A new day and once again Bethesda makes it clear: Fallout 76 is not what we want to be in the future. The single-player giant seems almost embarrassed by the online game, according to our author Schuhmann.
“Oh no, an online game”: What has happened so far?
- A new Fallout is supposed to come. Thousands watched a stream for a day where nothing happened, hoping: Fallout 5, the next big single-player game from Bethesda, will be announced.
- But then Fallout 76 was revealed, which at that time was unknown.
- An evil journalist revealed: “Fallout 76 is supposed to be an online survival game”, similar to Rust.
- The fans thought this was a nasty joke and could not believe it. They insulted the journalist.
- But then it was confirmed at E3: “Fallout 76 will be a purely online game”.
- The reaction of a hardcore single-player fan can be seen and heard in this clip.
- And since then Bethesda seems to apologize to the fans for it.
Fallout 76 does not mean: Bethesda is turning away from single-player games
“This is not the future”: In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Todd Howard clarifies: “Fallout 76 does not represent a permanent shift away from single-player games for the company.”
This is another reassurance for fans of single-player games. In recent weeks, numerous statements have been made explaining that Fallout 76:
- has a story
- is not as bad as thought in PvP
- is definitely not an MMO
- does not annoy with the survival elements
- somehow has harmless nukes that are not as bad as fans fear.
What Bethesda actually wants to say: Fallout 76 is an online game, but without all the online elements that annoy you, “single-player fans,” only with the good things that you like anyway. No sweat, Boba Fett. All good.
The last great guardian of single-player RPGs is straying from the sacred path
What is behind it? It stems from the conflict between single-player and multiplayer fans. While EA (Anthem, FIFA 19, Battlefield), Activision (Destiny, Call of Duty), and Ubisoft (For Honor, The Division) are increasingly turning to multiplayer games, Bethesda has built an image in recent years as the “last bastion” of single-player fans: role-playing games with long campaigns.
With Fallout 76, this bastion seems to be crumbling. Especially since they are developing a mobile spin-off of “The Elder Scrolls” with “Elder Scrolls Blades”, which is supposed to open the door to China. This is sacrilege for hardcore RPG fans. To appease them, a tiny trailer for Elder Scrolls VI was also offered on the altar of E3.
After the announcement of Fallout 76, Bethesda is now doing everything to not damage the “old image” as a guarantor for single-player games. You could already feel this delicate balancing act during the presentation of Fallout 76.
Could upset multiplayer fans: However, one must also ask whether this tactic might alienate the fans of survival online games. Because it seems that Bethesda is now almost embarrassed to be developing a multiplayer game. With Fallout 76, the advantages of multiplayer games are being overshadowed by all the apologies and backtracking.
The joke is: Bethesda has not been a “pure” single-player studio for a long time. Todd Howard confirms this in the interview. The single-player fans who fight for the “soul” of Bethesda as a pure RPG studio have long lost.
Bethesda wants to be a mix, not a pure single-player studio
Todd Howard doesn’t want to commit: At Bethesda, they want to dance at all weddings. In the interview, Todd Howard says: “We are focusing on a mix.” Anyone who has ever said that this or that part of gaming is dead has been proven wrong every single time. They wanted to make a multiplayer game for a long time, and Fallout 76 is it now.
Moreover, they do not want to be seen as a pure single-player studio. Todd Howard states: “People often forget this, but The Elder Scrolls Online is one of the largest online games in the world. Additionally, we regularly update Fallout Shelter and Elder Scrolls: Legends.”
So, one can see:
- Some fans would like Bethesda to remain a pure single-player studio.
- But that train has long since left for Bethesda – even as they try to balance on both chairs to not upset the “old” fans.
The statement “They are not turning away from single-player games” just means that. It is by no means a promise to focus solely on single-player games in the future.
