I can't help but consider at this stage that it might have been a whole lot less work, stress and heartache for all concerned if Bethesda had just decided to steer clear of the PS3 this generation. Between Fallout 3, its DLC, and the notorious port of Skyrim, its games have never had a smooth relationship with Sony's console. And now it seems the tradition continues with Skyrim's first big add-on. Here we go again...
While it had already discussed the already delayed Dawnguard PS3 release date in a previous post in early August (during which it admitted to being "not satisfied yet with Dawnguard’s performance on the PS3"), Bethesda has now come out to warn PS3 players that this could be a wait that they're in for the long-haul. And when I say "for the long-haul", I actually mean "on a potentially permanent basis".
Sayeth the new statement from Bethesda:
"We have tried a number of things, but none of them solve the issue enough to make Dawnguard good for everyone. The PS3 is a powerful system, and we're working hard to deliver the content you guys want. Dawnguard is obviously not the only DLC we’ve been working on either, so the issues of adding content get even more complicated. This is not a problem we’re positive we can solve, but we are working together with Sony to try to bring you this content."
The problem? No-one is saying for definite, but if I had to guess then I'd guess at some resurgence of the frame-rate apocalypse that struck the PS3 version of Skyrim so dramatically. And Fallout 3's DLC. And Fallout 3. ie. Yet more implication that Bethesda's current-gen game engines just do not play nicely with the PS3.
But I am of course guessing. It's entirely possible that a dragon just ate Bethesda's homework and it's now having to redo it all. Fingers, eyes and limbs crossed, people.
You know that kid at parties who talks too much? Drink in hand, way too enthusiastic, ponderously well-educated in topics no one in their right mind should know about? Loud? Well, that kid’s occasionally us. GR Editorials is a semi-regular feature where we share our informed insights on the news at hand. Sharp, funny, and finger-on-the-pulse, it’s the information you need to know even when you don’t know you need it.
