Whether you like it or not, Starfield will be one of the major events of recent years. It's one of the most ambitious games in Bethesda's history, a new IP in decades, and, of course, the most significant exclusive that Xbox has had in recent times.
From every angle, the title carries more significance than anyone expected, and, unsurprisingly, this has taken its toll. The RPG hasn't even debuted yet, and it's already the subject of heated debates among players, controversies among developers, and the target of unwarranted and senseless hate.
Starfield Developed Amidst a War
Bethesda is one of the industry's renowned studios, so the initial reveal of Starfield caused a sensation at E3 2018. At that time, everyone assumed the game would be multi-platform and available on both Xbox and PlayStation, just like the studio's previous titles. However, no one could have foreseen what would happen a couple of years later: Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda.
Before this bombshell, there was already a behind-the-scenes war over Starfield. We know that Sony was negotiating with Bethesda for the game's exclusivity on PlayStation 5, but Microsoft decided to open its wallet and make a masterful move. It was at E3 2018 when everything changed, as Xbox announced something that many still haven't fully grasped or perhaps haven't wanted to accept: the game is exclusive to Xbox Series X|S.
Opinions about the RPG began to polarize precisely because of this, and it escalated when Bethesda claimed that Starfield would be a better game for not coming to PlayStation 5. Subsequently, FTC documents confirmed that the title was indeed in development for Sony's console but was canceled following ZeniMax's acquisition, just like what happened with Redfall.
The exclusivity of the RPG had a strong impact on the PlayStation community, which was accustomed to enjoying almost all renowned titles in the industry on their console. However, this time, Xbox decided to give PlayStation a taste of its own medicine with exclusivity, and this has had various repercussions.
The Hate That Extended to Space
Starfield has been the target of biting criticism proportional to the enormous hype it generates. The issue is that most of these criticisms are baseless and unjustified, yet the game has gone through the same circle of hate that every exclusive faces: campaigns against it on social media, hundreds of negative comments, senseless comparisons, threats to developers, boycott campaigns, and more.
Initially, it was compared to the ill-fated Redfall, and a similar fate was predicted. However, it's clear that Starfield is in a very different position due to its importance to Xbox and its weight in the industry. Unlike the vampire shooter, which had evident issues before its release, there is a general sense of excitement about Starfield and high expectations for what it will deliver.
Unfortunately, the importance of Starfield is reflected in the numerous campaigns against it. One of the battlefields is and will be Metacritic, where haters of the title have already gathered. In mid-June, someone took advantage of a site error to "review" the game months before its release, describing it as "another Bethesda disaster" and giving it a 0.
Subsequently, haters claimed that they already had hundreds of accounts on the site ready to obliterate the rating as soon as it's available. This makes it clear that, for some, their perception of Bethesda and all its games changed as soon as they became part of Xbox.
Another part of the community has chosen to protest and speak out against the game's exclusivity, albeit from an absurd standpoint. This is how change.org became another battleground for Starfield. Petitions emerged some time ago to make the title exclusive to PS5, supposedly because Xbox users "don't deserve it." This generated a series of petitions that served as responses in a senseless cycle.
There are also players who have not lost hope and believe that a version of Starfield for PlayStation 5 ]will be announced as a surprise. This highlights that, for a certain sector of the community, it's challenging to believe that Xbox is gaining more ground against PlayStation, and it also reveals that the issue of exclusivity is unlikely to stop causing controversy. Of course, this is because Xbox and PlayStation are locked in an intense war for content.
On the other hand, we have the issue of leaks, which have also led to somewhat surreal situations. We know that someone stole several copies of the game and attempted to sell them online before being arrested. The individual managed to upload game material to platforms like YouTube, accompanied by an apology to Todd Howard. Additionally, there are people who have done their best to spoil the game for others with spoilers on social media.
Surprisingly, all of these scandals, which indirectly speak to the greatness of Starfield, are not exclusive to players; they've also extended to the realm of developers. When Xbox confirmed that the game will run at 30 fps, another heated controversy erupted among players, but it also involved creatives, including one of the developers of God of War, like Cory Barlog, who defended Bethesda's choices.
The surreal part came when some individuals began to complain about the game's initial screen, describing it as too simple, as if this were an indicator of what the game has to offer. What's incredible is that Mark Kern, a former Blizzard developer, joined this wave of opinion and claimed that the screen showed Bethesda's lack of interest in the game. This prompted Pete Hines, one of the studio's leaders, to come to the RPG's defense and provide a fitting response to his colleague's criticism.
We could go on with the list of controversies and absurdities that have arisen around Starfield simply because it's a highly relevant game in the industry and has become a victim of its circumstances.
Starfield is an event worth celebrating
Regardless of where it debuts, how it performs, or whether its initial screen is attractive or not, Starfield is one of those entertainment products that come along every so often. It's one of those games with an enormous media impact that brings out both the best and worst in the community.
In this sense, it would be ideal for everyone to celebrate the great event that is Starfield, just as Hi-Fi Rush, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Final Fantasy XVI, and Baldur's Gate 3 have been. Especially since 2023 has been one of the most prolific and memorable years for gaming.
Ultimately, the arrival of the RPG is another reminder of the industry's power and how passionate the community can be. Will it meet expectations? That remains to be seen, but whether it becomes an instant classic or is forgotten, it's a fact that Starfield has already made its mark on the industry.
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