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Todd Howard started from the humblest of beginnings before rising to the level of an executive producer at Bethesda. It all started with a love for video games, and an attempt at making one that couldn’t go past the title screen.
In an interview published almost a year ago, Todd Howard spilled the beans on how exactly he got one foot into the gaming industry, and about one of the first projects he worked on.
Todd Howard’s First Game Wasn’t Really a Game
In an interview withEsquireback in September 2023, Howard spoke about how his love for video games. He said that it helped him kickstart a career in the industry, eventually leading him to make games likeStarfieldandSkyrim.
Having grown up in the 80s, his first attempt at making a game was on the Apple II computer. He says the game had “a really sick” title screen, but unfortunately, the limitations of technology back then stopped his project prematurely.
The title screen took up the computer’s memory, and the rest of the game couldn’t run. A valiant effort, nonetheless. And, it got Howard motivated to try and get better at making games.
“I’m so glad it’s out of early access…”: Starfield’s Map Update Isn’t the Gamechanger Many Wanted, and It’s Another Loss for Bethesda
When he tried to apply to Bethesda in the mid-90s after playingWayne Gretzky Hockey, it declined his application as he was still a student. Howard was nothing if not dedicated; he refused to back down, and a year after graduation, he finally joined the company as a fresher.
Technology has evolved at a rapid pace since the creation of Howard’s first game; memory limitations for a title screen are barely a problem anymore. Unfortunately, it feels like his intent to make “really sick” title screens has somehow.
The physiognomy of start screens.The start screen of a game can reveal a lot about how rushed the team was and how much pride they took in their work.Starfield’s start screen either shows hasty shipping deadlines by a passionate team overworked, or a team that didn’t care.pic.twitter.com/Ok4gzQ3DVo
When theStarfieldstart screen leaked, it didn’t inspire much confidence in some people. Mark Kern, a producer onDiablo 2, claimed the start screen was a product of crunch and an overworked team.
Pete Hines, the head of publishing at Bethesda, debunked these claims, saying that the start screen was one of the first things that was decided upon. Although, the title screen was theleast of people’s worries withStarfield.
Howard’s Impact on the Way Bethesda Makes Games
Early on inTodd Howard‘s career at Bethesda, he made a bold suggestion:
…focus less on publishing new titles annually, and more on developing bigger games across longer periods of time.
![[REDACTED] Review (PS5) – Innovation Caught the Escape Pod Faster Than We Did](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/05095712/redacted-review-768x432.jpg)
At the time, companies just wanted to cash in for a quick sequel. Howard went a different direction, pitching games for the next generation of consoles.
Starfield Beats Fallout 4 and Skyrim in 1 Overly Bloated Metric that Proves Bethesda Does Smaller Better
While that was a crazy suggestion to make during such a period, it’s more common to see now. It has become Bethesda’s signature way of making games.
Game development times are only getting longer, but that also means the risk for companies relying on these games to be a hit and make that long development period worth it, is much higher.
What’s your opinion on the way Todd Howard goes about making games? Let us know in the comments below.
Vibha Hegde
Critic/Gaming Writer
Articles Published :594
Vibha is an avid gamer that has been writing about video games for several years. When they’re not complaining about the lack of a Bloodborne sequel or brushing up on the Yokoverse lore, Vibha is busy watching 3-hour video essays on horror games they’re too scared to play themselves.
