Fallout 4 Pre-Announcement Bullshit Thread [GO TO NEW THREAD]

[DalekFlay]

What possible reason would Bethsoft have to lock themselves into an exclusive deal? What benefit is there, to them? They don't need Microsoft's money, and FO3 sold almost the same amount on PS3 as on the 360. Why lock out half of their potential sales?

Microsoft would have to pay them enough money to cover the loss of the PS4 and PC sales. Which, given what I have read about Skyrim's sales numbers, would be an incredibly massive amount of money, which makes me think it's near impossible. We're talking like half-a-billion dollars. I really can't see Microsoft justifying that in any way. Now, just cutting out the PS4 and making it a Microsoft exclusive (Xbox and Windows) would be cheaper, but still a crazy amount of money surely, especially since PS4 has a strong early lead.

I just don't see it happening. I'm sure MS is trying to get a timed exclusive on the DLC like they did last time, or maybe on the game itself, and perhaps that is being exaggerated in these "leaks," if they're leaks at all.

 

[tuluse]

Microsoft would have to pay them enough money to cover the loss of the PS4 and PC sales. Which, given what I have read about Skyrim's sales numbers, would be an incredibly massive amount of money, which makes me think it's near impossible. We're talking like half-a-billion dollars. I really can't see Microsoft justifying that in any way. Now, just cutting out the PS4 and making it a Microsoft exclusive (Xbox and Windows) would be cheaper, but still a crazy amount of money surely, especially since PS4 has a strong early lead.

I just don't see it happening. I'm sure MS is trying to get a timed exclusive on the DLC like they did last time, or maybe on the game itself, and perhaps that is being exaggerated in these "leaks," if they're leaks at all.

No way Bethesda does it. Even if MS covered the lost sales, they're not covering the loss of good will and Bethesda, as much we at the codex hate them, does care about what their customers think of them.

 

[DalekFlay]

No way Bethesda does it. Even if MS covered the lost sales, they're not covering the loss of good will and Bethesda, as much we at the codex hate them, does care about what their customers think of them.

I could see a timed exclusive. I don't see them excluding the PC though, especially after they bragged about Skyrim and Dishonored's PC sales numbers. You're right.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Bethesda isn't so cheap that they'd need to rely on exclusivity, no matter how much money MS offered them.

 

[Cadmus]

I'm sure Bethesda aren't some genius entity incapable of failure. In a few years, they could very well end up like Id or Lord British, by making shitty decisions.

 

[Perkel]

Are people seriously suggesting exclusive for MS ?

No way in hell that will happen. Because:

1) F4 won't be next gen only game. Forget it. It will be cross gen.
2) Considering above MS wouldn't need to pay for almost 5-6 if not more lost sales which easily translates to 500-600mln$ which is more than they spend on Kinect whole marketing campaign
3) This would also mean they would get only like 1-2 milions of sales from new gen sales considering Xbone shitty sales.

Also if you think PC matter for them they you are wrong. Zenimax has all the strings and they don't give a shit about modding or PC. They only will care if game on PC would sell close to console versions.


Frankly if it is F4 by Betsheda then most of us will need to wait few years to play it because their dumbing down won't stop with skyrim and sure as hell will hit F4 even more.

 

[karfhud]

F4 won't be next gen only game. Forget it. It will be cross gen.

You sound sure and unless you're working in BGS, that attitude is just unfounded. It depends on the tech they will be using - if it's indeed gonna be a new engine (or even, again, a refreshed Gamebryo), I seriously doubt they will release it on PS3/X360, because it will simply require too much work to build an old-gen version.

Also, next-gen isn't next-gen anymore, it's current gen.

 

[Turisas]

They only will care if game on PC would sell close to console versions.

Which Skyrim did, I think. Impossible to know for sure, since Steam doesn't publicly reveal sales numbers. But there's also the fact that a game sold via Steam (at full price) is more valuable than a physical copy sold at Gamestop, because of all the extra middlemen in the latter.

