Bethesda's Todd Howard working on two new games

Bethesda Game Studios is already designing the game it will make after the one the team is currently working on - which itself has yet to be announced, executive producer Todd Howard has told Eurogamer.

While the majority of Bethesda's 90 or so staff are beavering away on the new game, which has been in development for two years, Howard said his time is split between the two projects.

"I spend a lot of my time on the game that's in pre-production, but the new game that's percolating takes the most of my time," he said in an interview with Eurogamer at QuakeCon.

Asked to confirm that he meant he was working on a second unannounced game, he said: "Right, so we're in production on the new game, and we have a design going for the one after that."

Howard said that the studio's current title will be announced soon, but he can't say exactly when. "I have a sense but we're not ready even to talk about [the timing of the announcement], because it might change. I don't want to disappoint people.

"One thing I can say is that from when you first hear about it to when it's out will be the shortest it's been for us. It's pretty far along. When we show it, we want to show a lot, because there's a lot of game there to play right now.

"You know, if [global VP of PR and marketing] Pete Hines came in and said, 'I want you to show it,' I'd be like, 'Okay, I'm ready to show it.' But we've just decided for now not to yet."

Howard wouldn't be drawn on many details about the game - thought to be a new Elder Scrolls title - but said the technology was derived from the engine that powered Fallout 3, albeit with significant modifications.

Duplicate topics. Well that's great.

If this isn't Elder Scrolls V, I'm gonna be pissed.

" If this isn't Elder Scrolls V, I'm gonna be pissed. "

" @SilentCommando said:

" If this isn't Elder Scrolls V, I'm gonna be pissed. "

Oh I do hope it is. "

kinda hope it's not elder scrolls V. EVERY CHANCE HE GETS my friend badgers (yes badgers) me to play oblivion. it's gotten to the point where I'm just not gonna play it on principle. but a new IP would be welcomed.

" If this isn't Elder Scrolls V, I'm gonna be pissed. "

Does anyone else want them to ditch the Elder Scrolls leveling system? I like the games, so I'd play ES5 anyway, but I hope they do something different for character leveling and scaling enemies this time.

Oh god, please be Elder Scrolls 5. Two games, one of them has to be Elder Scrolls 5.......... please.....

" @c1337us said:

" @SilentCommando said:

" If this isn't Elder Scrolls V, I'm gonna be pissed. "

Oh I do hope it is. "

I really hope it is too. "

" Does anyone else want them to ditch the Elder Scrolls leveling system? I like the games, so I'd play ES5 anyway, but I hope they do something different for character leveling and scaling enemies this time. "

I heard a rumor that Bethesda was working wih Id's rage engine...what i saw of the Rage engine i'd love for the second game to be ES5. Dunno what i'd want the first game to be with the outdated Fallout3 engine... Skynet 2?

Jebus, this can either be awesome news or really disappointing ones.

" @Quacktastic:  Well the scaling of Oblivion was crap because all the creatures were your level, but the leveling system of TES since Daggerfall has been logical, like your security skill goes up when you pick a lock, because its a skill for picking locks, so why would it level up when you kill something? "

I enjoyed Morrowind far more than Oblivion (Morrowind being the first game in the series with an atypical fantasy world)
but I'm not unwilling to give Bethesda a second chance. Hopefully they've learned from past mistakes (i.e, giving their fans too much influence).
Let's see TESV!

" If this isn't Elder Scrolls V, I'm gonna be pissed. "

I would love to hear the excuse for NOT making a new ES.
 
"yeah we have this totally new IP that everyone will love" meanwhile, all the fans of Bethesda walk out and leave the room.

" @Aronman789 said:

" @Quacktastic:  Well the scaling of Oblivion was crap because all the creatures were your level, but the leveling system of TES since Daggerfall has been logical, like your security skill goes up when you pick a lock, because its a skill for picking locks, so why would it level up when you kill something? "

I get the pragmatic approach, I just don't like it when applied to actual gameplay.  Once I understood how the system worked there was always this urge to go back and min/max that I was contstantly fighting.  Maybe I just want a different design to save me from myself, but I'd enjoy general experience more than the ES system.  I think it would lend itself better to smoother and more adaptive gameplay -- even if it made less sense. "