Support NeoGAF

[Draugoth]

Starfield's lead quest designer leaves Bethesda to join other RPG veterans making a new open-world game

Something Wicked Games snatches another veteran for their horror-RPG

www.gamesradar.com

Starfield’s lead quest designer, also a Bethesda design director, is leaving the studio to help other genre veterans make another open-world RPG.

Will Shen was the lead quest designer and eventually design director on Starfield - meaning he’s responsible for some of the space epic’s very best moments - but he’s actually been working on Bethesda RPGs since Fallout 3. In an interview with Game Developer, Shen confirmed that he’s now joining developer Something Weird Games, a studio that was founded by another ex-Bethesda lead. The team now houses an all-star lineup of RPG developers with former BioWare, Bethesda, and Obsidian staff employed at the new studio.

Shen said his new role would bridge the gap between the studio’s narrative and design teams to help the game achieve a more cohesive vision.

“I think one of the things that makes triple-A role-playing games really come together is when it feels like the game has some kind of singular direction.

 

[bitbydeath]

Wonder if Pete is going here too.

 

[Metnut]

Someone had to get fired after the fiasco that was Starfield. Hopefully they can hire someone better and Elder Scroll’s 6 in 2028 might actually be good.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

That's two in less than a week no?

 

[Saber]

All that is slowly pointing to "abandon ship" phase.

 

[Darkkahn]

Phil: You know Todd, we really are the last of Bethesda.

 

[Pelta88]

 

[mansoor1980]

it just wont work anymore , upgrade your studio now TODD

 

[Dick Jones]

The developers are Something Wicked Games Draugoth

 

[Mibu no ookami]

It's becoming more and more clear that Starfield was an unmitigated disaster and a complete flop.

We're going to see an unnatural amount of exodus as a result of it and probably somewhat of a reduction in force.

Some of that has to do with the expectations Microsoft created for it, some will be the game itself, and some of it will be putting this game on GamePass.

It probably needed a year or two more or a grander scope from the outset and it really needed that PS5 B2P revenue. The timing against Baldur's Gate couldn't have been worse not to mention the Cyberpunk expansion and it is going to be a complete ghost during the holiday season having unsuccesful moved the needle for Xbox Series.

This is precisely what myself and many are warning about when it comes to ABK. I'm sure some people will suggest this is just the regular grind of people coming and leaving studios, but it's only the start of it.

 

[Big Baller]

This deal is getting worse all the time Phil

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

I am listening to a sad melancholy piano tune as i am writing this.

 

[Gudji]

Next Todd Howard leaves bethesda. New Elder Scrolls 6 game director Phil Spencer confirmed.

 

[artsi]

I don't think that Elder Scrolls VI will have any key people working on it from Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim.

You just know it won't be the same at this point, aside from having the same engine.

 

[LordOfChaos]

I've been hyped for so long but after Starfield I'm just afraid the next Elder Scrolls, even with as long as it takes to come out, will feel just as old as Starfield does today

 

[Black_Stride]

 

[SEGAvangelist]

I don't think that Elder Scrolls VI will have any key people working on it from Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim.

You just know it won't be the same at this point, aside from having the same engine.

You think Todd will leave? He didn't imply anything of the sort in his latest interviews.

 

[X-Wing]

I don't think that Elder Scrolls VI will have any key people working on it from Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim.

You just know it won't be the same at this point, aside from having the same engine.

Literally the one thing that needs to change.

 

[Dick Jones]

You think Todd will leave? He didn't imply anything of the sort in his latest interviews.

Todd isn't capable of lying, is he?

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Todd isn't capable of lying, is he?

He was talking ES6 and then Fallout 5. That's pretty far out to be leaving soon.

 

[ElCasual]

Maybe he left Bethesda but sounds like he is gonna to the Fable team.

 

[R3TRODYCE]

I thought people would be glad about this given the reception of Starfield...

 

[fart town usa]

Maybe some of our beloved studios are not what they once were.

Or maybe we're on that path.

We've seen the cycle countless times, might be Bethesda's turn in the barrel. Though it seems like they've been in the barrel for a few years now. Eventually the hype will fade and the game will have to speak for itself.

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

so is starfield any good?

 

[artsi]

You think Todd will leave? He didn't imply anything of the sort in his latest interviews.

Todd might be there but 4-5 years will be a long time to make a game if trusted people around him are leaving.

Sometimes the company just doesn't feel the same after an acquisition. Someone else is in charge now.

 

[SJRB]

Starfield's quests are terrible. TERRIBLE.

If whoever was in charge for this drivel is leaving that's a win for Bethesda and gamers alike.

 

[adamsapple]

It's becoming more and more clear that Starfield was an unmitigated disaster and a complete flop

 

[bitbydeath]

I don't think that Elder Scrolls VI will have any key people working on it from Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim.

