Fallout co-creator Tim Cain has said that The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind’s arrival on the original Xbox transformed expectations for console role-playing games. He described being stunned that such a large, complex and open-ended PC-style RPG could work on a console, highlighting its influence on the genre’s later development.

Released for Xbox in 2002, Morrowind gave console players an expansive fantasy world, extensive character customisation and considerable freedom to explore. Cain’s comments underline how the game helped demonstrate that ambitious Western RPGs could find a substantial audience beyond PCs.