It's no secret that Starfield — out now on PC and Xbox Series S/X — is hands down one of the most monumental game launches of the year. For Bethesda, it's a gamble in uncharted territory as they undertake their first new universe in 25 years, set across the stars in a futuristic civilised corner of the Milky Way galaxy. For publisher Xbox, it's an opportunity to bounce back from a lacklustre 2022 slate and dominate the gaming conversation for a long time — probably years, given the staying power director Todd Howard's RPGs are notorious for. With over a thousand planets to explore, dashing factions to align with, and cosmic mysteries bubbling with political intrigue, Starfield aims to be the most complex spacefaring adventure of our generation. As such, it soars gracefully, but not without some turbulence.
Starfield Has Officially Taken Off On Steam, Xbox Series X|S, And Game Pass
06.09.2023 - 10:19 / gameranx.com / Todd Howard / Xbox Series / Series X
Starfield has finally launched, available on Steam and Xbox Series X|S. It is also on Game Pass.
Thank you for coming with us on this journey as we built our first new universe in over 25 years. Now, we invite you to embark on your own adventure. #Starfield is out now on all platforms! pic.twitter.com/cTVldYIDGo
Starfield is now available on Steam!https://t.co/X5s2YLFFHK
For all, into the #Starfield. pic.twitter.com/BMORBAPuZw
This launch marks the culmination of five years in development. Bethesda originally unveiled the game in E3 2018 with a small teaser trailer, followed by an in-engine trailer presented at E3 2021, that demonstrated the Creation Engine 2. It was also at this event that Microsoft revealed that the game would become an Xbox console exclusive, a few months after the console maker acquired their parent company Zenimax Media.
However, it can also be said that this is the end of a 25 + year journey for Bethesda. Todd Howard revealed that the studio was interested in making a “Skyrim in space” as far back as 1994, when they acquired the license to make a video game based on the Traveller tabletop RPG owned by Game Designer’s Workshop.
Bethesda’s efforts to jumsptart a space exporation themed video game would repeatedly falter through the years, At one point, they even had the rights to Star Trek, but their pitches failed to pass by their owners. But this was where something special happened.
In the 25 + years that they sat on the idea, Bethesda slowly reshaped the project to make something original. They ultimately came upon building the game around NASApunk, an aesthetic that is futuristic, but also realistic, for its grounded basis on NASA technology as they are used today.
Starfield also got caught up between PlayStation and Xbox fans because of the console exclusivity, which can be toxic, but is expected in the community. However, this would escalate to a wholly different level when Sony emerged to oppose Microsoft’s new merger acquisition deal of Activision Blizzard King.
Sony had argued that Microsoft’s decision to make Starfield exclusive means they could not be trusted to keep games multiplatform. Of course, we now generally understand, that this may not be something PlayStation fans like, but it doesn’t actually constitute a competition or antitrust issue.
Furthermore, Microsoft would later reveal that they moved to acquire Bethesda, after learning from Bethesda themselves that Sony made an offer for console exclusivity for Starfield on PlayStation. So, Starfield had become something of a rhetorical volleyball between the two companies, but that was ultimately a distraction from the game itself.
Starfield was paired with Redfall as two of the major Xbox game releases that fans
Starfield becomes Bethesda’s biggest ever launch with 10 million players
During the E3 presentation in 2018, Bethesda took to the stage and teased an open-world RPG set in space and called it Starfield. It would be the first IP developed by Bethesda in over 25 years. After years of anticipation, the developer finally launched Starfield on September 6 exclusively for the Microsoft Xbox and Windows. Despite not even one month elapsing since it was launched, Starfield is already being lauded as the game of the year by many, with high critic scores and rave reviews from players.
Starfield Getting Official Mod Support in 2024
Starfield is getting official mod support in 2024 according to Bethesda development chief Todd Howard.
Starfield Players Have Made Some Weird and Wonderful Mods
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From Elder Scrolls to Starfield: How Bethesda Defined the Role-Playing Game
In late 2001, the dot-com crash struck ZeniMax, and a team of thirty-some developers in the company’s basement feared for their jobs. They were late delivering their new role-playing game, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, to Microsoft; their board of directors had begun having doubts about the whole videogame enterprise. People were pulling seven-day workweeks on something none of them were sure would ever see the light of day. Morale was in the toilet.
Todd Howard Explains the Lack of Ground Vehicles in Starfield
Bethesda’s officially released yesterday after about a week of early access availability. Director Todd Howard and Xbox CEO Phil Spencer recently answered a few questions about the new game in a recent interview. .
Starfield Has Surpassed One Million Concurrent Users Across All Platforms
Less than a day after the game's official launch, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer proudly announced that Starfield has exceeded one million concurrent users across all platforms (PC, Xbox Series S|X, and cloud).
Do You Want a Mid-Gen Xbox Series X Upgrade? – Unlocked 611
After a quick update on how our Starfield adventures are going, we discuss Phil Spencer and the Xbox leadership team’s big decision to bend the Series X/S parity rules to get Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox, Destin’s big interview with Phil Spencer — including whether or not Microsoft will produce a mid-gen refresh for the Series X — the sad closure of Volition, and more!
Starfield Has Over 600 Mods And Counting
It's been less than a week since the game launched in early access, but modders have already lifted off.
Starfield, Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, and More: New Games on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X in September
September promises to be a blockbuster month for gaming, with a stellar lineup of heavy hitters set to release this month. Kicking off the show is Starfield, Bethesda's epic sci-fi space fantasy RPG, which has been in development for eight years, apparently. The studio's first original IP in 25 years, Starfield, as director Todd Howard puts it, is essentially Skyrim in space. Hundreds of hours of spacefaring adventure await, with a side helping of nostalgic Bethesda style. The game is out now on PC and Xbox Series S/X. It's also a big month for RPGs, as CD Projekt Red's much-awaited Cyberpunk 2077 expansion hits the shelves on September 26. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty promises a ton of upgrades from the base game, including an overhauled skill tree, a new wanted system, and gameplay tweaks. There's a brand new story, too, with Idris Elba joining the cast, and Keanu Reeves returning.
Todd Howard defends Starfield Xbox Series X/S exclusivity: "When you think of Zelda you think of the Switch"
Starfield game director Todd Howard has spoken on the new RPG's console exclusivity for Xbox systems.
Starfield Peaks at Over 248,000 Concurrent Players on Steam During Early Access Period
Starfield officially arrives September 6, but it has already begun breaking records on Steam. The expansive space RPG hit an all-time peak of 248,632 concurrent players, at the time of writing, which goes to show how impatient players have been for Bethesda's latest. For the uninitiated, those who aren't willing to wait for the official launch can purchase the Rs. 6,699/ $100 Premium Edition of the game and play it early. This is applicable across both Steam and Xbox platforms, with even Game Pass members willing to fork over $31.49/ Rs. 2,519 for early access, despite the title being essentially free for them.