In the January 18 edition of the Georgia Straight I wrote about one of the behind-the-scenes features that has made The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim such a stellar game.

Lead designer Bruce Nesmith told me about Radiant Story, a technology element that enables Skyrim to be, effectively, endless. And to let non-player characters react dynamically to what players do in the game.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was arguably the best video game of 2011, with numerous award nominations and wins, and mentions in year-end roundups. It’s also a commercial juggernaut. Released on November 11, Skyrim sold 3.5 million copies in its first two days. A month later, publisher Bethesda Softworks announced that 10 million copies of the fantasy role-playing game had been shipped. Skyrim also became the fastest-selling title on the Steam distribution platform for PCs.