Bethesda Softworks - Bruce Nesmith Interview

Ben Hanson interviews Bruce Nesmith about his long career at Bethesda Softworks:

Skyrim’s Lead Designer On Starfield’s Origins And Bethesda's Evolution - MinnMax Interview

00:00:00 - Intro
00:02:21 - The stability of Bethesda Softworks
00:06:38 - Bethesda's recent growth and changes
00:09:33 - Fallout 76 and Todd Howard
00:19:38 - Why developers lose focus on what gamers want
00:23:03 - Thoughts on Baldur's Gate 3
00:27:50 - Why Bruce left Bethesda
00:32:23 - The reaction to Starfield's release
00:35:24 - Designing Starfield's limited exploration
00:39:16 - The origins of Starfield
00:44:25 - Choosing to retire after Microsoft's acquisition
00:45:58 - Writing his Loki Redeemed novel trilogy
00:51:39 - Thoughts on tabletop design
00:52:40 - Making D&D games for TSR in the 1980s
01:01:49 - Hired at Bethesda
01:06:54 - Working with Todd Howard in 1995
01:08:55 - Returning to Bethesda for Oblivion
01:10:17 - Choosing the next region for The Elder Scrolls series
01:13:05 - Bruce's impact on The Elder Scrolls VI
01:15:26 - The downsides of long game development
01:19:53 - Can you pivot in development after a game like Cyberpunk releases?
01:22:38 - The most influential RPGs in Bruce's life
01:23:57 - The impact of Skyrim
01:25:13 - How The Elder Scrolls II almost destroyed Bethesda
01:29:29 - The downfall of 10th Planet, Bethesda's first space game
01:38:19 - Conclusions from Bruce

Thanks Couchpotato!