Alan Nanes’s career at Bethesda began with informal visits to the studio, where he would spend time with friends who worked there and play multiplayer games. He was not an employee and had no official role, until Todd Howard asked him to try the game Bethesda was developing: The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, released in 2002.
Nanes tested the game with an original Xbox controller in front of a CRT television, jotting down his impressions on a yellow notepad. As he explored Vvardenfell, developers watched and asked whether areas were too difficult, whether quest objectives were clear and what could be improved.
The sessions gave Bethesda feedback from someone outside the development team. Howard and producer Ashley Cheng then decided to hire a full-time in-house tester, and Nanes got the position, becoming one of the studio’s early quality assurance employees.
Bethesda shared the story as part of a website marking its 40th anniversary and collecting memories from developers. Nanes later worked on quest design for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and contributed to Starfield as lead companions designer, working on characters who accompany the player. He described his early days at the studio as one of the most important periods of his life.
Sources: Everyeye.it.