Accelerating the development of major Bethesda franchises like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout could ultimately lead to fan disappointment, according to Bruce Nesmith, lead designer on Skyrim and a veteran of Oblivion and Starfield. Nesmith suggests that the inherent constraints of game development, often described by the adage of balancing resources, time, and quality, mean that simply throwing more money or people at a project is not a viable solution for faster releases.
Nesmith explained to FRVR, via GamesRadar, that the relationship between these three factors is crucial. If resources and the schedule are fixed, the quality is determined. Conversely, if quality and schedule are set, the necessary resources become fixed. He cautioned against the idea of attempting to speed up development by overwhelming a project with resources, stating, "You can't ask the project to be done in a month by throwing a million people on it." Similarly, excessively long development cycles can also be detrimental, leading to "a cycle of endless reinvention and ultimate failure."
Modern AAA game development operates on a massive scale, with development teams numbering in the hundreds and budgets reaching hundreds of millions of dollars, as was the case with Starfield's estimated $200-400 million budget and a core team of around 500. At this scale, Nesmith believes that adding more personnel or financial investment often makes projects more unwieldy rather than more efficient.
"In my opinion, the biggest risk of shortened schedules is quality, reduced features, polish or bugs," Nesmith stated. "The things that are done last end up getting set aside to complete the game on time. And, of course, faster dev times would result in faster sequels. But that's the wrong question. Those sequels risk disappointing fans."
While handing over intellectual property to other studios, such as Microsoft potentially utilizing Obsidian for Fallout titles, could be a solution, Nesmith emphasized that this requires the "right studio" and cannot be done indiscriminately. He also noted the value of allowing franchises to "lie fallow" for periods, as rapid releases can lead to fan fatigue, though extended waits can also be problematic.
Nesmith's perspective highlights the complex challenges in managing large-scale game development. The desire to produce Elder Scrolls and Fallout titles more frequently, a sentiment likely amplified by Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda, must be tempered by the realities of maintaining quality and avoiding player burnout. Even with dedicated teams for each series, the inherent complexity suggests that substantial timeframes, likely a minimum of five years from project inception to completion, remain a realistic expectation.