If you missed our post on Nintendo yesterday, we have started a series of editorials highlighting our top 10 dream pony game developers. We've gone a long time without any kind non-mobile experience in this field, and as a community of gamers looking for a lot more than what android or iOS games have to offer, that sucks!
The second in our ongoing series of potential pony developers is none other than Bethesda! Head on down below to find out why this company should definitely be making a pony game!
Dive into the Secrets of Equestria with Bethesda!
If you are one of the many bronies out there clamoring for Fallout Equestria content, you probably already know these guys. They picked up the IP almost a decade ago, and have been the go-to company for most big-budget, open world, post apocalyptic RPG experiences. Bethesda has a lot going for it outside of that obvious crossover though. Their published games library is vast, with many a developer housed under their rapidly expanding umbrella. Both original games and sequels to classics are always being worked on from multiple teams. Such a wide array of talent in several different genres offers an interesting chance at just about anything when it comes to using cartoon equines for things.
What really put them on the map early on though was their completely in-house Elder Scrolls series. Since the earliest days of Daggerfall and their big mainstream debut with Morrowind, Bethesda has been absolutely rockin' it when it comes to furthering the idea of building a living, breathing world for players to explore and adventure in. The first few steps after escaping whatever starting prison they have you locked in are some of the most exciting in gaming. Do you follow the quest log and do what you are told? Or do you wander off and join one of the many guilds littered throughout the land? Should you specialize in magic, or become a dagger wielding assassin?
Choices are the name of the game here, and in a fandom where just about everyone has their own custom original pony representing either themselves, or something they like, just imagine the possibilities! Your perfect cartoon horsey could be wandering the world of Equestria, delving into the darkest of dungeons or climbing to the tallest of peaks. The various races living throughout the land would all have their own beautifully crafted cities, from the dark and gloomy caves of the Changelings to the airy mountain passes of Rainbow Falls.
Bethesda does have the unfortunate issue of bugs and performance hiccups though. I remember Oblivion being almost unplayable in it's release state back on the Xbox360 with how much the graphics would stutter, and Skyrim regularly dished out quest breaking bugs and constantly crashed even on high end PC hardware. A library of separate save files is a must when plowing through a brand new open world Bethesda game. Thankfully, they are pretty quick at patching up a good amount of it. On top of that, one of the major reasons why these games are so timeless comes not from the company, but from the community!
Modding takes these already solid games and transforms them into the greatest investment in fun out there. After their dev toolkits are released, it pretty much becomes open season for the community to do whatever they want. Systems are improved, items added, quests created, entire continents built, and more! Need some World of Warcraft weapons for your custom Demon hunter class? Mod it! Tired of the basic spells and want to summon watermelon elementals and unleash fury with swarms of giant Fluttershys? Mod it! Want some skimpy saddles or socks for your suddenly anatomically correct pony waifu? Uhh... sure.
Taking an already huge game and handing it to the community to build upon is why these games keep on selling long past their release date. Five years later, and Skryim still tops the Steam sales chart ever time it's advertised for half off.
Almost nothing would excite me more than following the release of a brand new Bethesda crafted Equestrian adventure!
Pony Game Ideas
- The Elder Scrolls: Equestria - Obviously!
- Fallout Equestria - Of course!
- POOM - Doom... with ponies? I don't think I could bring myself to blow cartoon equines up, but I bet some of you would.
Discuss whatever may have been missed, or other game company ideas below! Expect another, same time tomorrow.
