Pete Hines has revealed that Bethesda has exceedingly high expectations for Fallout 4. Bigger than The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim? That’s a high bar to reach.
In fact, Skyrim is the biggest RPG of all time, having sold over 20 million units. However, Pete says they really do think this could happen, based on what they’ve seen so far:
I think this can top Skyrim. It could be our biggest release ever. But we will see. It is part of my job to build the megaphone that we hold up to the game, and the game decides how loud it goes. Just how big it is going to be is hard to say. Skyrim was a massively big deal.
Early signs are good. Facebook said that in the month after E3, Fallout 4 was the most talked-about game on its social network. The special edition has already sold-out, with fans eager to get their hands on the ‘real Pip Boy’ toy that is included in the package. It shouldn’t come as a surprise; Fallout merchandise has always sold in significant numbers. During Gamescom, you couldn’t move for Fallout T-shirts and masks.
Hines also acknowledged the expanded role licensing and mobile games has in the company. They interpreted Fallout Shelter’s success as indicative of the hype for Fallout 4. They don’t necessarily see Fallout Shelter being as big as Fallout 4, in spite of industry trends in mobile.
As for why Bethesda is making Fallout Shelter, and now, Elder Scrolls Legends, Hines put it plainly:
To put games on that platform that caters for an existing fanbase or to grow a fanbase. It doesn’t matter if you know Fallout or not to be able to enjoy Fallout Shelter.
Fallout 4 will be released on Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 10, 2015
