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Rumor: Elder Scrolls MMO in the works?
Just about every MMO player has an IP he'd like to see undergo the MMO treatment. For some of us here at Massively, that IP is Bethesda's long-running Elder Scrolls series. Due to a deep reservoir of lore and the fact that earlier games in the series (notably Morrowind and Daggerfall) were more MMO-like than many modern MMOs, we'd love to see what Bethesda would do with such a beast. Apparently we're not the only ones, as SystemLink has posted a bit of speculation on a possible The Elder Scrolls V, highlighting a few job postings as evidence in support of its theory. While we're not completely sold on the author's conclusions -- mainly due to Bethesda's plainly articulated stance on the massive genre -- we suspect this won't be the last we hear of an Elder Scrolls MMORPG..
Zenimax Online bulks up with HeroEngine
In the latest story in a painfully slow drip, Zenimax Online Studios, the new massively multiplayer cousin of Bethesda Softworks, has announced a partnership with Simutronics to license their HeroEngine development platform. HeroEngine includes a number of middleware tools like SpeedTree, FaceGen, and Scaleform GFx as well as a development suite that allows developers to update their games in real-time, instead of using a series of cumbersome builds that are apt to change day to day.Among the other big name clients using HeroEngine is Bioware Austin, who are themselves currently in the process of developing their first MMO. Personally, I think any news that lends itself to speeding along development of Zenimax's new project (which may or may not be Elder Scrolls Online), is welcome news. In an age where the development cycle for blockbuster games is in the ballpark of three years, developers need to search out any kind of shortcut they can find. And at the very least, this is the sort of shortcut that lets them focus more of their efforts on those facets of the game that we actually see.
Bethesda on new MMO: keep waiting!
Sometimes, as bloggers, we feel bad for game developers. They try so hard to give us straight-forward interviews on their pet projects, and all we do in return is try and get them to slip us information on another, even bigger pet project. A Blizzard producer being interviewed about Wrath of the Lich King? I'll bet you ten bucks he gets asked about their "next-gen" MMO. Cryptic employee trying to discuss the terms of their separation with NCsoft? So, how's that Marvel Universe Online going? And in the case of a recent interview with CVG, Bethesda's Peter Hines came in to talk about Fallout 3 and the first question he's asked?So is there any progression down that avenue with the franchise at the moment, with the MMO?Oy vey! Well, in case you were wondering, Mr. Hines didn't have much to say on the subject of Zenimax Online, their new online studio, beyond that because they are a start-up, it's unlikely that we're going to hear any announcements for quite some time. Well shoot, it was worth trying, right? In the mean time, we're going to be left to sit and ponder on this cool Sunday evening about what kind of game they could make if NOT an Elder Scrolls MMO.
An Elder Scrolls MMO: should they or shouldn't they?
The MMO world was knocked on its butt last week, when rumors began percolating through media outlets that Zenimax Online, a new MMO studio created to be the online cousin of the renowned Bethesda Softworks, was working on an MMORPG based in the Elder Scrolls universe. Evidence seeming to support these claims followed not far behind. Zenimax Studios, the parent company of which both Bethesda and Zenimax Online are a part, received seed funding from Providence Equity Partners in mid-October to, "fund future growth, ramp up publishing and development, facilitate acquisitions, and finance MMOGs." And, as if the writing on the wall wasn't quite clear enough, sharp-eyed domain watchers spotted the acquisition of the URL elderscrollsonline.com, registered by Zenimax Studios on August 15. At this point it seems all but certain.Until Zenimax decides the time is right to let the cat out of the bag, all we're left to do is sit back, palm our copies of Oblivion and Morrowind, and play armchair quarterback. And probably the biggest question on our minds is whether it is in fact the right move for Bethesda to bring their beloved RPG franchise into the rough and tumble world of the massively multiplayer. Is it the right fit for the IP or is it a big mistake? There are strong arguments in either direction, and they're all worth exploring.Join me after the jump, won't you?