And also,

There is some good news, though. PC has reclaimed its spot at the forefront of gaming’s charge into the future, and Bethesda has absolutely taken notice.
“PC is resurgent,” enthused Howard. “Skyrim did better than we’ve ever done on PC by a large, large number. And that’s where the mods are. That feeds the game for a long time. And it’s exciting that the new consoles are very PC-like. That opens up avenues for us going forward to do things that we’ve wanted to do in the past. There are kind of random ideas we’re working on right now, and it’s like, ‘Wow, I think there’s potential here to do some really cool stuff.’”

 

[DalekFlay]

Also if you think PC matter for them they you are wrong. Zenimax has all the strings and they don't give a shit about modding or PC. They only will care if game on PC would sell close to console versions.

I know we're used to being cynical around here but like Turisas just said, Bethesda has been talking up the PC for a while now. Skyrim, Dishonored and others have sold incredibly well on PC. Considering that they get almost twice as much from a PC copy sold digitally and have a longer tail as well, that number only goes up. PC is a big deal again in certain genres.

Of course one of the ways it's become a big deal again is becoming more like console gaming, if you want to hold on to cynicism.

 

[Perkel]

Why F4 will be crossgen ?

Answe: because they like money. Next gen only release + pc won't sell a lot compared to croosgen version

As of pc. Sure pc is important because again they like money.

Question now Skyrim and Fallout3 and FNV where games creates with consoles in mind and ported to pc or other way around ?

That is how important pc is for them. Sure it pays their bills but for them consoles are their main target.

For pc to becpnw tgeir main target game would need at least half its sales to be sold on pc. Betsheda never said that even one console version was outsold by pc version.
Also just look at dlc for their games where they prioritize consoles.

Just because they release some pr for pc crowd that doesn't change anything.

 

[DalekFlay]

Answe: because they like money. Next gen only release + pc won't sell a lot compared to croosgen version

Going by how they're talking I wouldn't expect Fallout 4 until at least Fall 2015, probably Fall 2016. By that point there should be a lot more PS4s and Xbones out there, and more people with upgraded PCs.

Question now Skyrim and Fallout3 and FNV where games creates with consoles in mind and ported to pc or other way around ?

That is how important pc is for them. Sure it pays their bills but for them consoles are their main target.

Every game that possibly can be cross-platform is going to be cross-platform for the foreseeable future. That doesn't mean the PC is unimportant.

And Bethesda do more than most. High-res texture packs, mod support, much greater viewing distance. That's more than most developers would bother with by a mile. The only real issue with Skyrim on the PC is the interface sucks with a mouse and people dislike using WASD to scroll lists, but even that issue was modded with SkyUI.

 

[Spectacle]

Of course cross platform games are targeted at consoles, because anything that runs on consoles will also run on PC, the opposite is not true. If you target PC you get a PC game, not a cross-platform game.

And there's no fucking way the next bethgame will come out on old-gen consoles. It would constrain the design too much, and by the time the game ready the new consoles will have a much larger install base. Bethgames are also system sellers, a lot of people will use the release of Fallout 4 as an excuse to upgrade.

And to be fair, among AAA publishers Bethesda is one of the least eager to squeeze as much money as possible from their customers. The could make tons by pushing out spinoffs using the same engine at a rapid pace, instead they take ages developing each game.

 

[Athelas]

And to be fair, among AAA publishers Bethesda is one of the least eager to squeeze as much money as possible from their customers. The could make tons by pushing out spinoffs using the same engine at a rapid pace,

That's what they have Obsidian for.

 

[Koschey]

And to be fair, among AAA publishers Bethesda is one of the least eager to squeeze as much money as possible from their customers.

Horse. Armor. DLC.

Nevar forget.

 

[Spectacle]

And to be fair, among AAA publishers Bethesda is one of the least eager to squeeze as much money as possible from their customers.

Horse. Armor. DLC.

Nevar forget.

I knew someone would bring that up.

Bethesda has actually admitted that the horse armor and stuff was a big mistake, and since then they've not made anything like that but instead made meaty DLCs with plenty of playtime. Unlike most of the rest of the gaming industry that wants to nickel and dime us to death with microtransactions.

 

[Drax]

As much as Beth annoys me, that's true.
And they keep releasing toolsets for their open-world games, manuals, tutorials, etc...
They are bad, but certainly not the worst.

 

[Night Goat]

Bethesda has actually admitted that the horse armor and stuff was a big mistake, and since then they've not made anything like that but instead made meaty DLCs with plenty of playtime.

