Todd Howard Talks Elder Scrolls 6, Starfield, Sale To Xbox, And Meaning Of Life

As part of a wide-ranging interview with Lex Fridman, Bethesda's Todd Howard has discussed a number of hot-button topics, including Bethesda's sale to Microsoft, The Elder Scrolls 6, Starfield, the Indiana Jones game, and a lot more. In addition to talking about video games, Howard gets into more personal things like what a day in the life is like for him, his advice to younger people, and the meaning of life.

If you don't have the time or interest to listen to the full interview, it's handily time-stamped so you can hear what Howard has to say about a range of topics. For Starfield, Howard said he hopes the game might inspire some young people to pursue opportunities in the field of space and space exploration or being an engineer. He also dished on some of the ins and outs of Bethesda's vision for the game at a high level.

For The Elder Scrolls 6, Howard said part of the challenge of developing it as a game that could be playable and engaging for the next decade or more. 2011's Skyrim remains one of Bethesda's most-played games, Howard said, and he expects people to play The Elder Scrolls 6 for the next decade or two. For the Indiana Jones game, which is in development at Machine Games, Howard said the game will be a mash-up of genres that can't be pinned down.

Concerning Bethesda's sale to Microsoft, Howard said, "I mean this honestly, it's been awesome. The culture inside of Microsoft and Xbox that people see from the outside is the culture inside."

As for the meaning of life, Howard paused for a long time when considering the question. He eventually replied to Fridman to say he can instead answer the question of what motivates him.

"Having a curiosity, the ability to not assume a lot and be curious about the world around you," he said. "It's not the same as just wanting to learn everything. But what makes humans tick? How do they feel? How do they love? It might be cliche to say that the meaning of life is to love."

Howard also quoted Confucius, saying he believes "everybody has two lives, and the second one starts when you realize there's only one."

The full interview is well worth a watch or a listen in its entirety if you have the time.

Next up for Howard and Bethesda is the game Redfall from developer Arkane Austin. Bethesda Game Studios' next release is Starfield, which is set for release in the first half of 2023.