It will come as little surprise to people that Todd Howard, who directs the currents of creativity at Bethesda, has a groove. He likes that groove. For the most part, Bethesda games of the last 15 years or so have patiently followed that groove, and by doing so, they have been incredibly successful. 

This is nothing new or unusual in gaming. Studios like FromSoftware, Platinum Games, and Arkane have all seen incredible creative and commercial results by doing something specific incredibly well. For Bethesda, this is telling a sprawling adventure in an engaging world.

Far be it from me to tell FIFA how to do its job, but, in hindsight, I would like to think I am smart enough to realize that getting $150 million a year for nothing is just smart business. Electronic Arts’ gazillion-selling FIFA gaming franchise is the golden goose that the brainiacs at FIFA targeted for some feather-ruffling nack in 2021 by reportedly requesting twice that amount for the naming rights. Now, two years later, we have EA FC 24 on the way, FIFA has been sidelined, and the buzz is firmly stronger than the brand.

For those not in the know, FIFA is the governing body that largely oversees and dictates the ebb and flow of football around the globe. They have little, if any, competition, and over 200 different leagues and organizations around the world fall under their umbrella. While it may seem that a brand deal with FIFA, an organization that calls itself “the home of football,” would be vital for EA’s effort to make a soccer game. This, it seems, is just not the case.