I think that people have missed the obvious answer. When the series becomes unprofitable.

Why does bethesda have to switch between fallout and TES? I'm sure that both would sell if they came out relatively close to each other. And the almost assured income would justify two developments.

Is Bethesda big enough to handle two huge games at once? I figured they should rotate, so they can focus on a single game at a time, but if they're big enough, they could always work on both. :shrug:

Don't forget to give credit where credit is due. Bethesda is a great company yes, but it's just a name, and remember that many of the same people have been spearheading TES game design for the entire length of the series. Inevitably these people will retire, and the games will perhaps move in a new direction! This is not always a bad thing, but it is something to keep in mind nonetheless.

Bethesda doesn't have the full staff to keep two games in full production. That's why they alternate. If they got a third franchise, I'd expect them to start adding staff to minimize the delays in a franchise. I'd wager they have a good idea how often they "need" to service a franchise, and are working around that figure. But they'd add more franchises in a heartbeat if the business case was there, no matter what

This feels rude to ask, but what kind of money is made from these games?]

Millions? Tens of Million?

thx for link haha svckers :ninja: just kidding never knew that was there before

Well, Oblivion sold well over 3 million copies (link please) and there's merchandise and DLC so I'd assume quite a boatload.

a boatload of cash? can i have that in septims please?