You just know it won't be the same at this point, aside from having the same engine.

It’ll probably be rebooted/retooled at some point and moved to Unreal.

 

[jm89]

Phil when satya asks him what did you do with my 7 billion?

 

[Horseganador]

Hines and Will Shen leave Bethesda on the same day, coincidence? I don't think so....when such important members of the team start to leave....

 

[RIPN2022]

Starfield's quests are terrible. TERRIBLE.

If whoever was in charge for this drivel is leaving that's a win for Bethesda and gamers alike.

You mean you didn't like the side quest of accepting a transport contract on a computer, fast travelling to a planet, and then being awarded XP for that quest for going through some loading screens?

 

[fart town usa]

Bruh. Between his posts on Naughty Dog the last few days and now reading his take on Starfield.

It's just too much

I don't use the word but it starts with F and ends in Y.

 

[SenkiDala]

The rats are leaving the ship.

 

[Hudo]

Wow, I didn't know the game had a lead quest designer. What did he do?

 

[Puscifer]

it just wont work anymore , upgrade your studio now TODD

Seriously, the cracks started showing in Fallout 4 and I think it's a fair assessment that if you stopped playing that you'll stop playing Starfield.

 

[Ronin_7]

Bethesda was never worth 8B...

MS overpaid because they thought Starfield could be the next big thing, it clearly isn't

 

[killatopak]

Emil Pagliarulo next please. Replace him so we can actually have good quests AND writing next time.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Todd isn't capable of lying, is he?

Todd might be there but 4-5 years will be a long time to make a game if trusted people around him are leaving.

Sometimes the company just doesn't feel the same after an acquisition. Someone else is in charge now.

So just hopes and dreams.

 

[Sorcerer]

Next Todd Howard leaves bethesda. New Elder Scrolls 6 game director Phil Spencer confirmed.

I'm guessing when MS bought Bethesda, they bought Todd also. I'm sure Todd is under contract to stay at Bethesda for a very long time and the day he can jump ship will be a lucrative day for him indeed.

 

[Puscifer]

Bethesda was never worth 8B...

MS overpaid because they thought Starfield could be the next big thing, it clearly isn't

This is the same company that thought buying Rare meant they bought Donkey Kong

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

They need to change someone who is actually in control for BGS games to evolve. Maybe not Toddster, but someone like Emil Pagliarulo really should be demoted. Starfield narrative approaches are so crude and ancient it’s not even funny.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

This is not a big deal. People always leave after a big project is finished. The issue here is the context in which is happening and MS's track record.

 

[Grildon Tundy]

Bruh. Between his posts on Naughty Dog the last few days and now reading his take on Starfield.

It's just too much

I don't use the word but it starts with F and ends in Y.

"Friday"?

This is the same company that thought buying Rare meant they bought Donkey Kong

Lmao is that true? MS lawyers might not know video games, but surely they understand intellectual property agreements

 

[Puscifer]

"Friday"?


Lmao is that true? MS lawyers might not know video games, but surely they understand intellectual property agreements

Confirmed by a Rare employee himself

Microsoft Execs Thought They Owned Donkey Kong After Acquiring Rare

Conker's Bad Fur Day director tells an amusing tale

www.nintendolife.com

 

[custardbun01]

Seriously, the cracks started showing in Fallout 4 and I think it's a fair assessment that if you stopped playing that you'll stop playing Starfield.

Fallout 4 is leagues funner than Starfield. I tried to like Starfield, but I can’t. Compared to their other titles like Skyrim, Fallout 3 and 4 and Oblivion, it sucks. I went back and started a new game on F4 recently and im having way more fun than I did trying to enjoy Starfield.

 

[Spitfire098]

Isn't working at MS a badge of honor in the tech world? With salary, benefits, stocks, etc. Why not transfer internally? I wouldnt know since I work in health care

 

[Spitfire098]

Phil when satya asks him what did you do with my 7 billion?

Gotta wait for those September NPD results. God help the fanboys if xbox still came in third.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Gotta wait for those September NPD results. God help the fanboys if xbox still came in third.

Even coming in 2nd is no bueno, because the following month will be 3rd again and it is going to be a rough holiday season.

You buy a company for 7.5 billion and their big game that has been in development for more than half a decade entirely fails to make a small shift of the needle.

I don't think that's being called a fanboy to suggest that that's a failure and a disaster. I really feel like some people are so disassociated from reality that they can no longer call objective balls and strikes anymore.

If you had to say so far, whether or not Zenimax has been worth the 7.5 billion, what would your answers be? Mine is a no, and it's been enough time to come to an early conclusion on that. The key word being early. Enough time has gone by for people to be evaluated and judged.

 

[ahtlas7]

Easily replaced with Ai.

 

[Astray]

Will Shen has been a very big presence in the pre-release interviews. Very strange to see him leave like this.