch in a buggy state. Take for example The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Over 10 years have passed since that game was released, yet bugs can still be found.
Then we have the infamous Fallout 76, an MMORPG set within the popular post-apocalyptic franchise. Granted, it seems that Fallout 76 is in a much better state today. Sadly, so much damage was done at launch, many fans never wanted to return to its world.
Starfield was supposed to be out by now
So, with the power of hindsight, you can see why Microsoft and Bethesda came to the decision to delay Starfield. This sci-fi RPG was actually supposed to release on November 11th, 2022. However, if that game launched in a bad way, it would have certainly frustrated the masses.
Back in 2019, when talking about the troubles of Fallout 76, Bethesda boss Todd Howard once infamously said: “it’s not how you launch, it’s what it becomes.” Thankfully, it seems this is a philosophy that one not wanted to be repeated.
Was a delay the right thing to do?
When speaking on the Decoder podcast, Spencer said: “We have experience shipping games too early. But in hindsight when you look at a game like Starfield, which has taken so long and so much investment in new IP from the team, the decision to give the team the time to build the game that they feel they should be building is just the right thing to do.”
“Starfield and Redfall, which are our first big Xbox games with ZeniMax coming into the team,” continued the Xbox chief. “I just wanted to make sure those teams felt that they had the support they could get from Xbox. Maybe feel some of the benefit of being part of a larger organisation that has other revenue streams and other things going on that could be helpful.”
When are Starfield and Redfall being released?
At this time, we do not have a release date for Starfield and Redfall. However, following the most recent delay, we do know that they will both launch sometime in 2023.
Are you happy that both Bethesda games were delayed? Let us know across our social media channels. Starfield and Redfall will release for PC and Xbox Series X|S.
While you’re here, be sure to check out our video of the week. 10 of the scariest horror games of all time are shown off. What is your favourite horror game?
Featured Image Credit: Bethesda/Source: PC Gamer