The delay of Starfield – the long-awaited sci-fi title from Bethesda – until September 6, 2023 was certainly not an ideal situation for eager players hoping for a launch during the first half of the calendar year. This after the title had already been pushed back from November 11, 2022 to allow for the best possible version on launch day. The new trailer released by Bethesda to announce the delay also revealed that there will be a Starfield Direct showcase taking place on June 11, 2023 to provide more details on the title.
The delay of this highly anticipated game has again raised the question if Microsoft’s first-party plans were actually turning into science fiction. This after the original announcement of expansion plans by the company to grow its first-party lineup with multiple acquisitions – obviously with a considerable amount of cash put into the initiative. Phil Spencer expressed his thoughts on the matter on a podcast back in October 2020 as it had been too long since we had a big first party game.
Xbox did eventually manage to release its long-awaited Halo Infinite, albeit without some key features, with other first-party titles such as Forza Horizon 5, Grounded, Pentiment and Sea of Thieves also doing their bit to make Xbox Game Pass an attractive proposition for the players. However, Spencer’s outbursts clearly show some level of concern in the fact that the Xbox platform wasn’t doing enough to satisfy the players craving for a solid first-party experience like its rivals.
Starfield does have the potential to be exactly that, provided Bethesda can deliver what is being expected, if Microsoft wants to guarantee its commitment to the player and fulfill its promises. Meanwhile, the company needs to bring its highest-profile projects, such as Redfall, Forza Motorsport 8 and other, into the hands of the players to convince that they are, indeed, capable of realizing what they proclaim.
Eventually, a high-quality version of Starfield is something that deserves some patience on the part of gamers, as we all know delays are always expected and necessary in the industry. At the same time, it is key for Microsoft to balance its promises against the commitment of delivering a quality first-party catalogue so players can see and believe that those announcements were not just… science fiction.
Let us know what are your thoughts on the delay of Starfield and the current state of Microsoft’s first-party plans? Are you confident in their ability to deliver on their ambitious plans? Comment down below!
