Starfield’s development was streamlined thanks to ignoring PS5
PS, I don’t love you
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Pete Hines, VP for marketing at Bethesda, spoke about Xbox exclusivity and what it’s like to develop for fewer platforms.
Starfieldis set to release later this year, September 6, after what feels like an extra long development cycle, but it turns out that fans could’ve had to wait even longer if the circumstances were different.
During the current trial betweenMicrosoft/ Activision and the Federal Trade Commission, Hines was asked about developing Xbox exclusives likeRedfallandStarfield. “We would not be putting [Starfield] out in nine weeks if we were supporting an entire additional platform, in my opinion,” Hines said.
Ultimately, Hines concluded that theStarfieldteam were able to hold more rounds of quality assurance and testing when developing for fewer platforms. In short, it’s less of a risk.
However, Hines also claimed that he was blindsided byStarfield’s exclusivity when Activision titles likeCall of Dutywere still cross platform, “it was the opposite of what we were just asked — told — to do with our other titles”, Hines said.
Apparently, no one at Bethesda was given forewarning for the decision to keep Call of Duty available on PlayStation platforms like PS5. Hines was under the impression that Phil Spencer would explain it all in an interview why there are different restrictions for various titles.
There’s been a lot of issue around the Microsoft/ Activision acquisition as theCMA kicked things off with blocking the dealfollowed by the EU approving the deal almost right after theUK government blocked the deal. The controversy surrounds the idea of Microsoft building a cloud gaming monopoly.
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In response to the Microsoft began making slightly outlandish deal such as offering a 10 year Call of Duty contract to PlayStation and pledging to allow the FPS series to run on theNintendo Switch, despite havingno evidence that this could be possible.
As Xbox are starting to wrack up its own exclusive titles, it’s a great time to check out the most anticipatedupcoming Xbox Series X|S titles.
Elie is a Features Writer for TechRadar Gaming, here to write about anything new or slightly weird. Before writing for TRG, Elie studied for a Masters at Cardiff University JOMEC in International Journalism and Documentaries – spending their free time filming short docs or editing the gaming section for their student publications.
Elie’s first step into gaming was through Pokémon but they’ve taken the natural next step in the horror genre. Any and every game that would keep you up at night is on their list to play - despite the fact that one of Elie’s biggest fears is being chased.
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