It has now been six years since the release of The Elder Scrolls VI announcement trailer. Yes – six whole years. Back then, you’d be forgiven for assuming the game would be out by 2024. But here we are, and it is nowhere to be seen.
Similarly frustrating, Todd Howard – Bethesda Game Studios’ executive producer – recently said the company is in no rush to release a new Fallout game. Exactly why that is is unclear – apparently it’s something to do with wanting people to miss things.
It goes without saying that video game development is very, very challenging. But Bethesda’s insistence on making excited gamers wait longer and longer for new titles is simply baffling. Not only does it reduce their ability to capitalise on the ebbs and flows of hype (with the recent release of the Fallout TV show being a prime example), it also diminishes the success of their future games.
That’s because these extended waiting periods serve only to frustrate fans. After six years, the lack of communication about The Elder Scrolls VI suggests Bethesda is cooking up something truly groundbreaking.
In turn, fans’ expectations for it are driven to astronomical levels – and the same goes for Fallout 5. The problem is that expectations this high tend to lead to disappointment. And we need look no further than Bethesda’s own Starfield for a clear example of this.
Starfield currently stands at a disappointing “Mostly Negative” review score on Steam. While critics responded more positively to the game, it failed to blow anyone away. And the main reason for that was the lethal combination of inflated expectations and amplified frustration.
After all, there’s a significant possibility that The Elder Scrolls VI (and, later, Fallout 5) will stick to the tried and true Bethesda RPG formula. Whatever innovations they include may not be enough to warrant the decade plus-long waits for them in the minds of fans.
It should also be noted that any flaws these games have will be magnified by their immense development cycles. Assuming The Elder Scrolls VI releases in 2025 (which is far from guaranteed), that would be 14 years after the release of its predecessor. Of course, the long-awaited sequel hasn’t been in development for most of that time – but that isn’t how customers will view it.
If this game releases and is full of the usual Bethesda jankiness, the company should expect a torrent of criticism. Whether The Elder Scrolls VI is fundamentally excellent or not will be overshadowed by an explosion of pent-up negativity after years of waiting. Every bug, glitch, dodgy character model, and awkward line of dialogue will be scrutinised and held up as an example of Bethesda’s inability to deliver quality products despite the immense amount of time and money at its disposal.
I adore Bethesda games – they are some of my all-time favourites. But modern gaming audiences are vicious, and making them wait and wait and wait only serves to fuel a potential backlash. No one wants to see a game rushed and botched, but waiting more than a decade for something that is unpolished and more of the same won’t satisfy any dedicated fan.
Do you want to see The Elder Scrolls VI and Fallout 5 sooner than later? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles…
