Pete Hines Discusses Starfield, Bethesda, and Embracing Chaos

The upcoming release of Starfield has already generated significant buzz in the gaming community, with some players expressing concerns about the potential for bugs and technical issues. However, according to Pete Hines, head of global publishing at Bethesda, the company is committed to delivering a game that offers players a high level of freedom and creativity, even if that means tolerating some minor imperfections. In a recent interview, Hines acknowledged that Bethesda has a reputation for releasing games with some technical issues, but argued that this is a necessary trade-off for the level of complexity and depth that the company strives to achieve in its games. "We could make a safer, less buggy, less risky game if we wanted to," he said. "But what we try to lean into is player freedom. Yes, there's going to be some little things here and there where your companion might stand a little too close to you sometimes, yet the freedom you get, and the things that happen because of that, we absolutely love and embrace." Hines also discussed the impact of Game Pass on the company's approach to marketing and game development. With Starfield set to be included on the service from day one, Bethesda is focusing on creating a game that will appeal to a wide range of players, rather than trying to generate hype through traditional marketing channels. "We're coming to a launch where, yes, you can buy our game for $70 if you're into Starfield, if you know you want to play it," he said. "We think it's going to be an amazing value. But you know what else is an amazing value? Game Pass for $17 to play everything we've ever made – it's crazy." The interview also touched on the company's approach to launching games with lingering technical issues, and how they balance the need to deliver a polished experience with the desire to get the game into players' hands as quickly as possible. Hines acknowledged that there is always some level of risk involved in launching a game, but argued that Bethesda has a proven track record of supporting its games over time and addressing any issues that may arise. Ultimately, Hines said that the company's goal is to create a game that players will love and play for hours on end, regardless of whether they encounter some minor bugs or technical issues along the way. "Our players need to love it and play it," he said. "That's it. As many as humanly possible. Every time, my goal is all the players. Game Pass changes the math so much with how many people we get built into this amazing value and subscription. Our job is to market this game and talk about it in a way that's authentic." With Starfield set to launch exclusively on Xbox and PC, Hines expressed confidence that the game will be a success, regardless of how it is received by critics or players. "We think we're amongst the best in the world at bringing a game to market in a way that connects with our fans," he said. "Hopefully, we then overdeliver with the game."