“Creating this game has been one of the most challenging and thrilling experiences of our careers – a journey we’ll never forget.” – Todd Howard, Starfield director
On the eve of Starfield’s launch in Early Access, director Todd Howard sent out a heartfelt thank you to the teams at Microsoft, Xbox, Bethesda, and ZeniMax. The internal memo, which was later publicized by Windows Central (and verified by Microsoft), gives us a peak behind the curtain at what creating “something truly special” has been like, and why Starfield is so close to Todd Howard’s heart.
A Heartfelt Thank You from Starfield Director Todd Howard
To say it’s an exciting time over at Xbox would be quite an understatement. We’re on the cusp of the release of one of the most anticipated games, not just of the year, but of this entire generation. Excitement, anticipation, and expectation have reached stratospheric levels as Starfield’s liftoff is all but imminent.
Related: Expectations Reach a High as Starfield Fans Complain About “Boundary Reached” Restriction
Starfield is the brainchild of Todd Howard, something that has been called his “holy grail.” Seeing his idea become reality has led the game’s director to reflect back on the path that got them here. It all began in 2013 when Todd Howard first pitched his idea to the late ZeniMax CEO Robert Altman.
His proposal was quite literally out of this world, suggesting a “grand space RPG” that would be their first new IP in almost three decades. In his internal note directed at the developing team as well as Xbox and Bethesda, he recounts the meeting that would see him embark on this decade-long journey to space as follows:
It was early 2013, we were developing Fallout 4, and Skyrim was still enjoying enormous success. I was there to pitch him on our next game. It would not be a sequel to our current games, (he looked concerned), but a grand space RPG and our first new IP in over 25 years (looks curious).
It would delve into creation and the search for our place in the universe (slight twinkle). You would explore the galaxy in ways only video games can do. And it would be called – Starfield. (Smile)
And what did Robert Altman reply? — “Sounds fantastic.”
The Bumpy Ride to Creating Starfield
The journey since then has by no means been smooth sailing. In his memo, he says, “[their] path to creating Starfield would be a long and winding one,” including Robert Altman’s passing, Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax in 2021, and a global pandemic to boot. He highlights the unwavering support of their teams that has led them here, with “all doing their best work yet.” He states the game “only exists because everyone else believed as well” and extends special praise to Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, whose support he describes as “unwavering and fierce.”
Long before Bethesda joined the Xbox ecosystem, Todd Howard had been working closely with Xbox, their partnership going back over two decades with The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind for the original Xbox. He had previously described Phil Spencer’s and Xbox’s support as “incredible” and how it “allowed [them] to be this ambitious and take these risks.” In his memo, he states:
“I cannot imagine a better place to create games, where the diversity of studios, creators, and games are allowed to flourish.”
Calling it their “best performing game”, Todd Howard also thanks Microsoft’s Advanced Technology Group for this feat, likening them to “magicians”, whose “spells and incantations” made such polished performance possible. Microsoft Game Studios head Matt Booty had already made a bold statement earlier this summer, claiming that Starfield had the “fewest bugs any Bethesda game ever shipped with.” Bethesda, after all, is infamous for shipping bug-filled games at launch.
Related: One of the Most Highly Anticipated Open World Games Loses Top Spot to Starfield in Steam Rankings
More Than Just Another Release
Starfield is more than just another sprawling RPG under Bethesda’s impressive belt. For both Todd Howard and the developing and publishing teams, it’s a passion project they have been pouring their heart and soul into over the past decade. Howard says he’s proud of his team and its:
“continued dedication to create something truly special,” something that’s “not just another release, but something that would capture the minds and inspire gamers everywhere.”
Todd Howard concludes his emotional memo by stating that everyone in the Xbox and Bethesda family will be receiving the game once Early Access begins. It will technically launch on September 1st, but because it’s one global time, players will be able to journey to the stars starting Thursday evening. He adds, jokingly: “Thanks New Zealand!”
Are you as excited as we are to take to the stars and explore the hundreds of star systems set in our own Milky Way? Will you be playing in Early Access? Let us know in the comments and on our social feeds! We can’t wait to share all our experiences with the game with you.
Source: WindowsCentral
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