In a recent interview with MinnMax, Bruce Nesmith, former design director at Bethesda, unveiled a fascinating behind-the-scenes discussion that took place during the early stages of Starfield's development. The debate centered around the number of planets the highly anticipated space role-playing game would feature.

Nesmith, renowned for his work on The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and his senior role on Starfield before departing Bethesda in 2021, initially proposed that the game should have approximately two dozen systems. However, the final version of Starfield ended up featuring a staggering 120 planets.

Explaining the reasoning behind his initial suggestion, Nesmith stated that the workload required for adding 100 additional solar systems would not significantly contribute to the game's overall development. "You have to know how to build a planet so people can walk around on it. Just doing our own solar system, all our variety that you have to have just to do that, you've done 90% of the work for the rest of it," he explained.

Interestingly, the game became the center of attention when Todd Howard, director and executive producer at Bethesda, revealed that players would have access to over 1,000 planets to explore. Nesmith revealed that the number 100 for the star systems was somewhat arbitrarily chosen by Howard, but it was eventually decided that the core activity would take place in the two dozen settled systems, leaving the rest as open space for players to venture into.

While there was controversy surrounding the revelation that only 10% of the planets in Starfield would have life forms, the game experienced significant success even before its official launch. Xbox boss Phil Spencer disclosed that over one million players were simultaneously exploring Starfield on its release date, with a remarkable 10 million players joining the interstellar adventure within three weeks.

Starfield has already spawned a myriad of intriguing anecdotes, including reports of Bethesda eliminating labradors from the game's universe and players tirelessly attempting to recreate the experience on PlayStation.

Despite facing numerous challenges, Starfield has garnered positive reviews. IGN, in its 7/10 review, praised the expansive role-playing quests and commendable combat mechanics, describing the game's gravitational pull as difficult to resist.

With such an exciting start, it seems that the journey through Starfield's vast universe is only just beginning. As players continue to explore its multitude of planets and uncover its mysteries, the game's success appears to be sailing among the stars.

Ryan Dinsdale, an IGN freelance reporter, contributed to this report, showcasing his enthusiasm for The Witcher.