LogInBut that would help lose some "tech debt."
Bethesda
Bethesda stays faithful to its proprietary Creation Engine, using it for Skyrim, Fallout 4, Fallout 76 and its updated version for Starfield. With BioWare, CD PROJEKT RED, and Halo Studios (previously known as 343 Industries) switching to Epic Games' technology, will Bethesda also move on to it?
Skyrim's lead designer Bruce Nesmith doesn't think so. Speaking with VideoGamer, he said that changing engines would take years, with developers trying to master the tech.
"It would be – I’m just going to say a number that’s certainly not the real number – a year or two of technical work just to move it over to the engine as is. And then more work beyond that to tune the engine, to tune the game, to work in it. That’s the penalty side. That’s the risk side."
However, Nesmith admits that jumping a new engine would help Bethesda lose some "tech debt." For example, Gamebryo, the engine behind Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3, and New Vegas as well as the basis for Creation, hasn't aged that well:
"There are parts of the Gamebryo engine that I would not be surprised to find out that Bethesda can no longer compile, because the original source code just doesn’t compile any more," Nesmith said. "You just got to use the compiled stuff as is."
Bethesda
There is also the modding community to think about, which "also has a huge tech debt."
"Script Extender sadly has to be updated every time there’s a new update to the underlying game. They’ve put in a tremendous amount of effort, the modders, into understanding the Creation Engine and understanding the Creation Tool Kit. If there is a cut over, all that is thrown out the window and it all has to start all over again."
But still, you can't develop a game worrying about modders, they'll have to adapt. In the end, it's the game that matters, not what it was built on. "Is the game good? I don’t care what the engine is. The game’s good! Let’s play the game," Nesmith concluded.
So Creation Engine is here to stay for the time being, we will see its power in The Elder Scrolls 6 when it comes out.
Meanwhile, read Nesmith's interview here and join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Reddit, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.