Since about 2006 i have been dropping into these forums from time to time begging/abusing/pleading/threatening Bethesda to give us a sign of some sort that they are working on TESV and i'm sure many of you have been the same. So my question is just when exactly did production on this game start? Was it only recently or have they been working on it for some time and just decided to ignore our pleas for confirmation and keep us in the dark til just now?

We don't know, though I imagine Skyrim has been worked on since Oblivion was finished. Beth started Oblivion immediately after Morrowind was finished, after all.

They have been working on it since the release of Oblivion on pre-production.

Since Oblivion, but really focused on it after Fallout 3.

Damn! so they did hold out on us the sneaky bastards! All those years of grief could have been avoided if they had have just said "yes we are working on a TESV at the moment"

I couldn't begin to care if it took them a decade to make the game if they tell the world that they are working on it. Just knowing that they are doing something eases my mind.

Well... that's Bethesda Get used to it.

If they told us right away then we would have bugged them incessantly. I would have considered waiting past the VGAs and then just releasing huge articles on the major gaming mags all in the same month.

If they did that, it would be like seeing levelled loot. You wouldn't find anything special for years until you've 'levelled up'. The VGA reveal was like going into a cave at level 1 and walking out with the artifact Mentor's Ring and realizing there are a ton more caves (game magazines) which might also have interesting finds

Seems pretty reasonable to me :shrug:

They did.
http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2008/10/bethesda-wants/

since the beginning of time, or after Oblivion was released is what they said