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Skyrim 'Dragonborn' DLC out on Xbox 360 Dec. 4
Bethesda has unveiled the latest downloadable "add-on" for Skyrim. "Dragonborn" will be released first on Xbox 360, with a December 4 release date and a 1,600 Microsoft Point price. The PS3 version will ... probably be a while.The trailer for the DLC shows off some of the new environments and enemies you'll be finding buckets in and putting buckets on, respectively.
Oblivion, Skyrim and expansions on sale through Xbox marketplace this week
Oblivion and Skyrim, along with their downloadable expansions, are on sale this week through the Xbox Live Marketplace for gold members. Oblivion is priced at $9.99, with DLC packs Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine half-off for 600 ($7.50) and 200 ($2.50) Microsoft Points, respectively. Skyrim is currently priced at $44.99. The vampiric Dawnguard expansion is 25 percent off for 1200 MSP ($15), while the dovamestic Hearthfire content is $4 (320 MSP). The content is on fus-ro-discount until November 5.%Gallery-164235%
Skyrim Premium Edition planned for certain European territories
Skyrim Premium Edition was revealed earlier today on Amazon Germany, with Bethesda telling Joystiq the special bundle is not coming to the States. First noticed by Examiner, the bundle includes a world map, T-shirt, postcards, physical novel and a bonus disk with special features.Bethesda tells us the premium edition is "only available in certain territories in Europe," going on to specifically list Germany, UK and Benelux.The pack does not appear to contain any of Skyrim's previously released downloadable content. Skyrim's previous DLC included Dawnguard and Hearthfire, it's currently speculated the next piece of DLC will be called Dragonborn.
Rice University offers course on Old Norse mythology, Skyrim
Look, you don't need an expensive piece of paper from some institution to know that you're the Dohvakiin. You know it, we know it, the guy you yelled at until he died knows it -- that's all that really matters in the long run. But, if for some reason you did want to expand your knowledge of the ancient legends behind your ancient legend, Rice University has you covered."Scandinavian Fantasy Worlds: Old Norse Sagas and Skyrim" is a new course at Rice University in Houston, TX, which "introduces students to fantasy as both psychological concept and driving force in gamer culture" by having students "read selections from Old Norse and Old Icelandic sagas (in translation) as they play different quests within Skyrim."As you can imagine, enrollment availability is limited to actual, bona fide students at Rice University. Additionally, the class is only available this semester, which is sad considering that beating Skyrim will most likely take longer than passing the course.
Rumor: Skyrim's next DLC is 'Dragonborn'
According to code pulled from the latest Skyrim patch, the game's next piece of DLC is thought to be called "Dragonborn." Eurogamer took note of Bethesda forum member "Mardoxx," who went code diving and came up with a few unconfirmed details. Dragonborn will take place on the island of Solstheim, include new armor types and there are references to dragon mounts and several locations.Bethesda had no comment on the information when asked. The company did previously trademark Dragonborn, as it did with Hearthfire, which turned out to be Skyrim DLC.
Skyrim's 'Hearthfire' now on PC, nothing new on PS3 DLC
Skyrim's Dovamestic "Hearthfire" add-on is available now on PC. The $5 piece of country kitchen downloadable content allows players to buy land, build a home, raise a family and live out a simulated Elder Scrolls adventuring housefrau life. The pack is available in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish through Steam.With the Dawnguard and Hearthfire expansions both available now on Xbox 360 and PC, PS3 owners have every right to ask, "What about us?" Well, there's still no answer to that."I don't have any info on Hearthfire, Dawnguard, or DLC in general for PS3," Bethesda VP of marketing and PR Pete Hines wrote on Twitter. "We're still on it. Will share update when I have one."%Gallery-164235%
The Daily Grind: Is your avatar a Mary Sue?
