Todd Howard

Memory is a big one: our ability to use the memory and move things in and out efficiently - that affected what we were able to do more than anything.

For us, it's about having the game react to the player as much as possible. There's ways you can do that with technology, graphics, AI - we're doing some VR stuff right now - and so it's what we think is great about not just our games, but what's great about video games - how are they better than any other form of entertainment?

I'd been playing everything and decided that this was something I maybe wanted to make a career out of. I knew where some companies were, but I saw the name 'Bethesda, Maryland' on 'Wayne Gretzky Hockey 3.'

I liked hacking into and pirating computer games while in college. One of my favorites was Bethesda's 'Terminator 2029.' So I drove to their offices and asked for a job.

Games have gotten so big and interesting that they've moved beyond the toy/entertainment space. It's not just a diversion from their regular lives; for a lot of people, it becomes an important part of their lives.

With 'The Elder Scrolls', you're looking at a 25-year-running franchise. It has stood the test of the 'Lord of the Rings' movies becoming popular.

We didn't start at 'Fallout 3' and think about how to add to that. We take a step back and think, 'Okay, if we look at all the 'Fallout' games, what would a new one feel like?' So the focus is not ''Fallout 3' plus this'. Then we start really digging into the world.

The main thing that excites me is that games are successful everywhere now. Now it's successful everywhere, and that's really important for the health of the industry.

I think the journey of making a game... we want to enjoy that process.

I liked that line in the movie 'Shakespeare in Love': 'How is this going to work out? I don't know, but it always does.'

Don't define the game by the list of the features. Define it by the experience you want to have.

I'm a believer that players are good self-directors, and I think one thing that's good about video games is they can direct their own experience.