In 2011, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was released, providing players worldwide with an enormous and expansive open-world RPG that remains legendary to this day. It was a phenomenal thing, and for many, it’s probably the greatest game ever made.
Once upon a time, skeptics thought that Skyrim wouldn’t succeed because of when it was launching. This ambitious RPG from Bethesda Game Studios was released on November 11, 2011, just two days after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. But a former Bethesda executive has revealed that the company was willing to accept that fight and win.
‘Everybody’s Gonna Play Call of Duty’
In an enormous interview with DBLTAP, Pete Hines, formerly a Bethesda veteran with a quarter-century under his belt, dished out all the insider anecdotes about his time at the company. He retired in 2023, but those memories are still as sharp as anything.
In one segment of the interview, Hines ran back to 2011 and the launch of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, widely debated as one of the greatest games ever made, and certainly a gem of the Bethesda Game Studios lineup.
He stressed that many came to him, suggesting that the launch window, which fell two days after that year’s Call of Duty title, was a mistake. He and the team at Bethesda were unwilling to relent, suggesting they’d go to war with Activision:
Oh, Skyrim can’t survive going up against Call of Duty. Same window. Everybody’s gonna play Call of Duty. Nobody’s gonna buy your game. I just said, ‘I get that they’re a big brand, but they’re not a better game. I will go up against those guys. I will spend marketing money against those guys. I will never spend anywhere near as much and I can still win.’
They told us not to release Oblivion in May. Nobody releases games in the spring, that’ll never work. We did just fine.
Hines quipped that the arrival of Morrowind on Xbox in 2002 was also lambasted as being a weird decision.
It’s estimated that Modern Warfare 3, which was 2011’s Call of Duty title, went on to sell approximately 30 million copies. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim sold seven million in a week and has since sold an estimated 65 million copies, re-releases included.
Skyrim also has a Metascore of 96, while Modern Warfare 3 has a rating of 88. Also, 16,731 people are playing Skyrim on Steam alone as I write this, while just 45 people are enjoying Modern Warfare 3 on the same platform.
Pete Hines knew ball going into the launch of Skyrim. It wasn’t about beating Modern Warfare 3 on day one, as the team likely knew they had a classic on their hands that would last many years to come, and that’s what it did. Call of Duty’s team had moved on to Black Ops II while Skyrim was still receiving expansions and building a modding community that thrives today.
Were you around in 2011? Did you play Skyrim, Modern Warfare 3, or both? Let me know on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that the God of War show starts filming soon
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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