Following Microsoft's recent purchase of Elder Scrolls and Fallout developer Bethesda, Microsoft Director of Programming Larry Hryb held a podcast with Xbox head Phil Spencer and Bethesda's Todd Howard and Pete Hines. In the podcast, the four discussed a variety of topics regarding the two companies' future collaborative projects, though Howard also recalled a moment from E3 2008's Fallout 3 preview that went wrong.
At E3 2008, Howard held his first presentation on behalf of Bethesda in which he showcased a demo of Fallout 3. However, as Howard explains, his wireless controller disconnected from the console mid-showcase, requiring Hines in the backstage to take over the demo from a second console.
Inexperienced as Hines was with Fallout 3, Hines managed to pull off his demo fairly well as Howard narrated the gameplay streamed from Hines' console behind the stage.
All things considered, the demo went fairly well, despite Howard's worries once his controller disconnected. Further, the demo managed to help stir excitement for the game, despite the fears of the franchise's fanbase that Fallout 3 was moving too far from its roots as an RTS.
Fallout 3 was released later that year to massive critical and commercial success and received DLC that included Broken Steel, Operation: Anchorage, Mothership Zeta, The Pitt, and Point Lookout. It is also a crowning achievement for Bethesda and remains one of the Xbox 360/PS3 generation's highlights.
With Bethesda now in Microsoft's hands, it's unclear which direction the company's development will head in. In the same podcast, Howard also briefly discussed Starfield, which is undergoing a "major engine rewriter" for next-generation consoles. While Howard couldn't add any new details, he did say it has been previewed by some at Microsoft but that it is still a ways off.
As for the Fallout series, Bethesda's last entry in the series came in the form of Fallout 76, which was heavily criticized at launch. In addition to a plethora of bugs and an initial overall bland experience, players also dealt with the inability to get a refund and a collector's edition that didn't quite meet consumer expectations.
With Microsoft and Bethesda's new partnership, the Fallout series' direction may follow a vastly different route. However, given Microsoft's ownership of Obsidian, developer of Fallout: New Vegas, it's possible Fallout fans could get a new New Vegas installment. Only time will tell of the possibilities for the Fallout series.
Source: YouTube