It's official!

A while ago, Bethesda's parent company ZeniMax was spotted stumbling out of a seedy back alley bar, clutching only a bottle of gin and a domain name -- elderscrollsonline.com. The Internet leapt on this with fervor, eagerly anticipating the news that it could only hope was coming -- an Elder Scrolls MMORPG. Guess what ... the Internet was right about that.

Bethesda's very own Pete Hines has confirmed that yes, an MMORPG installment of the wildly popular Elder Scrolls series is on the way. In the announcement, Hines also stated that the company had already put $300 million into the project -- that's a fair bit o' gold! Said Hines:

I don't think that this funding changes our focus in terms of what we are about and are trying to accomplish. The additional resources will allow us to expand our publishing efforts-both our own titles and those of other studios-and to pursue development of more titles, working with internal and external development teams.

So there you have it. Elder Scrolls Online is a go, and I think it's safe to say that World of Warcraft may have its first legitimate challenge to the MMORPG throne, don't you? We'll see what happens in the future, but for now, Hines is saying nothing else. Personally, I am eager as hell to watch this one develop.

http://www.destructoid.com/elder-scrolls-mmorpg-confirmed--53151.phtml

Say goodbye to your social lives. :D

Time to drop out of college.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo!


the perversion!

DAMNIT! There goes any chance of seeing TesV in the next decade.

Frickin mmorpgs.

Besides, you can't really mod mmorpgs very much and the mods are really a huge part of Morrowind and Oblivion.

I haven't even gotten to play Oblivion yet because I have one of those intel chipset . .. .. .. .in assed graphic cards that doesn't work for anything, but I'd love to try this online game out considering all the good things I've heard about Elder Scrolls.

Aww I was gonna post a thread about this.

It'll be interesting, I'm looking forward to it but is there even a timeframe for it's release? Elder Scrolls 5 could be out before it.

Now where do I sign up for beta testing? ;)

I have yet to try Oblvion yet also. I bought Morrowind on the Xbox and love it, but even if Oblivion came out on Xbox I would prefer to get the PC version. I have to miss out on alot playing by console.

I am curious as to how close player freedom will be in an MMO version.

*Mournful background music* So long good Elder Scrolls games, we hardly knew ye...

If they are spending $300 million on this game, were's money going to come for TesV?

EDIT: MAJOR UPDATE (this is from the SAME article linked to above)

[Update: It seems that the original story which Jim sourced in this article jumped to more than a few conclusions. We just got off of the phone with Bethesda's Manager of PR and Marketing Erin Losi, who wanted to clarify a few things.

For one, Bethesda has not announced or confirmed that an Elder Scrolls MMO is in the works. As she points out, the $300 million dollars in question was received by Bethesda's parent company, ZeniMax Media. This money will be invested across a "multititude of projects."

As for the an Elder Scrolls MMO, Losi told us that no such announcement has been made. Looking at the above quote from the original QJ.net story, it appears that some drastic leaps in logic were made to reach conclusion of a "confirmation." Regarding the registered Elder Scrolls Online domain, Losi points out that this is standard practice, where Bethesda will snatch up a number of domains related to their licenses.

We apologize for any confusion we might have caused with this story, and for now, the Elder Scrolls MMO simply doesn't exist. - Nick]

'and for now, the Elder Scrolls MMO simply doesn't exist'

for now..... so it is coming? Where did the 300 mill quote come from? Is that really the price for a good game now a days?

I'm so happy now :)

Unless the botch up TesV, then I will be more murderous than happy.

Then again, ZeniMax just opened a new studio (ZeniMax Online Studios) in town that everyone who gets hired for is only willing to say they are working on an MMO.

Heh coincidence?

I'm guessing if they do release a Elder Scrolls MMO it'll be huge, money and resources will be thrown at it from all angles, but will it be good enough to best WoW?

*Mournful background music* So long good Elder Scrolls games, we hardly knew ye...

That was my gut reaction upon reading the OP, as well. I hope it won't turn into such an disaster that the franchise takes damage, nor in such a great success that they neglect the proper TES games.
What's with people and MMOs? I just don't get it. You'd think, given their focus on combat, they'd feature a good combat system, with a clever AI. But no, even in WOW combat is hardly a tactical challenge, and the monsters are dumb as rocks. I hear that at the highest levels, you do have to plan your battles, but up until then, there seems to be little but "grinding" on the menu.

