Starfield Dev Complains Of "Disconnect" Between Industry And Gamers

thegamer.com:

A lead Starfield developer complains that gamers are "disconnected" from "the realities of game development". In the lengthy thread, Bethesda's design director Emil Pagliarulo argues that many critics don't understand how games are made, saying, "Don't fool yourself into thinking you know why it is the way it is."

This comes after Starfield has faced a lot of backlash from general audiences, particularly on Reddit. Bethesda was hit with further criticism when it was found to be arguing back with negative Steam reviews, infamously stating that some of Starfield's planets are "empty by design - but that's not boring".

Similarly, Pagliarulo defends Bethesda's work in posts spotted by PC Gamer, suggesting that some players who complain about the game don't understand what they're talking about.

"Funny how disconnected some players are from the realities of game development, and yet they speak with complete authority," says Pagliarulo. "I mean, I can guess what it takes to make a Hostess Twinkie, but I don't work in the factory, so what the hell do I really know? Not a lot."

While admitting that part of him "really gets it", sympathising that gamers have to spend a lot of money on games they might not enjoy, he takes issue with fans and critics speaking about game development when they have little to no experience in the industry.

Despite overall positive reviews from critics, Starfield left The Game Awards empty-handed.

"When I was writing game reviews for the Adrenaline Vault forever ago, I was absolutely that person who would say whatever I wanted about a game, good or bad," says Pagliarulo. "[...] But throughout that time, I actually had no inkling what game development was actually like. How hard the designers,