Bethesda’s Forgotten Space Game – The 10th Planet | 25 Years Before Starfield

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“25 Years in the Making”

Jump into the zero-g rabbit hole of the proto-Starfield Bethesda Softworks were developing in the late 90s.
A story of ambition, betrayal, millions of dollars and an inability to properly manage expectations.
In this video, find out about The 10th Planet – Bethesda’s cancelled Space-simulator / 4x Strategy / Lite-RPG hybrid.

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Read the full 10th Planet essay here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MmDk7PqFYR8W2fhOeYniQc8o-noVovKhKNn4Kc3tkow/edit?usp=sharing

Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KBS0pszvoIjJLb8HbyJvdrhf5gO1i3FvqUj6T8A8OPA/edit?usp=sharing

Sections
Introduction 0:00
WuzzTrending Ad 4:10
What was the 10th Planet 5:23
The Plot 35:29
Death by a Thousand Lazer 45:20
Influence 49:51
Conclusion 53:12

Bethesda’s Forgotten Space Game, 25 Years Before Starfield | The 10th Planet in text form:
With Starfield set to release in 2023, Bethesda’s first new IP in 25 years is nearly here.
However, it is not the company’s first venture into the vast emptiness of space.

The stars above us are fundamental to gaming.
From the 70s arcade games of Asteroid and Space Invaders to the variety of derivatives and evolutions that grew from those humble beginnings.
Mankind’s fascination with the vast universe beyond this planet knows no bounds.

Bethesda Softworks had dipped their toes into this last frontier before: with 1994’s sci-fi space racer Delta V.
Seeking to recreate the excitement of Star Wars’ trench run, Delta V had gamers swooping through valleys and tunnels avoiding obstacles as they raced to the finish.

In spite of this exhilarating concept, Delta V’s limited scope and suspect speed-killing design choices, was left with less than stellar reviews.
But this didn’t dissuade the team from attempting another space game.

Company founder Christopher Weaver, having attended MIT, worked as a technology advisor for the US government.
He was a master of networking – with connections all the way to Hollywood.

Indeed, that is how this relatively small developer found itself in possession of the gaming rights to the Terminator franchise.
Through these connections, Bethesda entered talks with Centropolis Entertainment, the production company behind the sci-fi epic Stargate.

Founded by director Roland Emmerich, he and actor-turned-writer Dean Devlin approached Weaver, interested in creating a sci-fi legend exclusively for the gaming market.
Devlin in particular was enthusiastic at the prospect of creating an interactive experience that wasn’t hamstrung by a connection to a movie or other existing media.

The result was the 10th Planet.

Headed by an RPG Game of the Year winner, a Sci-Fi film power duo and with a release date set for the holiday season of 1996, this was surely to be a momentous title…

4 missed release dates and a book release later, the 10th Planet never came to be.
In 1999, the game was shelved; while never officially cancelled, it was surely dead.

Until that is, we were introduced to a trailer for a brand new IP…

#jwlar #starfield #10thplanet

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