Now that Bethesda is part of the Microsoft family and "Starfield" will be released exclusively on PC and Xbox, Todd Howard spoke with The Telegraph about what that means from a development standpoint. Focusing on these platforms allows us to put a lot of effort into making the best we can for these systems, and developing for PC and Xbox means that the team doesn't have to adapt the game to PlayStation hardware, which is a no-brainer. Not surprisingly, Howard did not specifically mention Sony's consoles in this statement.

"The hardware definitely helps a lot with loading and fidelity. But graphic fidelity is graphic fidelity. I don't want it to seem as if graphic fidelity is a barrier. It's all about focus." Of course, it's good to raise the bar, but it's really good to stay focused and be able to say, this is what we're creating and this is the hurdle. A lot of times, it depends on the timing, such as the situation we are in and the hardware situation. We are really fortunate that we are able to set really high hurdles."

The way Howard put it, there is no doubt that expectations for "Starfield," of which we have yet to see gameplay footage, are quite high. But more than hardware performance (and big money), for Howard, the partnership with Microsoft means more than a mighty space game.

"Going back to 'Morrowind,' we've had pretty deep partnerships with every game, working together on technology development, etc.

We thought a lot about where we wanted to end up and had long discussions with Microsoft about the possibility of doing that. We love the Microsoft platform and the people on it. We have many deep friendships. And I think ultimately we will be able to create the best thing ever." Xbox's media strategy, including the first-day release of Game Pass, which can also be played via the cloud, is part of the reason Howard is pleased with the Microsoft/Bethesda partnership. "We have a lot of faith in Xbox and all the steps that Microsoft is taking to bring their games to a wider audience. Whether it's integration with PCs, which means a lot to us, or cloud streaming, all of those things. So I think it's about taking a long-term view.

With all of this in mind, his answer to the question, "Do you regret no longer releasing games on PlayStation?" was ear-splitting: "Well, we still have ...... I will just say that I want everyone to play them in some form or another."

Still what, Todd?