Bethesda: No plans for Wii, iPhone, social

The internal Bethesda Softworks development team has no plans to develop for Nintendo systems because it feels its games are graphically and thematically better suited to other formats.

That's according to executive producer Todd Howard, who told IndustryGamers, "The stuff we're doing is a better fit on the other platforms. You can never say never, but I think for the kind of games that we like to play and make, it fits the other platforms."

Howard acknowledged that this was more down to a mismatch of audiences than any kind of prejudice.

"Even if there's going to be some bigger, more mature games on it, the system, for better or worse, has been moved to this demographic [of casual gaming]," he said.

"If we had an idea that we thought would really take advantage of that platform, we would do something for it. Usually, we're thinking more in terms of graphically doing things that the other systems do. That's what we get excited about."

Nor is Bethesda considering iPhone or social game development for the time being, although in each case for different reasons.

"Once the id thing came about [Bethesda owner ZeniMax acquired id Software in 2009], they were doing enough mobile stuff that I kind of felt, 'OK, they're doing some really good stuff right now; let's see how that market goes before I start putting my own time or other people's time into something that, at the end of the day, might be a distraction from the bigger game that we need to be making.'" Howard explained when asked about iPhone.

"At the end of the day, [it] might be a distraction from the bigger game that we need to be making. For now, it's definitely on the back burner."

As for social platforms like Facebook and the success of games like Farmville... "I've got to be honest, I don't get it," said Howard. "I look at it and try to understand but for now I've just decided to ignore it."

Bethesda Softworks is currently working on an unannounced project that we assume everyone hopes is a new Elder Scrolls game...

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/be...-iphone-social