Todd Howard Explained

Todd Howard
Birth Name:Todd Andrew Howard
Birth Place:Lower Macungie Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma Mater:College of William & Mary (BBA)
Occupation:Video game designer, director, producer
Years Active:1994–present
Employer:Bethesda Game Studios
Known For:The Elder Scrolls, Fallout
Children:2

Todd Andrew Howard (born 1970) is an American video game designer, director, and producer. He serves as director and executive producer at Bethesda Game Studios, where he has led the development of the Fallout and The Elder Scrolls series. He was also the game director for Starfield.

Early life and education

Todd Andrew Howard was born in 1970 in Lower Macungie Township, Pennsylvania, to Ronald and Priscilla Howard. His elder brother, Jeffrey Mark Howard, later became the director of creative affairs for Disney, where he oversaw the production of Bambi II.[1] [2] [3] He developed an interest in computers, particularly video games, at a very young age.[4] Howard says the 1980s role-playing video games Wizardry and were inspirations for his future games.

Howard attended Emmaus High School in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1989. He then attended the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he majored in business while taking computer classes for credit. He graduated from William and Mary in 1993, with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.[5] Howard later stated that a business major appeared as the easiest path through college.

During the holiday break of his senior year in college, Howard obtained a copy of Wayne Gretzky Hockey (1988) by Bethesda Softworks in Rockville, Maryland. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, he visited the offices of Bethesda Softworks, which he passed by daily on his commute to and from school. He asked for a job at the company but was rejected and told that he needed to finish school as a prerequisite. After graduating, he returned to Bethesda, seeking a job but was rejected again due to a lack of job opportunities then at the company. Howard then started working for a smaller game company in Yorktown, Virginia, which enabled him to visit several conventions like the Consumer Electronics Show, where he continued approaching Bethesda to request being hired.

Career

Bethesda Softworks eventually recruited Howard in 1994 as a producer. His first game development credit for Bethesda was as the producer and designer of (1995), followed by work as a designer on Skynet and , both released in 1996.[6] He was project leader for the first time on , released in 1998.[7]

In 2000, Howard was appointed project leader and designer for and the expansions that followed. The game was released in 2002 and was a critical and commercial success, winning several Game of the Year awards. He then led the creation of (2006) as its executive producer.[8] After this, he served as game director and executive producer of Fallout 3, released in 2008.[9] [10]

Howard returned to The Elder Scrolls series to lead the development as the creative director of its fifth installment, , which was released in November 2011.[11] He subsequently directed Fallout 4, released in November 2015,[12] and produced Fallout 76, a multiplayer installment in the series that attracted criticism upon its release in November 2018.[13] Howard will also serve as the executive producer of the upcoming game based on the Indiana Jones series of films, currently in development by MachineGames and Lucasfilm Games.[14]

Opinions and recognition

Howard admitted in 2011 that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion had sacrificed what made The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind "particular", saying: "With Oblivion, we're dealing with the capital province, and we wanted to get back to the more classic Arena and Daggerfall feel of a fantasy world that felt more refined and welcoming. But in that, we sacrificed some of what made Morrowind special: the wonder of discovery."[15] He said Bethesda's philosophy for The Elder Scrolls games was to allow people to "live another life, in another world".[16]

In 2012, Howard also said he was favorable to modding in video games, claiming he did not understand why many developers do not allow it.[17] In 2016, after the release of Fallout 4, Howard admitted that he was well aware of the criticisms received by the game, especially with regards to the dialogue system, saying: "The way we did some dialogue stuff [in ''Fallout 4''], that didn't work as well. But I know the reasons we tried that – to make a nice interactive conversation – but [it was] less successful than some other things in the game."[18]

Howard has spoken at industry events and conferences. In 2009, he spoke to developers at the D.I.C.E. Summit, sharing his rules of game development.[19] He returned as a keynote speaker at the 2012 D.I.C.E. Summit.[20] He said developers should ignore demographics and installed base, and follow their passions, saying that "if install base really mattered, we'd all make board games, because there are a lot of tables".[21]

Howard's work has often received attention by the generalist media and press; his games have been featured in Newsweek,[22] CNN,[23] USA Today,[24] and The Today Show.[25] The high popularity of the games Howard has directed and produced has turned him, and some of his quotes, into Internet memes.

Howard was the 16th recipient of a Game Developers Conference Lifetime Achievement Award.[26] The magazine GamePro named him among the "Top 20 Most Influential People in Gaming over the Last 20 Years". Howard also received the D.I.C.E. Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction" in 2012 and 2016. In 2014, he was awarded the Lara of Honor, a lifetime achievement award from Germany. In 2013, IGN listed Howard 70th in a ranking of "The Top 100 Game Creators of All Time".[27] He was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences in 2017. In 2020, Howard received the 2020 Develop Star award for "outstanding achievements and contribution to the industry".[28]

During an appearance on Lex Fridman's podcast, Howard stated that he considers Tetris to be the greatest game ever created. He also stated that is one of his personal favorites, and it had a large influence on the games he has developed.[29]

Personal life

Howard married Kimberly Yaissle on July 8, 1995, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He has two sons.