So I've been spending a lot of time with Skyrim. I know, it's not an MMO. But it's MMO-like in every way except for the lack of other players, from the sprawling world to the familiar fantasy setting to the fact that it seeks to make you the heroic center of the universe. This last bit is hugely problematic in massively multiplayer games, but it works in Skyrim to a point. I say to a point because my Nord is the most ridiculous Mary Sue in the history of Mary Sues. Off the top of my head, he's the leader of the Dark Brotherhood and a high-ranking member of both the College of Winterhold and the Thieves' Guild. He's a major figure in the Stormcloak rebellion against the Imperial throne, and he's the dragonborn savior of the world and the slayer of Alduin. Oh, and he's a werewolf too. When I look back at the game's narrative, I almost wish I had skipped a few of these quest lines. I hate to use variations of the term "realistic" in relation to a game, but my character's resume seems decidedly unrealistic even for high fantasy. What about you, morning crew? Have you had similar thoughts about your MMO avatars (or your Skyrim character, for that matter)? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Sony has a 'big dev support team' working with Bethesda on Dawnguard
A Sony support team is working closely with Bethesda to bring Skyrim's Dawnguard DLC to PS3. Dawnguard launched on the Xbox 360 in June and on PC in August. Bethesda previously notes that Skyrim is a "massive and dynamic game that requires a lot of resources" and it's not sure if it will be able to reach a resolution on the DLC with Sony.Sony's Adam Boyes echoes that sentiment to Kotaku. "We work with all of our partners to try and solve their problems," Boyes says. "We have a big, broad dev support team that works closely with Bethesda – and with all of our partners – to work with them to solve any sort of issues they have along the way."Of course, I always want everything to work always for everyone. I can't promise any kind of resolution or timeline but can say that everyone involved is trying their best to get this stuff working."
Bethesda undecided on Wii U, cautious on next-gen consoles
Though the WiiPad might seem like an excellent instrument for managing your inventory of cheese wheels and soul gems in Skyrim, Bethesda doesn't have plans for Nintendo's upcoming console just yet. Bethesda marketing VP Pete Hines says the studio's "approach has been to put our games out on all of the platforms that will support them," but that "so far the Wii hasn't fitted into that. Whether Wii U does down the road is TBD."Hines tells Videogamer that Bethesda is, in general, cautious of the next round of consoles. "For me the problems with new consoles are two-fold. The developers are trying to hit a moving technical target, because the platforms are being built. A new console doesn't just show up a year before launch and is exactly what it will be when it comes out. It moves and iterates along the way. And introducing something like that to games that are in development is always a bit tricky. And that is obviously an element of risk."New systems also split the active audience, Hines says, though it goes without saying that Bethesda's pragmatic approach doesn't preclude support for upcoming systems. If there's a big enough audience, it won't be left wanting for dragons and cheese wheels.
PSA: Skyrim's 'Hearthfire' expansion available now
Skyrim's "Hearthfire" add-on is ready for Xbox 360's Dovamestics. Buy land, build a home, and then fill it with the respectful youths from around Skyrim you've come to know and love.Beyond the blessing of parenthood, customize your house with an armory, alchemy lab and trade tools of whatever other crafting arts you're into. Make a hall to show off baubles and your expansive dragon bone collection.Hearthfire costs 400 Microsoft Points ($5). There was no mention of when the expansion will make its way to PC or PS3.%Gallery-164235%
Bethesda: PS3 Dawnguard release still problematic
