Todd Howard was a guest on the latest Lex Fridman Podcast. During the program, several topics were discussed, including Starfield. Initially scheduled for November 11, the game was postponed to a date still unknown and has been very discreet since. From its postponement to the exclusivity of the game to Xbox consoles, through details on the gameplay or even the world that players will be able to discover, here is what to remember from the show.
Postponing the game was the right decision
Starfield was to be one of the big year-end games and the big game for Xbox and Xbox Game Pass. Due to its postponement, the Xbox Series X|S was not entitled to its end-of-year blockbuster and the game still does not have a new release date. Asked about deadlines and how to choose a launch date, Todd Howard explained that you have to try to be honest with yourself, because it helps to know where you are.
Regarding the postponement of Starfield itself, he mentions that it was the right decision to make and that the studio had reached a point where it was clear that the game needed more time:
You know, we had reached a point where, on Starfield, it was pretty clear to us, even if you want to tell yourself that you can do it, that the risk that this entails for the fans of the game, for the team, for the company… we’re part of Xbox now, for everyone, that we really should postpone the game and give it the time it needs.
On his side, Phil Spencer also mentioned at the beginning of November that the postponement of Starfield to 2023 was the right decision to make and that he wanted the teams feel they have a choice of their deadlines.
Xbox exclusivity is an added liability
The issue of Xbox exclusivity was also discussed. Todd Howard recalled that Starfield was indeed an Xbox Series X|S exclusive, and that this was nothing out of the ordinary for the studio, a longtime Microsoft partner:
Even though we did things on PlayStation, and I think the PlayStation 5 is a crazy machine, they did a great job and we had a lot of success on PlayStation…
We were traditionally PC developers in the beginning, we transitioned to Xbox which became our main platform, Morrowind was Xbox exclusive, Oblivion was also Xbox exclusive for a long time, Skyrim DLC was… So going into development and saying that we’re focusing on the Xbox is not abnormal for us, it’s kind of the norm.
He then explains that the studio receives help from the best engineers at Xbox for the development of the game. According to him, the Xbox Series X is an incredible machine and to be able to have the people who have built it since the takeover of Bethesda. by Microsoft is something awesome.
Furthermore, he also talks about the added pressure and responsibility of having a game with Starfield that now positions itself as system seller des consoles Xbox.
Details about the world of Starfield and its characters
During the podcast, Todd Howard also touched on many elements of Starfield. From gameplay features to details about the world and its characters, we’ve listed the main topics discussed below:
- You can pass other ships and they can contact you
- You won’t run out of fuel in space (but it could be added in a hardcore mode)
- Ships land and take off from starports
- Star systems will have levels (he notably mentions a level 40 system)
- You will have to adapt your suit according to the planets (gas, toxicity, temperature, etc.)
- There will be enemy robots in addition to friendly robots
- Starfield will feature romances with 4 of your companions, described as more complex than in the studio’s previous games
- Todd Howard likes the player to feel alone, away from everyone else on a planet
Many other topics were discussed during this podcast that you can find in full below.
Remember that Starfield remains exclusively planned on Xbox Series X|S and PC, as well as in Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass.