The wait for The Elder Scrolls 6 continues to frustrate fans, with many questioning whether the game can live up to expectations given Bethesda's recent track record. In the latest Games Inbox, readers express concerns about the lengthy development cycle, the quality of recent Bethesda titles, and the broader shift toward digital-only gaming.
Elder Scrolls 6: A 20-Year Wait?
One reader, going by the name Lofty, highlighted the absurdity of the timeline: a recent story suggested the game is still two to three years away at best, meaning it could be four or five years before release. That would make it nearly 20 years after Skyrim, the franchise's most acclaimed entry. Lofty pointed out that Bethesda's only major releases in that span were Fallout 4 and Starfield, which he considers their two worst games. He added, "And yet Todd Howard gets to keep his job and all these poor developers are thrown out on their ear… for what reason?" Lofty also expressed skepticism about the game's quality, noting that Starfield was already outdated in terms of gameplay, dialogue, and characters. He concluded, "I bet The Witcher 4 ends up being the better game anyway."
Another Reader Compares Bethesda to a Lazy Tesco Employee
Mark Matthews offered a humorous analogy, comparing Bethesda's apparent lack of productivity to his own experience working at Tesco. He described how he would pretend to fix broken fridges and tills by sitting with a screwdriver, looking busy without actually accomplishing anything. "I feel if Bethesda was a person working it would have been me," he wrote.
Digital-Only Debate: Competition and Consumer Concerns
The Inbox also featured a lively discussion about the inevitable shift to digital-only gaming. Matt (he_who_runs_away – PSN ID) argued that the main issue with digital-only is the lack of competition on storefronts like PSN. He suggested that if Sony mimicked Steam's refund policy, shared libraries, and allowed third-party sales, it might ease the transition. However, he noted that discounted PSN credit doesn't fully address the problem.
Another reader, GG, praised Digital Foundry's John Linemman for a speech criticizing Sony's "PayStation" agenda, calling it "unprecedented, extraordinarily anti-consumer."
Microsoft and Copilot: A Blatant Lie?
FoximusPrime jokingly corrected a previous letter, insisting that Microsoft executives would use Copilot, not ChatGPT, to generate their scripts. He also criticized the push for digital-only given the high cost of memory, calling it "self-immolation."
Variety in Digital Stores: A Silver Lining?
Michael Veal offered a counterpoint, noting that digital stores like PSN offer a huge variety of games, from Hydroneer to PowerWash Simulator. He acknowledged the lack of ownership and resale value but argued that the sheer choice makes digital gaming appealing. GameCentral responded, "You also won’t be able to sell it and recoup some of the cost, which would seem the bigger issue when picking games at random."
Xbox Layoffs and Game Pass Uncertainty
A reader named Focus criticized Microsoft's recent layoffs, calling them ineffective because they haven't made any actual changes. He reiterated calls for Todd Howard to be fired and suggested that Game Pass should be shut down, given its declining subscriber numbers and the decision to remove day-one releases like Call of Duty. He mocked the new Xbox boss for focusing on branding, saying, "She’ll be as useless as Phil Spencer."
Digital-Only: A New Reality
Alucard argued that with widespread high-speed fibre broadband, digital-only is inevitable. He compared it to streaming services like Spotify and Netflix, but warned that unless a comprehensive library of past and future games is preserved, retro gaming could become inaccessible. He concluded, "We just have to accept the majority of companies’ methods and the preferences of the majority of customers."
Inbox Also-Rans
Other brief letters included Roost defending Mario Kart Tour as "not the worst" despite admitting it probably is, and Garth noting that Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced looks good and is surprisingly cheap.
