Todd Howard Says Starfield Xbox Exclusivity Made For "A Better Product"

thegamer.com:

Bethesda was acquired by Microsoft in 2021, which resulted in both Redfall and Starfield's Xbox exclusivity. Many have taken this to mean that The Elder Scrolls 6 and, when it eventually launches, Fallout 5 will also be Xbox exclusive, to much disappointment and even backlash. However, Todd Howard argues that this is good for the company and its games.

"You know this is the hardware or the thing people are playing on, so the ability to focus on that always yields a better product," Howard told the BBC (via GamesRadar). "You do want people to be able to access it of course. But being with Xbox means there is an ease of access for us and I'm told we're expecting more people playing this launch than anything we've ever done before and that's despite the success of our previous games."

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For comparison, Skyrim sold 3.4 million physical copies alone in its first 48 hours and seven million in its first week. It also became the fastest-selling Steam game at that time. Fallout 4 sold 1.2 million copies on Steam alone within the first 24 hours of its release. Howard claims that Starfield has surpassed both in terms of players, though whether it has in sales - due to launching on Game Pass - remains to be seen.

Starfield may be a "better product" due to its more focused launch, leaving behind Nintendo Switch and PlayStation, but Howard says that is not the only benefit. Exclusivity helps bolster the Xbox brand, something Nintendo and PlayStation have proven time and time again with their own ever-growing libraries, creating iconic gaming characters such as Mario, Kratos, Samus, Ratchet & Clank, Kirby, Aloy, and more.

"I do also think people attach brands to certain