 

[Xeon]

I thought this was a pretty good DLC for console dudes.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

While the content will not interest most players, Hearthfire does have a good amount of it.

Features

• Ability to build and customize your own house.
  • You must purchase the land and use raw materials at a drafting table and carpenter's workbench to create rooms and furniture for your house.
  • Equip your home with arcane enchanters, armories, forges, gardens, libraries, shrines, stables, taxidermy, and more.
  • Three plots of land are available for purchase, in Falkreath Hold, Hjaalmarch, and the Pale.
  • The structure of each house consists of stone, clay, and wood.
• Ability to adopt up to two children, who will move into your house.
  • Interact and play games to raise your new family.
  • Allow your child to keep a pet after it follows them home. Some creature followers can also be kept as a pet.
  • If you wish to adopt children without moving into a new home, you may add a child's bedroom to an already purchased home in a major city.

• Ability to hire staff:
  • Turn followers into stewards, who can supply you with housebuilding materials, furnishings, and staff.
  • A carriage driver who can take you to small settlements as well as major cities.
  • A personal bard to perform at your home.
• New activities, such as baking, beekeeping, farming, and fishing.
• Requirement to protect your house from various enemies such as bandits, giants, skeevers, and more.

Bonus for the creeps:

The following children will become available for adoption if their parents are killed.

Still no marriable beastfolk, though.

 

[roll-a-die]

NINJA EDIT, Because I apparently had a post already half written in here.

Bethesda has actually admitted that the horse armor and stuff was a big mistake, and since then they've not made anything like that but instead made meaty DLCs with plenty of playtime.

Plenty of features added there, in comparison to really any oblivion DLC excepting KotN. Mostly collection quests, yes, the addition of adoption, and player constructed houses was rather interesting and let the player have a bit more agency in the world, it was also better integrated than Horse Armor was. And given that that was the smallest and worst of the DLC, there's really no reason to complain about the other 2's size.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Why can't they make a game like FO or Arcanum with TOEE style combat?

I thought you had played Underrail?

In Underrail, combat mechanics are its main gameplay system and also the main target of its creative focus. It is as good of an approach as any, but it's not the same type of game as Fallout and Arcanum.

"My idea is to explore more of the world and more of the ethics of a post-nuclear world, not to make a better plasma gun. " - Tim Cain

That's about world-building, not game mechanics. Also, better plasma guns are a refuge of games with shit combat.
GURPS: Fallout would have a JA2-level combat system.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Have you actually looked at a vault door? There's so many things that could go wrong with that rolling cog design that it's amazing more vaults didn't fail. And people starting to fight when bunched up in tight quarters is hardly unusual.

Bet that door was a lot simpler than artificial intelligence, or energy weapons. A door that doesn't close properly on a bunker, is like a ship that doesn't float. Its kind of silly when you see a ship sink on launch. Also a door would be tested a lot during the construction of the bunker, since it is the entrance and airlock.

So like I said having that level of tech, combined with Keystone Kops level of buffoonery is not convincing to me. That civilization was on the way up, when it was taken down. It wasn't declining into idiocracy. If it was, that would be the running joke in Fallout.

Reading the Vault location holodisk, gave me an impression of lots of cost-cutting, embezzled funds, bullshitting, shoddy quality, etc. going on behind the pretty words even when I was a teen.
The "Vault 12 was given the "Pressed Vault Suit" award for attention to preparedness." is particularly chilling.
Wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even properly test the vault systems in most of vaults and Vault 12 probably wasn't even finished.

The difference between a ship and a vault is that the public will discover vaults being unfinished/faulty only after the world is fucked.

 

[Decado]

Hearthfire was alright. I bought it just to fuck around with werewolves.

Dawnguard was fucking trash, though. Ugh. What the fuck is it with Bethsoft and vampires? Why the hell can't they get off vampires? They even had them in FO3. Enough with the goddamn vampires already.

 

[DalekFlay]

Hearthfire was for console gamers. No one forces you to buy it on PC.

 

[Cazzeris]

Hearthfire was for console gamers. No one forces you to buy it on PC.

True PC Gamers don't buy crap.