Microsoft’s Xbox division finally has its mojo back following the weekend’s showcase and, specifically, the in-depth look at Bethesda’s upcoming action RPG Starfield.
However, given its been such a rough time for Xbox Series S/X owners over the last couple of years given the absence of first party titles and some botched launches of other high profile games, the company knows it has to get things right.
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Arkane’s Redfall (published by Bethesda) has been a huge disappointment, largely due to some pretty prominent bugs, and Xbox is adamant there won’t be a repeat when its big hitter for 2023 Starfield rolls around.
Xbox chief Phil Spencer says no stone will be left unturned in terms of finding imperfections with the space exploration-themed shooter. Redfall was a big disappointment on that front at launch and Bethesda games are known for having issues right out of the gate.
Speaking to Giant Bomb, he said “we have every QA person in our entire company playing Starfield right now, looking at bug counts, looking at the quality of where we are. The nice thing about what we showed [in the Direct] from my perspective is that was the game. We’ve been playing the game for quite a while and that’s the game.”
“When you look at things like Skyrim, it’s not like that team hasn’t launched games that have hit a level of expectation. I love the anticipation and I love the reaction.”
Indeed, the head of Xbox studios Matt Body added: “I see bug counts and just by the numbers if it shipped today, Starfield would already have the fewest bugs of any Bethesda game ever shipped.”
Starfield is likely to be one of the biggest games of 2023, with our own Ryan Jones excited enough by what the company showcased on Sunday to consider ditching his PS5 for an Xbox Series X.
“If Starfield is able to deliver on its promise, then I’m going to have to consider purchasing an Xbox Series X,” he writes in an opinion piece published today. “All of my life I’ve been happy to remain loyal to the PlayStation brand, with Sony leading the way with top class exclusives, but I’m starting to sense a turning of the tide.”
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