Works

YearTitleRole(s)
1995Production, additional design
1996SkynetProduction, design
Additional design
1998Project leader, design, writing
2002Project leader, original concept
2003Executive producer
2004
2006
2007
2008Fallout 3Game director
2011
2012
2015Fallout ShelterExecutive producer
Fallout 4Game director
2018Fallout 76Executive producer
2019
2023StarfieldGame director
2024Indiana Jones and the Great CircleExecutive producer
The Elder Scrolls VIGame director
Fallout 5[30] Game director

Uncredited

YearTitleRole
1994Producer[31]
1994CD-ROM version tester
1999ProtectorExecutive Producer[32] [33]

Notes and References

  1. News: Marriage of Yaissle / Howard . . July 9, 1995 . E4 . . February 22, 2021 . February 22, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210222191208/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71781780/marriage-of-yaissle-howard/ . live.
  2. News: Life's animated for ex-Valley brothers . Jessica . Berthold . . January 1, 2006 . E7 . . February 22, 2021 . February 22, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210222175710/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71771398/lifes-animated-for-ex-valley-brothers/ . live.
  3. Web site: THE BROTHERS HOWARD **Valley natives have action-packed careers with fairy tale endings. . Marion . Callahan . October 28, 2008 . . August 29, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190725183319/https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-2008-10-28-4228633-story.html . July 25, 2019 . live.
  4. Road To Skyrim: The Todd Howard Interview . Ben . Hanson . January 13, 2011 . . March 12, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140313052103/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/01/13/road-to-skyrim-the-todd-howard-interview.aspx . March 13, 2014 . dead.
  5. Web site: Four alumni elected as new trustees of the William & Mary Foundation . Leach . Julie . October 18, 2022 . . May 24, 2024.
  6. Web site: Skyrim director Todd Howard: Why triple-A games are better when you don't play it safe . Takashi . Dean . . July 4, 2018 . July 30, 2019 . July 30, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190730185927/https://venturebeat.com/2018/07/04/skyrim-director-todd-howard-why-triple-a-games-are-better-when-you-dont-play-it-safe/4/ . live.
  7. Web site: Morrowind: An oral history . Kane . Alex . . March 27, 2019 . July 30, 2019 . July 27, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190727012848/https://www.polygon.com/2019/3/27/18281082/elder-scrolls-morrowind-oral-history-bethesda . live.
  8. Web site: Oblivion to Feature Soundtrack by Jeremy Soule . https://archive.today/20130411003944/http://www.gamespot.com/news/oblivion-to-feature-soundtrack-by-jeremy-soule-6136263 . dead . April 11, 2013 . GameSpot. CBS Interactive . October 21, 2005.
  9. Web site: Falling Into Fallout 3: Director Todd Howard Talks Scope And Evolution . Chris . Remo . October 13, 2008 . . June 15, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150508021059/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3815/falling_into_fallout_3_director_.php . May 8, 2015 . live.
  10. Web site: Fallout 3 Q&A – E3 Thoughts and More . August 2, 2007 . . June 15, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141219235243/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-3-qanda-e3-thoughts-and-more/1100-6176067/ . December 19, 2014 . live.
  11. Web site: Bethesda's Todd Howard: "Oblivion sacrificed what made Morrowind special" . Senior . Tom . . March 11, 2011 . July 30, 2019 . February 22, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210222175740/https://www.pcgamer.com/bethesdas-todd-howard-oblivion-sacrificed-what-made-morrowind-special/ . live.
  12. Web site: Fallout 4 Officially Confirmed for PC, Xbox One, PS4 . Tamoor . Hussain . June 3, 2015 . . June 18, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150617025850/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-4-officially-confirmed-for-pc-xbox-one-ps4/1100-6427776/ . June 17, 2015 . live.
  13. Web site: Todd Howard admits criticism of Fallout 76 was 'well deserved' . Avard . Alex . . June 3, 2019 . July 30, 2019 . July 30, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190730185929/https://www.gamesradar.com/todd-howard-admits-criticism-of-fallout-76-was-well-deserved/ . live.
  14. Web site: Indiana Jones Game Coming from Bethesda and Lucasfilm Games . Skebelts . Joe . January 12, 2021 . January 12, 2021 . . February 22, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210222175812/https://www.ign.com/articles/indiana-jones-game-bethesda-machinegames-lucasfilm-games . live.
  15. Bethesda: Oblivion "sacrificed what made Morrowind special". https://web.archive.org/web/20110312093509/http://www.oxm.co.uk/26280/bethesda-oblivion-sacrificed-what-made-morrowind-special/ . March 12, 2011 . . March 10, 2011 . August 3, 2019 .
  16. Web site: The RPG for the Next Generation . Todd . Howard . The Elder Scrolls Codex . https://web.archive.org/web/20100124180227/http://www.elderscrolls.com/codex/team_rpgnextgen.htm . January 24, 2010 . dead.