Blah !
The last MMO I have played was Ultima Online and I quit after some months.
It had basically the same "Character system" as Morrowind and Oblivion with no real classes and the abilty to become an axe wielding and lockpicking uber mage in heavy armor.
Bethesda will have to change this if they go MMO, and even then I won't play it.

The only way this game could be cool is if you could become a skooma/moonsugar dealer in the game and if your successful enough a skooma lord with a mansion and hoes.

The only way this game could be cool is if you could become a skooma/moonsugar dealer in the game and if your successful enough a skooma lord with a mansion and hoes.


I'd play that game....

I'd play that game....

Grandtheft Elder Scrolls

It would be sweet to actually steal the elder scrolls from that adamantine library place that's mentioned in the lore.

TES MMO would be absolutely horrible. Then again, I don't care, let them ruin their series, I'm done with it after the crap that was oblivion.

I have thought that a TES MMO would be fun, but I'm worried they wouldn't be able to put the depth of play that I enjoy in the game. Presumably, it would have all of Tamriel, and other lands, wich would take up a lot of attention, so it would end up as just another MMO. However, I do hope they do make a very good MMO down the road.

Grandtheft Elder Scrolls

It would be sweet to actually steal the elder scrolls from that adamantine library place that's mentioned in the lore.

You steel on in Oblivion, and you can aquire two for quests in morrowind, and I think you got a "stack" of them in the second one but I never played it.

Where do you get elder scrolls in morrowind?

I just want an Elder Scrolls game that has the whole of Tamriel on a realistic size. Something based on the scale of Morrowind.

Where do you get elder scrolls in morrowind?

Main quest If I remember rite.

I'm pretty sure you don't.

Main quest If I remember rite.

Don't recall any elder scrolls.

Just started playing Oblivion again....maybe an AAR XD.

I'm still playing oblivion as we speak, preparing for a battle agianst the mega portal

however I pity my private army, shadowmere, a murderer and my annoying fan who is pretty much fodder

Bah don't get me started on the mega portal. Biggest anti climax I have ever experienced in gaming. The Final Battle, the one that will decide the outcome of the battle between good and evil, you've spent the good part of a day going round the different cities lobbying support and in the end what do you get? about 3 soldiers WOOO, I was expecting masses or something. Almost ruined the game for me I swear.

The problem with Oblivion is that, Bethesda's engines seem to really be incapable of supporting ltos of NPCs in one area.

Morrowind at least wasn't overly populated in Lroe anyways, but Cyrodil is REALLY underpopulated in the game.

3 soldiers? I had like 20 or something. It was a big slaughter.

The problem with Oblivion is that, Bethesda's engines seem to really be incapable of supporting ltos of NPCs in one area.

Morrowind at least wasn't overly populated in Lroe anyways, but Cyrodil is REALLY underpopulated in the game.

If they remade Morrowind with Oblivion's graphics and combat system, it would be a HIT.

If they remade Morrowind with Oblivion's graphics and combat system, it would be a HIT.

It's been done, except the graphics are the same but the water and grass and physics, possibly sky IDK for sure as I havn't used it yet, are from Oblivion. Some people are running throguh Morrowind with their Oblivion chars.

Also MORE is trying to import EVERY model, texture, etc from Morrowind and Morrwind Modders Resoruces.

I'll look for a link.

EDIT: Here is MORE, one of the main goals is to create the tilesets again like they have in Morrowind (most Oblivion buildings are one piece so you can't create much variety without a lot of rooms and doors).
http://www.moddersofore.com/index.htm

EDIT: I'm not sure if there's any Morrowind stuff on MORE. Sorry I can't find the other link.

Hmmm...I could have sword you got some elder scrolls in morrowind somewhere.



Anyways I liked both morrowind and oblivion both, but if they could remake morrowind as stated with the oblivion engine I would be set. Morrowind had a lot of things i liked and a lot of things I hated and oblivion had a ot of things I thought were ok but it definately needed improvement. Putting the complexity of morrowind into the oblivion engine would be perfect.

just finished oblivion five minutes ago

Spoilers hidden to protect those who havent played

ouch, that final battle was costly, the final casualties were Jauffre (Blade Captain) Baurus (that blade that survived the first mission), a few Bruma militia, a few troops from other cities and the captain of the guard from Bruma.... not to mention Shadowmere is MIA, my Murderer Died and my Fan is MIA, although he's missing but not missed, last time I saw him he was running away with an arrow in his back

still a little shocked Martin died as well, I'm suprised I'm still alive with this body count

Goodbye World Of BOREcraft hello ESOnline!!!

