Soooo, Starfield, then ES6, then Fallout 5......FO 5 is so far away, it's literally gonna be "The Future Of Gaming"

[Shodan_]

SIXTEEN TIMES THE TIME.

But seriously, what will godrays look like by the time it comes out?

But actually seriously, what will gaming even BE when it comes out? And how is Bethesda going to ride those trends with their new entries? They managed to slip every big gaming fad or eras into their franchises throughout the years. Free-roaming open worlds (lol daggerfall+polygons post GTA 3), base building, survival elements, mobile companion games, microtransactions, crafting, MMOs, VR, Live service subscription games, now procedural generation. They got in on everything with varying levels of eeeeh class and quality.

VR is obviously here to stay, 3D TVs/Monitors might make a comeback? Will 5 be streaming exclusive? Seamless/assymetrical multiplayer? Full body VR? Holographic post-peripheral subscription based neural implants with survival elements? What if AIs have become so implanted in games that no one needs to write actual NPC dialogue anymore? Of course Bethesda would have a go at that.

We can already guess it's gonna be a bugfest where you search for your mum while fixing up a giant robot on the side, but for all the speculation we read/write about the future of gaming, GTA 6 is already "well underway" according to Rock Star so it's probably going to be the peak of current gaming as is usual timing with GTA, but Bethesda having such a ridiculous prospective timeframe, can they even begin thinking about anything revolutionary being in the game?

Can we?

 

[Zloth]

I really hope VR is a thing by that time! Todd Howard didn't seem to like 3D Vision all that much, but VR is pretty far beyond that. Plus, Todd will likely be retired by that point.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Hopefully building will be a bit more user friendly, with more things to build. Starfield seems to show that. However they also need to focus on better voice and model diversity in their games. Seeing the same old faces and hearing the same old voices over and over again can really break immersion. Other than that, their game endings are often lackluster, and they need to reflect character choices better.

What Fallout 4 had going for it mostly was the spontaneity of what happened just traveling through the game world, so I certainly wouldn't want to lose that if the story and choices are more structured and tangible. I have high hopes for Starfield, unlike many whom seem overly critical and skeptical, but after the disastrous launch of Fallout 76, I worry Fallout 5 will be burdened with more problems.

I just hope they've learned their lesson that you can't have a massively larger game world and still use the same old tired engine tech. Engines need to be updated regularly to account for new effects and features and keep the rendering as efficient as possible when game worlds expand. I think the response to Starfield once it releases will give them a lot to learn regarding the next Fallout,

If Starfield ends up having a lot of obvious cookie cutter copied and pasted structures on those 1000 planets they've made, that will no doubt be a main source of criticism.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

My adult great-grandchildren will be playing Fallout 5 in a Holodeck.

 

[Brian Boru]

I think the response to Starfield once it releases will give them a lot to learn regarding the next Fallout

That's the impression I got too, strictly as a fairly disinterested observer. That instead of taking a big risk with one of their AAAAAA franchises, they're making a new IP to experiment and learn with.

Smart move, if it's the case. Starfield success, great! Starfield failure, hmm let's try Starfield 2 before FO 5.

 

[Frag Maniac]

That's the impression I got too, strictly as a fairly disinterested observer. That instead of taking a big risk with one of their AAAAAA franchises, they're making a new IP to experiment and learn with.

Smart move, if it's the case. Starfield success, great! Starfield failure, hmm let's try Starfield 2 before FO 5.

Well, actually if Starfield has been planned and worked on as long as they say, it's unlikely just an experiment. I was really just saying it may be used as a barometer simply because it's their next big release.