Todd Howard on outsourcing future Fallout games: 'I wouldn't say never'
"Now that our company is so big, it’s always better to keep stuff internal."
Fallout: New Vegas is the best Fallout in the series. Better than 3, 4 and that isometric carry on from a million years ago. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, New Vegas may also be the last Fallout game Bethesda outsources for third party development.
In conversation with The Guardian, company director Todd Howard says Bethesda is in a position now where in-house projects make the most sense going forward.
"I wouldn’t say never," says Howard asked about the nature of NV's development. "[But] now that our company is so big, it’s always better to keep stuff internal... it becomes less likely, but I could never say never. I thought the Obsidian guys did a fabulous job."
Which may come as a disappointment to some Fallouters. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed both Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, but there was something about New Vegas that grabbed me that the others didn't quite manage. I think Andy reflects how I feel when he bills NV the most authentic 3D Fallout game. And with that in mind, I'd always hoped Bethesda might consider passing the baton back at some point down the line.
Another thing Howard is doubtful of is remastered versions of old games. Despite the success of 2016's Skyrim: Special Edition, Howard suggests experiencing old games as they were at launch is more satisfying than modern reimaginings might be.
"For Skyrim Remastered, we had done some work on it but it was already pretty visually close," Howard tells The Guardian. "But for something like Morrowind, my personal preference is not to remaster it. We [also] get asked a lot to remaster [1997’s] Fallout 1, and I usually say, if you have a PC you can play Fallout the way it was. I think that’s how it should be.
"I think streaming technology is definitely coming, and it’s gonna make people’s access to games infinitely easier. You’ve seen it happen to music and movies and I think it’s a great thing."
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Check out The Guardian's chat with Howard (and Pete Hines) in full this way. It follows this conversation earlier in the week. Head in this direction for everything we know about Fallout 76.