• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Gameranx

Gameranx

Video Game News, Lists & Guides

  • News
  • Features
  • Platforms
    • Xbox Series X
    • PS5
    • Nintendo
  • Videos
  • Upcoming Games
  • Guides

Skyrim: Bethesda’s Designers Obsessed Over the Details

November 1, 2011 by Ian Miles Cheong

Bethesda’s designers and developers obsessed over the details that make the world of Skyrim.

There's eleven (or ten, depending on where you live) days left before Skyrim holds us within its grasp. It's not the other way around, because you'll undoubtedly be too enthralled with the game to play anything else once you get your hands on it.

Just to build up your sense of anticipation a little bit more, Bethesda has released a new trailer called "Behind the Wall: The Making of Skyrim" that talks up a storm about the game, in addition to some new gameplay clips.

The developers talk about what's great about the game—the ability to be in control of your own game experience. There are no accidents, and the player is free to interpret everything on their own—which Todd Howard admits that designing a game of this type can be terrifying.

Designed by a core team of 30 to 40 developers, the same team has been together for ten years developing Morrowind, Fallout 3 and Oblivion.

"It wasn't a question of whether we were going to do a fifth one. It was more—how is it going to be different?" said Howard. "There's so much stuff in the game. It is in orders of magnitude larger and has more things in it than we've ever done."

Todd Howard says that the team obsessed over the little details. Players have to choose from objects within the game world to interact with, ranging from books, food, and a variety of crafting items. The game has, in total, 315 spaces including large dungeons, small dungeons, towns, and exterior play spaces.

"On some level, we get ourselves in trouble by trying to make the ultimate 'fight dragons' game, the ultimate 'be a warrior' game, the ultimate mage game, and the ultimate thief game, and the ultimate assassination game—all these kinds of different styles."

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim comes out on the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on November 11.

Share this post:

FacebookTwitterLinkedInPinterest

Recent Videos

20 Emotional Story Games You Can GET LOST IN

20 Emotional Story Games You Can GET LOST IN

GTA 6: NEW Gameplay Details We FOUND

GTA 6: NEW Gameplay Details We FOUND

XBOX RAISES CONSOLE PRICES, STEAM MACHINE IS CRAZY EXPENSIVE & MORE

XBOX RAISES CONSOLE PRICES, STEAM MACHINE IS CRAZY EXPENSIVE & MORE

10 Things Game Companies NEED TO STOP DOING

10 Things Game Companies NEED TO STOP DOING

Top 10 NEW Games of July 2026

Top 10 NEW Games of July 2026

GTA 6 Price & Ultimate Edition REVEALED

GTA 6 Price & Ultimate Edition REVEALED

10 Upcoming AAA Games That Aren't Like Any Other Games

10 Upcoming AAA Games That Aren't Like Any Other Games

10 Recent Games To PLAY BEFORE GTA 6

10 Recent Games To PLAY BEFORE GTA 6

10 Games That'll Actually SAVE YOU MONEY

10 Games That'll Actually SAVE YOU MONEY

Category: Updates

Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Did Rockstar Confirm GTA 6 Will Have A Physical Disk Release? No! Jake Randall Explains
  • Le Sserafim Confirmed For Blizzcon 2026 This September
  • Jason Schreier: XBOX Has Not Closed Ninja Theory Or Compulsion Games
  • Sony Seems To Have Laid Off Bungie Co-Founder And Destiny Director, Jason Jones
  • XBOX Series X 2 TB To Be Discontinued And All Other XBOX Series X|S Models Getting Price Hike Because Of Supply Crisis

Copyright © 2026 · Gameranx · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme