The huge attention on the upcoming Skyrim mod Skyblivion goes a long way in demonstrating this. In fact, it seems like Elder Scrolls and Skyrim fans alike agree that older Bethesda games deserve a bit more love. Unfortunately, these games do not receive nearly the same love as Skyrim, even though they often featured deeper mechanical elements and some fantastic quests. Although these other games did not achieve the incredibly high profile of The Elder Scrolls 5, they are still undoubtedly influential on not only Skyrim but the wider fantasy RPG genre as a whole. However, the hyper-focus on re-releasing Skyrim, unfortunately, leaves other Elder Scrolls titles to the wayside. Many of these substantially alter the base product, and it is excellent to see Bethesda acknowledging the impact that independent creators have had on its game.
For example, the upcoming Anniversary Edition will include a pack of the best Skyrim mods. It also allows the company to revamp a game that is ten years old but still enjoyed by so many people.įurthermore, the fan community’s impact on Skyrim radically changed the game since its 2011 release, and new releases allow the company to acknowledge that. Bethesda has often given players free upgrades to the newer versions of the game, as with the Skyrim: Special Edition released in 2016. There are obviously notable benefits to re-releasing the game. In some ways, it’s a basic tenet of the profit motive, if the game keeps selling, of course, Bethesda is going to want to remaster it. Howard remarked, “if you want us to stop releasing it, stop buying it.” With Skyrim being one of the best-selling games ever, Howard’s philosophy makes some sense. In a 2018 Geoff Keighly interview covered by, Todd Howard said “millions of people every month are playing that game.” While it’s hard to get an exact estimate of that number, he might not be far off, as the 30 million copies of Skyrim presumably get played at some point. Supply and Demand: Howard’s Skyrim Release Philosophy RELATED: 5 New Additions Coming To Skyrim: Anniversary Edition However, that might not actually be a good thing for the wider legacy of Bethesda games, past and present. According to Howard, the company keeps releasing Skyrim because people keep buying it. In particular, Howard has discussed the game’s success on multiple occasions. Howard often takes point in games shows and expos when discussing Bethesda’s games and has talked a lot about Skyrim over the last ten years. Todd Howard, Bethesda CEO and Skyrim director, was a driving force behind what became a culture-defining phenomenon of video games.
The decade of huge success Skyrim accrued has cemented Bethesda as one of the dominant forces in triple-A gaming. With the upcoming release of the 10th Anniversary Edition, these sales look to only increase. This has proved to be incredibly profitable for Bethesda, as official Skyrim sales passed the 30 million mark in 2019. Whatever way someone wants to play Skyrim, they can. This fact will be no surprise to gamers, as the title has been released over a huge variety of platforms and systems. Skyrim is one of the bestselling games of all time.