just finished oblivion five minutes ago

Spoilers hidden to protect those who havent played

ouch, that final battle was costly, the final casualties were Jauffre (Blade Captain) Baurus (that blade that survived the first mission), a few Bruma militia, a few troops from other cities and the captain of the guard from Bruma.... not to mention Shadowmere is MIA, my Murderer Died and my Fan is MIA, although he's missing but not missed, last time I saw him he was running away with an arrow in his back

still a little shocked Martin died as well, I'm suprised I'm still alive with this body count

ha ha "finished" oblivion, thats rich, it took me about 202 hours just doing the main quest means nothing.

eh, I take it as finished, anything else I do is just bonus

the other quests are optional so the game is finished, extras still exist

there's so few other things to do in that game other than the main few questlines which go so quick, the game was really nothing but a disappointment to me.

well I don't find them disappointing, I'm really quite happy with how it went

once I'm done I'll probably get Knights of the Nine, but that'll be once I'm done everything else

there's so few other things to do in that game other than the main few questlines which go so quick, the game was really nothing but a disappointment to me.

The five main quest lines are only half the game bub, theres tons of random quests from random people to do that easily take up as much time as the five main lines. And besides its not all about doing quests its about having fun.

Goodbye World Of BOREcraft hello ESOnline!!!

Re-read a few posts down the first page. It's not conformed, the article writer got it wrong.

And the mods :) <3 the mods

What mods do you use Scamp?

The thing is, it's the HAVOC engine they use (at least for the 360 version), and they've used that for a hoarde of different games, like Saints Row and that can handle a huge amoutn of characters on screen. Just felt kinda cheated by the scale of it in the end.

Just to get back on topic. Do you think ESO will happen? I mean it is a bit of a cash cow for the owners but they've got lots of fingers in lots of pies atm so do you think they'll have the time and funds to do it? and besides, even if they do make t, will it knock WoW off the top? It has been around for a few years now, might be getting a bit dated by the time ESO comes out.

I REALLY hope not. If it does then I can say goodbye to the series for several years.

I would rather they put the money and tiem into developing a really really really good TESV. They went wrong in Oblivion somewhere and I really hope they can find what it was and do ab etter jb.

Though my hopes aren't up.

EDIT: FOUND IT!

Morrowind in oblivion

http://ljosa.proboards57.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1191532122

Seems you need to register to view the board Scamp.

Why do you feel they went wrong? I thought it was great personally. I presume they are actually working on TESV yeah?

The sense of scale in Oblivion is off, I mean really off, and I don't mean distance. Like I said before, it'sseverely underpopulated when it's supposedly one of the most populated regnions. The main quest made me feel like there should be if not a legion then at least some other troops involved rather than the few that are.

I'm also just not satisfied with any of my games right now. Except Portal, Team Fortress 2 and Half-Life 2. And I'm tired of fighting over earth, especially Europe.

Yeah ok I'll agree with you ont he scale. It seems like the capital houses about 30 people overall.

what's wrong with Europe? ;)

It's old and boring, I want, nay, NEED something new! (Probably should start playing Civ again).

Also to answer your mod question;

A lot. With a large percentage being housemods.

The thing is, it's the HAVOC engine they use (at least for the 360 version), and they've used that for a hoarde of different games, like Saints Row and that can handle a huge amoutn of characters on screen. Just felt kinda cheated by the scale of it in the end.


Havok is the physics engine they used. They used a heavily customized version Gamebryo for their graphics. I've used Gamebryo on a few projects. I thought it was okay, but it isn't really a high performance engine, IMHO.

IIRC, Saint's Row had a homebrew rendering engine.

Oh sorry, my bad :) I knew I'd heard it somewhere.

Oddly enough there's actually a bit in a 360 game called Kameo where you're riding on horseback and you have to plough through two armies of hundreds fighting. literally the entire landscape as far as you can see of orcs fighting humans..... I wish it was like that.

What do you do warpstorm?

Doesn't change the fact that I still hate WoW

What do you do warpstorm?

Make games these days.

Make games these days.

You wouldn't have happened to have made Day of the Tentacle, did you?

No, it's just a favorite.

No, it's just a favorite.

And by favourite he obviously meant its the greatest thing ever.

Maniac Mansion was better

How'd you get into the job warpstorm? If you don't mind me asking, I'm actually a Software Test Analyst but obviously gaming is something I'd really like to get into

And Just to make sure this post is on topic.... wooo go Elder Scrolls Online!!