Fallout 4 Director Says Open World Games Aren’t As “Unique” As They Used To Be

The open-world genre represents what is “really great about video games” and are becoming more “commonplace” than they used to be, according to Fallout 4 director Todd Howard.

Speaking to GameSpot, Howard explained that the type of games Bethesda makes aren’t as unique as they used to be. Asked how he imagines open world adventure games evolving in future, he said, “I think it’s starting to become commonplace. It’s not as unique, so you’re seeing it a lot. People are discovering that particular way of playing a game is what is really great about video games.”

Howard further believes that games now have the potential to offer more impact than books or movies because they can virtually transport you almost anywhere.

“Gaming can put you in a place; it can pull off geography,” he said. “Movies and books, they can’t in that way.”

He expects more developers to create open-world games in future as the technology to do so has become more widely available. Howard has led Bethesda to create several massive open world games in both the Fallout and Elder Scrolls franchises. This pioneering titles will see the developer collect a lifetime achievement award during the Game Developers Choice Awards in March.

Howard pointed to the massive success of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto series as partial explanation for the growth of the open-world genre. The most recent game in the franchise, Grand Theft Auto 5, has shipped more than 60 million copies to date. He also praised Ubisoft’s contributions to the open-world genre, noting “Ubisoft does a great job; they do a lot of it.” While Howard didn’t mention any specific Ubisoft franchise, the publisher’s open-world games include Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs, and Far Cry – the latest of which, Primal, launches tomorrow.

Bethesda recently confirmed the first three DLC packs for Fallout 4 and Howard teased three “longer-term” projects at the developer, which will be “different” to what they’ve done before.