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Who is Todd Howard? A Spotlight on the Elder Scrolls Innovator

Who is Todd Howard? 30 years in the gaming industry has set him in high stead amongst his peers, and over those three decades he’s brought us several big-hitting RPGs like Fallout 3 and Skyrim (about eight times, hence the meme), but he’s also done so much more. So if you’re wondering ‘who is Todd Howard?’, read on, and you’ll soon find out.

Todd Howard’s Early Days

Who is Todd Howard? Typically he’s the name that’ll come into the mind of any Western RPG fan when asked “Who changed the RPG experience in the noughties?”. His interest in gaming and the industry as a whole started at a young age, but it was far from a certain career path for him, so he decided to be safe and study Business Administration, and take computer classes on the side for extra credit.

It may sound hyperbolic to say, but without Wayne Gretsky excelling in hockey, we wouldn’t have the likes of Fallout 3, Skyrim, and so on. Why? Well, his wife bought Todd Howard a copy of Wayne Gretzky Hockey, and, having looked up the address of the game’s developer/creator, was introduced to Bethesda Softworks for the first time.

skyrim's village with the dragonborn and villagers
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a must-play experience for any fantasy fan. Image Credits: Bethesda

This was enough for him to decide he wanted to work for Bethesda, and he confidently approached and asked for a job – and was promptly told no and rejected. This didn’t deter him though, as he finished his studies, and spent his time between working for a smaller company, and periodically requested a position within the company. After wearing them down, Howard was granted his request in 1994, initially as a producer/designer on The Terminator: Future Shock.

Over the years his work changed along with his role, and in 2000 he was appointed his first project leader position in a small title called The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Releasing in 2002, the was both a commercial and critical success, with several awards at the Game of the Year being the icing on the cake for him and Bethesda.

What is Todd Howard Known For?

Todd Howard is known for being the face of Bethesda, and his name has become synonymous with all the properties they own and develop, at this point. Even projects he’s not directly involved with within the company seem to get credited to him, he’s that infamous, and his own list is long enough already.

Firmly taking The Elder Scrolls franchise by the scruff of the neck seemingly made the man indispensable to Bethesda, with his understanding of the lore and the world being second to none at this point, as seven projects in ten years prove.

YearTitleRole
1995The Terminator: Future ShockAdditional Design
1996SkynetAdditional Design
1996The Elder Scrolls II: DaggerfallAdditional Design
1998The Elder Scrolls Adventures: RedguardProject Leader
2002The Elder Scrolls III: MorrowindProject Leader
2003The Elder Scrolls III: BloodmoonExecutive Producer
2004The Elder Scrolls: Travels: ShadowkeyExecutive Producer
2006The Elder Scrolls IV: OblivionExecutive Producer
2007The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering IslesExecutive Producer
2008Fallout 3Game Director
2011The Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimGame Director
2012The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – DawnguardGame Director
2012The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – HearthfireGame Director
2012The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – DragonbornGame Director
2015Fallout ShelterExecutive Producer
2015Fallout 4Game Director
2018Fallout 76Executive Producer
2019The Elder Scrolls: BladesExecutive Producer
2023StarfieldGame Director
2024Indiana Jones and the Great CircleExecutive Producer

Morrowind and Oblivion pushed the company and Todd Howard into the limelight, but Fallout 3 was the title that fully cemented the company into the annals of RPG history. In the run-up to release he spoke to OXM Podcast (now defunct), boasting the total number of endings in the post-apocalyptic game to be over 200 in number.

The validity of that number could be argued, especially with the small, nuanced decisions being included, but the scope, the confidence, and the idea to try and pull that off should be commended. As for Fallout 3 itself? Smash hit that a huge number of gamers played, and still play to this day some 16 years later.

Most recently, Todd Howard and Bethesda took a step away from their two tried-and-tested franchises and spent eight years working on and then launching Starfield, a sci-fi RPG built upon the foundations of what the developer learned. Despite hoping to hit the same lofty heights of his previous endeavors, Starfield launched to relative obscurity.

starfield with a shape and a man posing.
Starfield’s desolate planets and massive spaceships are just the start. Image Credits: Bethesda

Bugs, poor performance, an average storyline, and procedurally generated, something and nothing planets meant even some of the most die-hard fans weren’t on board. The game’s first DLC Shattering Space didn’t do much to change opinions, either, and along with Fallout 76, marks a stumbling block Todd Howard will be desperate to get passed.

Design Choices, Influences, and Philosophies

If you were asking “Who is Todd Howard?”, you’d have to take a deeper look at his games to understand the man, at least from a gaming/professional perspective. During the opening keynote of 2012’s annual DICE Summit, Howard revealed the three tenets of his and Bethesda’s game development philosophy:

  • Define the experience – “Don’t define the game by the list of the features. Define it by the experience you want to have.”
  • Keep it simple – “We can do anything, we just can’t do everything.”
  • Great games are played, not made – “You have to play your own game a ton and revise it. Work on more of the great stuff, do less of the crap.”

These three rules couldn’t be more abstract, but served the man and the company well for many years, undoubtedly. The same ideas and philosophies can be seen shared in Fallout 3, Skyrim and Starfield, and the rest of the RPG entries. With a heavy emphasis on allowing the player to do what they want, and create their own adventure, all three aforementioned titles certainly immerse the player. In fact, Howard has gone on record saying, “I think it’s important where the player feels like they had some agency in it, where they’re not just watching a particular story”.

As for inspirations and influences, Todd Howard has made no secret of his early love for Ultima III: Exodus, Wizardry, as well as more recent games like Portal and Bioshock. One thing is for certain, Howard’s imagination allows him to take an idea and spin it into a huge, sprawling world.

Potential Future

Todd Howard’s future is known, for the most part. As mentioned above, he’s working on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle as an Executive Producer, whilst MachineGames develops it. Rumors indicate he could also be currently overseeing the second DLC of Starfield, although no formal announcement has been made.

a picture of indiana jones and the great circle to discuss 'who is todd howard?'
Todd Howard’s influence may not be directly felt on this, but he’s definitely had a hand in it. Image Credits: MachineGames

Then, after an arguably too early reveal, he’ll be pivoting his attention to The Elder Scrolls VI, although any further details are unknown currently. All we know is that the game definitely exists, it’s being worked on, and we’ll be getting it eventually, everything else is up in the air. Howard has gone on record to say that after this, Fallout 5 will be arriving, but that’s many years down the line.

So, Who is Todd Howard?

Who is Todd Howard? Someone who got their start in the industry through perseverance and hard work, as well as just being a pest (in the best way). Who is Todd Howard? A man who saw the value in a discontinued and forgotten top-down RPG in Fallout, and wanted to put his skills learned with Elder Scrolls to use in the post-apocalyptic world.

He’s also a man that may have reached to high in the sky with his ambitions with Starfield, but aiming for greatness is the best we can expect of anyone. What he does next is interesting to see, but what he’s contributed so far propels him to the heights of the industry already.

If your wonder of the gaming industry’s giants doesn’t end with Todd Howard, why not check out our exclusive ‘Who is…’ look on Hidetaka Miyazaki?

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