The comment thread for a post of an Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion thread yielded an interesting proto Post Mortem from an artist on the title. Actually, it's one of the most passionate things we can remember having come out of a game designer's mouth in recent memory... the words of a man who takes excessive pride in his work and, as an artist, considers the most important thing to entertain and even move his customers.

I've been working on Oblivion since the end of 2002. Every day since then, I've looked at this game, thought about this game, and sweat blood and tears with this game for over 3 years of my 29 year life. My father was diagnosed with cancer, and passed away during the development of TESIV. I've moved 3 times since beginning to work on Oblivion. Heck, I've even moved my desk at work 3 times since production began.

I spent the entirety of last month - and I mean the entirety, working on downloadable content for Oblivion. I'm talking 12+ hours a day, 7 days a week for a month solid. This was just after crunch for TESIV too. Why? I simply want whatever work I do and put into this game, and any game, to be the absolute fucking best it possibly can be. You all deserve that without question, and no less. I certainly desire the same out of the games I am passionate about.

I just want at least one person - one person out there on this fucked up, wobbling piece of rock that loves games, that is fed up with all of the bullshit in day to day life, fed up with all of the assholes out there that climb all over each other to get 'ahead', or take their loved ones for granted, or can't see past their own nose to empathize with each other on a human, person-to-person level. I know there's at least one person out there who will see the hard work that we, and that other companies do while making these virtual worlds and sigh to themselves - At last, someone else out there understands.

We really love that passionate people like this work on games and we're glad to buy games like Oblivion to support them. Read the whole thing.

Artist comments on making Oblivion [ShackNews]

Contact information for this author is not available.