Xbox's Starfield could be doomed before it arrives
Starfield has some high hopes when it comes to its growth - but it looks like there's only so far it can go thanks to a localisation blunder.
13th Jun 2023 10:35
Images via Bethesda
Xbox's Starfield could be doomed before it arrives
Starfield has some high hopes when it comes to its growth - but it looks like there's only so far it can go thanks to a localisation blunder.
13th Jun 2023 10:35
Images via Bethesda
The recent Starfield direct has done what Bethesda has proven to be very good at - it has raised hopes with its most ambitious game yet, and has reassured fans that their high hopes aren't yet unjustified.
Though many have concerns the sci-fi epic is too ambitious (and they're probably right to have them), there's no denying what we've seen so far is magnificent. Boasting worlds to explore, our own spaceships to craft, and bases to build across the galaxy, it's potentially the most impressive Bethesda title yet.
All of this is particularly impressive, especially after Bethesda made Fallout 3 and Skyrim. But, it looks like there's already a problem when it comes to Starfield. And no, we don't mean the 30 FPS argument.
Starfield doesn't appear localised enough
If Starfield intends to succeed and serve as the "next big thing" that Xbox is clearly hoping that it is, then it needs to flourish in a wide variety of markets, not just those that speak English. It looks like this could be a problem.
A new Q&A segment has been brought to Twitter for scrutiny, and a highlight of the game's localisation has revealed that the game isn't translated for enough markets to reach the audience that Starfield intends to.
On the Xbox Series X|S version of the game, voice-over is supposedly only supported in English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese. Languages including Italian, Mexican Spanish, Portuguese, and simplified Chinese are available in text-only format.
It's disappointing for sure, but it gets worse when you remember that there are swathes of languages that aren't supported whatsoever. This is especially prominent in Korea, which is such a large market without a language option. This is rough.
Starfield should be better than this
Game development is tough as all hell, and there's no doubt that the title's reported 250k voice lines will make localisation difficult. But, for a company of the size of Bethesda, that now has the the support of Xbox, there's truly no reason shouldn't be resolved sharpish.
Starfield is obviously gigantic, but without being actually available to players, there's no way it can hope to hold onto its hopes of being the generation's biggest adventure. Before it has even arrived, it looks as though Starfield could be in trouble - and it's going to have to work hard to avoid the flop.
About The Author
Joseph Kime
Joseph Kime is the Senior Trending News Journalist for GGRecon from Devon, UK. Before graduating from MarJon University with a degree in Journalism, he started writing music reviews for his own website before writing for the likes of FANDOM, Zavvi and The Digital Fix. He is host of the Big Screen Book Club podcast, and author of Building A Universe, a book that chronicles the history of superhero movies. His favourite games include DOOM (2016), Celeste and Pokemon Emerald.
