UPDATE:
It’s been days since Hines’ tweet so, clearly, it was no April Fools jab and his word must be taken seriously. This means a lot of interesting things for Bethesda, but could well offer the publisher a more effective means to distribute game information. After all, their imminent releases are looking increasingly niche.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Bethesda is skipping out on hosting a digital conference.
Bethesda will not host an online E3-style digital conference, Pete Hines has revealed in a tweet. The news comes after the ESA’s cancellation of the convention back in March, and subsequent announcements from developers/publishers concerning the online rollout of information. Devolver Digital, for instance, has confirmed a livestream showcase to take place at some point this year.
Given the many challenges we're facing due to the pandemic, we will not host a digital Showcase in June. We have lots of exciting things to share about our games and look forward to telling you more in the coming months.
— Pete Hines (@DCDeacon) April 1, 2020
Hines states in his tweet, “given the many challenges we’re facing,” hinting at the multitude of issues that the publisher giant will surely face in the coming months. He does, however, highlight that the company is still looking to deliver information about its titles, stating: “We have lots of exciting things to share about our games…”
As we know, both the upcoming Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI remain in-development – likely still for years – but the company is also prepping the imminent Wastelanders DLC for Fallout 76, as well as The Elder Scrolls Online‘s May expansion Greymoor. Players are also awaiting more information on Tango Gameworks’ latest project Ghostwire: Tokyo, its release date still unrevealed.
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If Hines’ tweet is indicative, which seems all the more probable, since he hasn’t declared April Fools, it seems likely that the company will be going about business as usual with its announcements. Don’t anticipate news on the next mainline Elder Scrolls, but keep your eyes peeled as we near June for more information on other projects. There’s reason to believe Starfield is still a way off, but it has been two years since Todd Howard described it as “playable,” so… who knows?
What do you think? Is this a smarter model for Bethesda, considering the relative scarcity of their close-by titles? Let us know.