Starfield Surpasses 12 Million Players, Phil Spencer Envisions Skyrim-Level Longevity
Xbox's Phil Spencer envisions Starfield as a captivating space adventure akin to Skyrim, aiming to delight space enthusiasts with its vast exploration and immersive gameplay
At CCXP in Brazil, Phil Spencer announced that Starfield has reached a new milestone with over 12 million players since its launch three months ago. He also compared the game's future to Skyrim's extended life cycle and celebrated its success as one of the top 10 most-played games from Xbox studios.
When asked if Spencer sees Starfield having a similar lifespan to Skyrim, the popular Bethesda RPG that remains beloved by fans 12 years after its release, he responded affirmatively. Spencer stated that Todd Howard and the Bethesda team aspire for Starfield to offer a comparable experience to Skyrim for "people who love space and space exploration."
"We've already announced our next expansion, Shattered Space, and shared that the community will have access to mod tools to create their own content in Starfield, which was crucial for Skyrim," Spencer said. "So we're very confident that Starfield will have a lasting impact on gameplay for many years to come."
Starfield's launch has been impressive, with 1 million concurrent players on launch day and over 6 million players within a week. However, it's difficult to compare to Bethesda's other games since Starfield also launched on Game Pass, making it unclear how many players bought the game versus playing it through their subscription. Microsoft did note a rise in Game Pass subscriptions due to Starfield's launch.
Despite this success, Starfield has not received the same level of praise from critics and fans as previous Bethesda titles. It currently holds the title of the studio's lowest-rated game on Steam with only 68% positive reviews. The number of concurrent players on Steam has also significantly decreased since launch, consistently ranking below Skyrim in the charts. It's important to note that Steam represents only a fraction of the game's player base, as Starfield is also available on Xbox and Game Pass.
Editor's P/S
As a Gen Z netizen, I'm excited about the potential of Starfield and its ability to capture the imaginations of space enthusiasts like myself. The game's vast exploration and immersive gameplay offer a unique experience that sets it apart from other titles in the genre. The fact that it has surpassed 12 million players in just three months is a testament to its popularity and appeal.
However, I'm concerned about the game's longevity and whether it can truly live up to the legacy of Skyrim. While Spencer's vision for Starfield is admirable, it remains to be seen if the game will have the same lasting impact as Skyrim. The lower critic and fan ratings on Steam, as well as the decreasing number of concurrent players, raise some concerns about the game's long-term viability.
Overall, I'm cautiously optimistic about Starfield's future. While it has a lot of potential, it will need to address some of the criticisms and maintain a strong player base to truly achieve Skyrim-level longevity.
