Todd Howard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Todd Howard
Howard in 2010
Born	Todd Andrew Howard 1970 (age 54–55) 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
Spouse(s)	Kimberly Yaissle ​ (m. 1995)​
Children	2

Todd Andrew Howard, born in 1970, is a famous American video game creator. He designs, directs, and produces video games. He works at Bethesda Game Studios as a director and executive producer. He has led the creation of very popular game series like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls. He also directed the game Starfield.

Early Life and Education

Todd Andrew Howard was born in 1970 in Lower Macungie Township, Pennsylvania. His parents are Ronald and Priscilla Howard. Todd became interested in computers and video games when he was very young. He has said that the 1980s role-playing video games Wizardry and Ultima III: Exodus inspired his own games later on.

Howard went to Emmaus High School in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, and finished in 1989. Then, he studied business at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. He also took computer classes. He earned his business degree in 1993. Howard later shared that he chose business because it seemed like the easiest way to get through college.

During a college break, Todd got a game called Wayne Gretzky Hockey (1988) made by Bethesda Softworks. He visited Bethesda's offices and asked for a job. They told him he needed to finish school first. After graduating, he tried again but was still turned down. Todd then worked for a smaller game company. This job let him go to game conventions, where he kept asking Bethesda for a job.

How Todd Howard Started His Career

Bethesda Softworks finally hired Todd Howard in 1994. His first job was as a producer. He helped create The Terminator: Future Shock in 1995. He also worked as a designer on Skynet and The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, both released in 1996. His first time leading a project was for The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard, which came out in 1998.

In 2000, Howard became the project leader and designer for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. This game was released in 2002 and was a huge success. It won many "Game of the Year" awards. After that, he led the creation of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006) as its executive producer. He then directed and produced Fallout 3, which came out in 2008.

Howard returned to The Elder Scrolls series to lead the making of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. This game was released in November 2011. He later directed Fallout 4, released in November 2015. He also produced Fallout 76, a multiplayer game that came out in November 2018. Howard was also an executive producer for "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle".

Todd Howard's Ideas and Awards

Howard in June 2018

In 2011, Howard said that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion lost some of what made The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind special. He explained that Bethesda's goal for The Elder Scrolls games is to let players "live another life, in another world."

In 2012, Howard also said he liked modding in video games. Modding is when players create their own changes or additions to a game. He wondered why more game developers don't allow it. After Fallout 4 came out in 2016, Howard knew about the feedback on the game's dialogue system. He admitted that the way they handled conversations in Fallout 4 "didn't work as well."

Howard (second from left) with Walton Goggins, Aaron Moten and Jonathan Nolan at South by Southwest 2024

Todd Howard has given talks at many gaming events. In 2009, he shared his rules for making games at the D.I.C.E. Summit. He returned as a main speaker in 2012. He advised developers to follow their passions. He said that if only the number of players mattered, everyone would just make board games.

Howard's work has been featured in major news outlets like Newsweek and CNN. The popularity of his games has even turned him and some of his sayings into Internet memes.

Todd Howard has received many awards. He was the 16th person to get a Game Developers Conference Lifetime Achievement Award. GamePro magazine named him one of the "Top 20 Most Influential People in Gaming over the Last 20 Years." He also won the D.I.C.E. Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction" in 2012 and 2016. In 2014, he received the Lara of Honor, a lifetime achievement award from Germany. In 2017, he was added to the Hall of Fame of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. In 2020, he won the Develop Star award for his amazing contributions to the gaming industry.

During a podcast, Howard said he thinks Tetris is the greatest game ever made. He also said that Ultima VII: The Black Gate is one of his personal favorites. This game greatly influenced the games he has developed.

Personal Life

Todd Howard married Kimberly Yaissle on July 8, 1995. They were married at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Todd and Kimberly have two sons.

Games Todd Howard Has Worked On

Other Games Todd Howard Worked On

See also

In Spanish: Todd Howard para niños