“The great Todd Howard says that great games are played, not made,” according to Bethesda’s Pete Hines, so Elder Scrolls devs changed Oblivion combat three times and no one spoke about it

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As a gamer, I can tell you that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion feels like it was crafted with unwavering confidence, just as iron is forged from rocks and flame. Todd Howard, the mastermind behind this game, believes that exceptional games aren’t simply made, but are played – a perspective shared by Pete Hines, former marketing executive at Bethesda, in a recent interview.

In simpler terms, Hines told DBLTAP that an idea’s value is determined by how it performs when put into action, and that’s what truly defines its quality or lack thereof. This perspective seems to have guided Howard in the development of Oblivion, resulting in a combat system that was both straightforward yet well-thought-out.

As a devoted follower, I can share that the creative mind behind Oblivion revealed they tweaked the combat mechanics a trio of times during its creation process. To avoid any misconceptions, it’s crucial to acknowledge that the version we have may not be the final one. Therefore, our focus is on highlighting aspects of the game that we feel certain will strike a chord with players.

From this standpoint, Bethesda often overlooks hidden opportunities – such as the instance with Arkane Studios’ 2012 action-adventure game Dishonored. Initially, players weren’t meant to briefly control its gooey fish to facilitate stealth in waterways; however, it became possible due to a bug that was found by a Quality Assurance tester. The developers then chose to exploit this accidental feature.

All of a sudden, Hines recalls, the importance of water in the game shifted dramatically from being irrelevant to critical, since they decided not to remove it. However, this change means they now need to factor it into their strategy. Therefore, the shift in approach is focusing on encouraging players’ creativity.

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2025-09-05 22:41