Not sure if I entirely agree with this; Bethesda has always made RPGs with mass appeal since TES IV: Oblivion. Personally I prefer RPGs with a stronger focus on role-playing and the story, but I know many “casuals” that do not.

One thing I’ve personally disliked about Bethesda games since Skyrim, is their unrelenting willingness to dumb absolutely everything down; even at the cost of making the game world plastic, as if it’s over-catering towards the player. There are no choices, just the illusion of choice and it makes the experience feel faker than fake.

I started with Oblivion and hated how dumbed down Skyrim was. I later played Morrowind and bounced off once (I was too young and stupid, having mostly experienced more “modern” games), but the second time I tried it I loved it. The amount of freedom they lent you made me realize what was wrong with all the later games.

They make roller-coaster rides now, with everything trying to get you into combat as quickly as possible, and the combat encounters being carefully crafted, then you’re on to the next ride. My first several hours in Morrowind my second time included no combat whatsoever and the game didn’t have an issue with it. You can also skip large portions of dungeons with the right skills, and you can also change how you navigate the open world with spells. It’s a wonderful experience that I hope they eventually realize is better than treating players like idiots.