Starfield is so expansive that much of its content will likely need to be cut if Bethesda is to release it later this year.
That’s according to a former Starfield developer, who worked on Bethesda’s upcoming sci-fi RPG and shared several details of the game over on the gaming forum Resetera (thanks, GamesRadar ). User Hevy008 responded to several questions about the title and suggested it’s so large that Bethesda will have to remove several unfinished features if it wants to ship the game later this year.
“In terms of if it will ship on time, well they will try – that’s for sure,” said Hevy008.
“They’ll cut what they [need] to etc. They have an overabundance of content, probably too much, so that’s not the issue. Finding the fun and, of course, bug fixing is the big thing.”
“Beta is this summer, that’s when the picture will truly become clear.”
The anonymous poster also described the game as “looking good” and said the “shooting feels alright”, but rather bluntly said “the engine is a piece of crap” and “flying is terrible atm” because it’s “not fun”.
They did, however, sing the praises of its lighting and graphics, but said they’re not yet up to par with Horizon Forbidden West . It’s several months before Starfield is expected to release, though, so that could all change.
The original post, along with Hevy008’s account, has since been deleted, although a screengrab on Imgur shows their message in full.
The identity of Hevy008 as a former Starfield developer has been confirmed by Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier in a post on ResetEra . Although Schreier couldn’t confirm whether the details of their post, including the claims regarding Starfield’s massive size, were true, they did say Hevy008 is “definitely who they said they were”.
A lot could change
Starfield is expected to release on November 11 later this year. That’s not a huge chunk of time in the wider context of game development; most triple-A games take multiple years to produce, and Starfield was originally teased way back in 2018. But it still provides a lot of scope for the dev team to fine-tune its major features.
While Hevy008 gives a fairly gloomy rundown of Starfield, especially its flying gameplay, that doesn’t mean we should be pessimistic. A lot can change between now and the game’s release. Plus, we don’t know at what stage in the game’s development Hevy008 was involved – whether recently, or a fair way back.
Cut content is par for the course with game development. As projects move from nascent design ideas into fully-fledged titles, they’re gradually refined and molded into more cohesive games. That means many of the design concepts originally brought to the table are changed, dropped, or iterated to better suit the game’s current state.
It will be exciting to see which ideas make it into the final build of Starfield and which are left on the studio floor. We wouldn’t be surprised if intrepid dataminers unearth unused assets in Starfield’s folders once it’s released, giving us an insight into what could have been, or if leakers like Hevy008 reveal more details of what was once planned for the game.
As Hevy008 says, the Starfield beta due to roll out in the middle of the year will give us a major look at the sci-fi RPG. That’ll be our first hands-on opportunity to see what features the game offers.
Studio Display teardown makes me wish Apple just made a new iMac
A few enterprising – and brave – people have begun opening up Apple’s new Studio Display , and the innards show a complex device that’s much more than a standard monitor.
Apple has made a big deal of the Studio Display’s advanced smart features, such as Siri virtual assistant support and AI-controlled webcam in a bid to justify the high price tag of $1,599 (£1,499 / AU$2,499), and these teardowns, which show us the kind of tech that’s packed behind the screen, reveal just how complex the device actually is.
Mac Rumors points out that in the bottom-right logic board hosts the A13 Bionic chip – the same found in iPads and iPhones, and which is used for the AI features. Interestingly, there seems to also be 64GB of flash storage. This is a hefty amount of storage space for a monitor (which usually come with… well, none), and is the same amount found in entry-level iPhones and iPads.
While we now know that the Studio Display runs on iOS 15.4 , it’s not immediately clear what the 64GB of storage is for. The inside of the Studio Display also shows two large fans for keeping it cool (again, quite rare for a monitor), along with six speakers, similar to the ones found in the 24-inch iMac.
The iFixit website is also in the process of doing a teardown of the Studio Display , and while it’s still in progress, we’ve been given another glimpse of the insides of the monitor. The iFixit team are well known for their in-depth looks at devices, and specifically focus on how easily fixable products are – something that Apple’s devices usually get lambasted for.
These initial glimpses of the Studio Display do at least show that Apple has packed some interesting tech into the screen – but it has also led me to feeling like it’s a missed opportunity.
Analysis: Why not just make a 27-inch iMac?
When Apple revealed the Studio Display, along with the new Mac Studio , in early March, many people wondered why not just make a 27-inch iMac? After all, the Studio Display in some ways feels like an iMac without the Mac bit.
However, these teardowns show that this may have been a bigger missed opportunity than previously thought. After all, if Apple is putting this much tech in a screen, including storage and fans, could it not have also added an M1 chip and memory and made a new iMac?!
Ok, maybe it’s not quite that easy, but the harsh truth is that the Studio Display is a rather underwhelming device that doesn’t offer the performance or value that would make it a worthwhile purchase. If Apple had released a new M1-powered 27-inch iMac, I think it would have been much more warmly received, especially as Apple has now discontinued the previous 27-inch iMac .
For people who want an Apple all-in-one with a 27-inch screen, rather than a 24-inch one, then you’re out of luck. The Studio Display with a Mac Studio or Mac mini hooked up isn’t a decent enough replacement, sadly.
Gucci's AirPods Max case costs twice as much as the actual headphones
We've always felt that the AirPods Max carrying case looks like a handbag (or a bra). Well, now you can get a real Gucci handbag-style case for your over-ear Apple headphones .
The Ophidia case for AirPods Max is exclusively available to buy from the Gucci online store , and it costs double the price of the already-expensive Apple headphones, coming in at an eye-watering $980 / AU$1,360.
The Gucci bag isn't quite as pricey in the UK though, costing £645. That's only about £100 more expensive than the AirPods Max themselves - and what's an extra £100 if it gets you access to the Gucci gang?
Decked out in Gucci's beige and ebony monogrammed canvas with gold hardware and brown leather accents, the Ophidia case certainly looks the part.
Inside is a brilliant blue lining, emblazoned with the word 'Hodiernum'—a Latin word that means "belonging to the present day," which, according to Gucci, is in reference to the case's juxtaposition between vintage and high tech.
It's not clear whether the Gucci case will put the headphones into an 'ultralow-power state,' like the case you get with the AirPods Max. This state is designed to save battery. It would be a shame if you shelled out nearly $1,000 for a case that didn't do as much as the one you get free with your AirPods Max.
Fashion and tech: a match made in heaven
While the idea of a Gucci headphones case may seem strange, the fashion house also sells generic over-ear headphones cases, AirPods Pro cases, and sleeves for iPads .
Wearable technology and high fashion have always enjoyed a close relationship. French fashion house Balmain has designed a pair of Beats headphones , Chanel sells lots of tech accessories, and Louis Vuitton has a range of luxury smartwatches . Headphones particularly lend themselves to fashion collaborations, with many music lovers seeing them as an accessory to liven up their outfits in their own right.
After all, it wasn't that long ago that we heard how all the cool girls are wearing wired in-ear headphones with cables dangling from their ears as a fashion accessory. Of course, a pair of cheap earbuds aren't as much of an investment as a designer carrying case for you AirPods Max - and we daresay we won't see too many commuters with Gucci cases during our daily commute.