Shattered Space has not performed well with fans since its release in September, and has received a mostly negative review on Steam. Most comments focus on the quest’s story, although there are many broader criticisms of Starfield itself. However, Todd Howard seems to have his own theory as to why Shattered Space may not have done as well as it should have.
In an interview for Game file bulletinPhil Spencer said that “we’re always learning” when talking about the approach to expansions, and mentioned a conversation he had with Howard about the frequency of content releases. Howard focused on a bug that was unexpectedly showcased during the Gamescom Opening Night Live before the expansion.
“Todd and I talked about Shattered Space. “Starfield is a game that I put a lot of hours into and I really love it, but they had this option where they added new features throughout the year and then they released an expansion,” Spencer said. “I think some of the feedback on the expansion is, ‘We wanted more features.’ And he said, “Well, should we have waited to roll out the carts?”
He continued: “That’s why I think you’re trying to adjust both the development effort and the impact of expansion. I think there will always be a balance in managing the game from month to month. But not every game will include expansions. “
Ultimately, however, Shattered Space was criticized more for its lack of space content than its lack of terrestrial content. In our review we wrote: “As far as I can tell, there is absolutely nothing added for space travelers except that you now have a way to legally acquire Va’ruun ships instead of stealing them from the zealots who attack you in space. “Okay, as an expansion it doesn’t always have to significantly expand every aspect of the game – but I was surprised that an expansion with the word ‘space’ in the title didn’t add at least a token feature for space jockeys.”
As for Spencer, in the interview he shares various thoughts on Xbox’s gaming lineup, including some of the biggest surprises (Blizzard and South of Midnight among them) and the release date of Avowed. Xbox also launched a novel marketing campaign today called “This is Xbox,” which highlights various items that may or may not be an Xbox console.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s news director and co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Got a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.