Todd Howard May Be a Victim of His Own Success with Starfield Suffering For It

Todd Howard, a name synonymous with some of the most iconic RPGs ever made, has found himself in a unique position given the increasing developmental time and resources needed for big AAA games. 

The pressure of expectations, coupled with Bethesda’s reluctance to outsource its cherished franchises, may have put Howard and his team in a challenging spot. It seems that Bethesda’s adherence to a single-team approach, and not letting other studios take the reins and make spin-offs, is making the long wait times increasingly detrimental to the fans.

Bethesda and Todd Howard’s Reluctance to Share

As Howard hinted in a June 2023 interview with IGN before the release of Starfield, there’s a growing realization that the massive success of past projects might now be slowing them down.

I don’t have a great answer for you there. It’s an astute observation.

The inability to assign work to outside studios and collaborate with them as they once did, such as with Obsidian, could have paved the way for new titles in the Elder Scrolls or Fallout universes to already be out.

Todd Howard admits that for years, Bethesda has maintained a tight grip on its most valuable IP. Unlike some game studios that often collaborate with others to develop spin-offs or sequels, especially when their plate’s full, Bethesda has preferred to keep development in-house. 

This decision has undoubtedly allowed them to maintain a high level of control over the vision of their games. However, this approach has also resulted in extended development times, with fans sometimes waiting more than a decade between mainline releases. 

And given the decreasing quality of their games, and their inability to innovate and make games that surpass expectations like they once did, maybe it’s best to let other, better RPG studios take a shot.

Starfield has already been criticized for being far too similar to previous Bethesda games, and not in a good way. There’s a clear inability to drastically change their design and narrative philosophy, and innovate and change for the better.

The Xbox Acquisition and New Possibilities

A prime example of this is Obsidian Entertainment’s desire to develop another Fallout game. Despite the massive success of Fallout: New Vegas, a game developed by Obsidian in collaboration with Bethesda, Bethesda has reportedly turned down multiple pitches from Obsidian to work on another Fallout title, as well as a spinoff in The Elder Scrolls universe.

This is despite the fact that fans have long asked for more Fallout games and a New Vegas sequel.

The acquisition by Microsoft has raised some interesting possibilities. Now, with Bethesda under the Xbox Game Studios umbrella, which also includes Obsidian and some other great studios, there is renewed hope among fans that the development strategy might finally change.

Bethesda could finally allow other talented teams within the Xbox family to handle spin-offs, if not full sequels for their beloved franchises.

Having more games in these franchises would not only keep fans engaged but also prevent the risk of franchise fatigue, by having different visions and game designs.

Giving these franchises to different studios would definitely lead to fresh takes and new ideas, potentially revitalizing the series in ways that Bethesda alone might not achieve.

Are you hopeful that Bethesda finally lets other talented studios take a shot? Let us know in the comments.