  17. Web site: Todd Howard: Mods "make your game better", more companies should allow them . March 1, 2012 . August 3, 2019 . . August 3, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190803192810/https://www.vg247.com/2012/03/01/todd-howard-mods-make-your-game-better-more-companies-should-allow-them/ . live.
  18. Web site: June 16, 2019 . August 3, 2019 . Todd Howard acknowledges criticism of dialogue in Fallout 4 . . August 3, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190803192813/https://www.gamereactor.eu/todd-howard-acknowledges-criticism-of-dialogue-in-fallout-4/ . live.
  19. Web site: DICE 2009: The Following Colorful Wisdom Is From Todd Howard . Stephen . Totilo . February 20, 2009 . . March 12, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131021210631/http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2009/02/20/dice-2009-the-following-wisdom-is-from-todd-howard . October 21, 2013 . dead.
  20. Web site: Todd Howard D.I.C.E. 2012 Opening Keynote Address . Dan . Mihoerck . February 8, 2012 . . March 12, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161108203704/http://www.gamespot.com/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim/videos/todd-howard-dice-2012-opening-keynote-address-6350048/ . November 8, 2016 . live.
  21. Web site: DICE 09: Bethesda's Howard On Supreme Playability . Chris . Remo . February 20, 2009 . . March 12, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131022193211/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22418 . October 22, 2013 . live.
  22. Web site: Todd Howard Says 'Starfield' Is a Realistic Extrapolation of Today's Cutting-Edge Space Exploration Technology . Whalen . Andrew . . June 13, 2019 . July 30, 2019 . July 29, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190729152805/https://www.newsweek.com/starfield-game-bethesda-setting-todd-howard-elon-musk-1443919 . live.
  23. Web site: Review: 'The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim' brings fantasy world to life . Frum . Larry . . November 10, 2011 . July 30, 2019 . July 30, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190730185927/https://www.cnn.com/2011/11/10/tech/gaming-gadgets/skyrim-elder-scrolls-review/index.html . live.
  24. Web site: 'Fallout 4' launching Nov. 10 . Molina . Brett . . June 15, 2015 . July 30, 2019 . July 30, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190730191430/https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2015/06/15/fallout-4-launching-november-10/71237604/ . live.
  25. Web site: Five tips for getting the most out of 'Skyrim' . Benedetti . Winda . . November 11, 2011 . July 30, 2019 . July 30, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190730185926/https://www.today.com/tech/tech-news/five-tips-getting-most-out-skyrim-flna119109 . live.
  26. Web site: Todd Howard to Be Inducted Into the Aias Hall of Fame at the 20th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Ceremony . December 14, 2016 . . July 25, 2019 . July 25, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190725193033/https://www.interactive.org/news/todd_howard_2017_hof.asp . live.
  27. Web site: Top 100 Game Creators – Todd Howard . . April 16, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131017115947/http://games.ign.com/top-100-game-creators/index.html . October 17, 2013 . live.
  28. March 10, 2020 . Bethesda's Todd Howard to receive the 2020 Develop Star award for his 'outstanding achievements and contribution to the industry' Business News . December 28, 2020 . MCV/DEVELOP . en-GB . September 21, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200921184403/https://www.mcvuk.com/business-news/bethesdas-todd-howard-to-receive-the-2020-develop-star-award-for-his-outstanding-achievements-and-contribution-to-the-industry/ . live.
  29. Web site: Todd Howard: Skyrim, Elder Scrolls 6, Fallout, and Starfield | Lex Fridman Podcast #342 . .
  30. Web site: Todd Howard Confirms Fallout 5 Is Coming After Elder Scrolls 6. IGN. June 14, 2022 . June 21, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220620103701/https://www.ign.com/articles/todd-howard-bethesda-fallout-5-elder-scrolls-6-starfield. June 20, 2022. live.
  31. Web site: Joe. Blancato. Bethesda: The Right Direction. The Escapist. February 6, 2007. October 16, 2022.
  32. Web site: Bech. Jørgen. 2000. Games: Protector - Development. JB's home on the Web. 2024-08-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20010212030658/http://home1.inet.tele.dk/jbech/protectordevelopment.htm. 2001-02-12. dead.
  33. Web site: Bech. Jørgen. May 10, 2018. Atari Jaguar development kit running the original version of Protector @ Bethesda Softworks around early 1995. Facebook. https://archive.today/20240525154321/https://www.facebook.com/groups/jaguarfans/posts/1707946059296504/. 2024-05-25. live. 2024-08-19. The monitor is displaying the original game credits.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Todd Howard".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.