"We thought 'Well, we're screwed. Now Bethesda's not going to work with us'," says Smith. "And they surprised us by saying 'No, we wanted to work with you guys, because you're you guys. You pitch something original, or we have this old ninja game concept no one has ever developed'.It was classic feudal Japan: sorcerous weapons and poison darts, and someone had killed your master and you were a ninja seeking revenge."