The once-Bethesda icon discusses the great "trap" ahead of The Elder Scrolls VI
In an interview, former Bethesda staff in an undisclosed capacity with a focus on Starfield shared his perspectives on the future of Bethesda, pointing out that the major dilemma awaiting The Elder Scrolls VI is the entrapment of the company into the expectations of the fans that would be unbelievably hard to tread.
Under the Shadow of Skyrim: Fighting an Unwinnable War
The main focus for Purkypile seems to be the shadow cast by Skyrim. He says that there will be a great deal of pressure on them to somehow surpass this title, and that even if TES VI is indeed a great game in its own right, there is going to be a cold reception from many fans.
That definitely influenced my decision to leave. Skyrim is one of the top ten games of all time, and how can anyone top that. Even if it's as good as Skyrim, there will still be a ton of hate comments.
Natt Purkypile, former Bethesda developer
He went further to express concern that the toxic side of fan culture might flare up again - "And I'm sure there will be death threats and the like again. It's a shame we've come to this."
Innovation as the Way Forward
To achieve success, Purkypile believes that Bethesda must present the audience with something totally new and unexpected. He relayed his ideas for new systems and concepts that might breathe life into the series.
- Introduce totally new ideas and systems of gameplay.
- Change up core mechanics, like the way magic works.
- Put in a new kind of skill tree.
- Explore the world outside the continent of Tamriel.
I think combining these two aspects would be interesting. It would be cool to sail a ship or something like that.
Natt Purkypile
Circumstances of Leaving
Purkypile also gave context surrounding his exit from Bethesda in the making of Starfield: A painful development process impeded by endless meetings over trivial issues and an obsessive focus on the technical hurdles confronted. Now he has become an independent developer, making games by himself.
