The Elder Scrolls and Fallout Director Todd Howard Says “Playing It Safe Is The Worst Way To Do Things”

Todd Howard is a genius. The man is behind some of the most beloved games of all time with Fallout 3, Skyrim, and Morrowind, and he has the ability to make even a mobile game sound exciting, due to how well he can present and sell his vision for his games.

More than anything else, though, he is a great game director. And while he has had his share of missteps, on the whole, his legacy is ensured- legacy that he will solidify, hopefully, with the launch of Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6, both of which have been announced for god-knows-when and for who-knows-what-systems.

“The idea is to keep being ambitious,” he said to GamesBeat. “Playing it safe is the worst way to do things. [The Elder Scrolls III:] Morrowind was hard. It was our first time on console. If it didn’t do well, the company was probably out of business. [The Elder Scrolls IV:] Oblivion was really difficult. We really pushed the tech. 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.”

I know many will disagree, but I think Howard has always lived up to that idea. Even his missteps, like Fallout 4 or Oblivion, tried doing something new- they failed, in many respects, but they tried. I can’t wait to see what The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield will be like.