Fallout 4 - About the short Announcement-to-Release Window

Fallout 4 Director on Why Bethesda Intentionally Held Back Info Before Launch

Todd Howard also teases that Bethesda's future games could have an even shorter announcement-to-release window.

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The game industry veteran, who also directed The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 3, went on to say that it can be problematic to talk about a game so long before its release. Game development is a fluid, ongoing process, and game mechanics and systems can change as development progresses.

"The other thing is, while you're making a game, you're figuring out, 'OK, what's really good about it?' 'What's this?' 'What's this?' If you're talking about that too early, people aren't getting excited, they're getting anxious."

"Tell me about this," a fan might ask. Howard would have to reply, "I can't." Another fan might ask, "How does this work?" and because the game isn't finished yet, Howard would say he's not sure.

"It's just a bad conversation to have," he explained. Instead, Howard would rather wait to announce a game until he's confident in what the team can deliver.

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BoboTheMighty said:

This is a hilarious video about Toddy here…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvGXCisAaR4

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Drithius said:

I call B.S.. There's a middle ground to be had between being rude, complacent schmucks, not even confirming the existence of a sequel to the the legions of fans (who mod your otherwise forgettable husk and keep it in the public consciousness) and making it only known at some self-aggrandizing event mere months before release.

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Brumbek said:

I'm sorry, but I don't think personally attacking someone and calling them names is appropriate. Yes, Todd promised features that didn't come true. But he's also the driving force behind games that have inspired and immersed millions of players.

Maybe you don't like Bethesda games (yes, Fallout 4 was disappointing), but being so petty as to rail and mock a fellow human being. That's not cool. At all.

PS: getting back ON TOPIC, I very much respect Bethesda for working hard on their game for years and waiting until it was almost done to announcement it. All games should do this.

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sakichop said:

I much preferred the way they did it to vs 2 years of hype and waiting. Personally I'd rather not hear anything in advance and the game just show up one day.

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Thrasher said:

And not be disappointed when the game doesn't live up to the hype.

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