A New Bethesda Game, or Just Another Port?
If you don’t include the Special Edition and VR remakes, then it’s been a good three years since a new game came from Bethesda Game Studios. A recent interview with the studio’s executive producer, Todd Howard, has left people thinking a new game is currently in the works.
In an interview with Ted Price for the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Game Maker’s Notebook podcast, Howard talks about a new animation system for a project currently in pre-production. He also stated how a project in full production is using an old animation system. Many have taken this to mean Fallout 4, though the Nuka-World DLC was already confirmed to be their last DLC, which released in 2016.
To be clear, this doesn’t mean Bethesda is fully into a new game, but in pre-production of one. This means that it will still be years before we see what the new animation system is going towards. The project in full production does have a greater implication towards a new game coming soon, though we won’t be certain until its officially announced.
Something to consider is Bethesda Game Studios’ rate of production. Fallout 3, Skyrim, and Fallout 4 released in 2008, 2011, and 2015 respectively. There is a consistent 3-4 year gap between major titles. Right now we are three years since Fallout 4, which was announced at E3 2014. Should they continue to follow these trends, we can expect to hear about a new Bethesda game at this year’s E3, due to launch the following year.
Need further evidence that they’re working on something? Later in the interview, Howard talks about the stress of finishing a game.
“You forget. If you haven’t moved in a while, moving is terrible. Or having a child. Not terrible! But the pressures of it, you forget how hard it is to finish a game.”
He has a certain reminiscent tone when discussing the topic, in a way that implies he is experiencing these stresses currently.
I can’t point towards what exactly the studio is working on. It could be a new Elder Scrolls game, a new Fallout, or something entirely different. All I can say with fair confidence is that this year’s E3 press event will announce something big.