The Skyrim expansion "Dawnguard" has been available on the Xbox 360 since June, and debuted on PC at the beginning of August. The PS3 version, meanwhile, is still a no show. Without delving into specifics, Bethesda has shed a bit more light on the issue in a recent staff post on its own forums. The post notes that "Skyrim is a massive and dynamic game that requires a lot of resources" and that matters get "much more complex" when dealing with content on the level of Dawnguard.Bethesda has "tried a number of things, but none of them solve the issue enough to make Dawnguard good for everyone." The post notes further that Bethesda is also working on more content for Skyrim – the "Hearthfire" expansion was revealed earlier this week – which makes the situation "even more complicated," presumably referring to the resources needed to continue working on Dawnguard.The company continues, offering perhaps the most troubling statement for PS3 owners, "This is not a problem we're positive we can solve, but we are working together with Sony to try to bring you this content." Bethesda notes the "frustration" PS3 users must be facing, and promises an update as soon as possible.We've contacted Bethesda to see if we can learn any further details on the issues facing the PS3 version.[Thanks, Anthony]
Skyrim's 'Hearthfire' expansion tends the home September 4
Skyrim's "Hearthfire" expansion became official this morning – an add-on allowing adventurers who took one too many arrows to the knee to become domestics (Dovamestic?). Hearthfire enables players to build their own home, create additions to said home, and help raise children. Those rooms can be profession-specific – for instance, a room dedicated to herbalism. The joys of domestic life!"From a simple one-room cottage to a sprawling compound complete with armory, alchemy laboratory, and more," Bethesda said of the DLC. "Choose your land, customize your house, guard it from unwanted visitors, and turn your house into a home by adopting children." Apparently, in the fantasy world of Skyrim, houses aren't homes without children.Hearthfire will be available September 4 on Xbox 360 for 400 Microsoft Points ($5), no other platforms are mentioned at this time. Skyrim's previous DLC, Dawnguard, took around a month to make its way to PC, but the PS3 version experienced some hiccups.
What we wish Skyrim's Dawnguard was like
Skyrim's Dawnguard downloadable content appears as a can't-miss experience based on Tyrannicon's amazing "Great Battle of Dawnguard" video, but the reality is quite different. Even if it isn't based in the actual experience of the DLC, this is great machinima work.
Bethesda trademarks 'Hearthfire,' which is totally a thing from Skryim
Update: Please excuse us, but we've written about this before. Like, back in May. Sorry about that, y'all! Nothing to see here! Move right along!When Skyrim's "Dawnguard" DLC was first outed by a trademark filing back in March, we knew little aside from the name – references to the Dawnguard could be found in Skyrim, but only vague ones. It wasn't even clear that the filing was for DLC at the time – nor is it clear today that a recently unearthed trademark filing by Bethesda parent company Zenimax Media for "Hearthfire" is Skyrim's next DLC.But it sure smells like it. The term "Hearthfire" (or "Heartfire") correlates to the ninth month in The Elder Scrolls' world of Tamriel, as well as a set of books in the 2920 series. Bethesda is staying mum for now, telling VentureBeat that the studio, "does not comment on trademark filings." The filing was made back in May, so it's always possible that the idea has since passed.The filing is definitely game software, per the description: "Computer game software for use with computers and video game consoles; downloadable computer game software offered via the internet and wireless devices." There's also a wholly unremarkable image alongside the trademark filing, seen above.
Skyrim 1.7 update coming to consoles starting this week
The latest title update for Skyrim, version 1.7, will be released tomorrow on Xbox 360 worldwide and on PS3 in America. At least, that's what Bethesda "expects." A European PS3 release will follow next week. The 1.7 patch implements a number of bug fixes, including "general memory and stability optimizations," and, for Xbox, fixes French, German, Italian, and Spanish dragon shouts.There's no news yet on the PS3's Dawnguard DLC, which has been delayed until Bethesda can get it running at a satisfactory level.
Skyrim, and the case of the curious cat man Conan
Conan O'Brien's no stranger to Skyrim, and in the 11 months since the game came out, he's been exhaustively playing the game in hopes of crafting its most definitive review. The video above is the fruition of those efforts. Or something like that, at least.
Symbiote Studios making Bethesda figurines, bringing them to QuakeCon
Symbiote Studios, makers of adorable figurines, are bringing some new toys to QuakeCon. Attendees who ordered the QuakeCon Swag Pack will receive a figurine featuring the iconic Quake logo.Symbiote has also announced that it has acquired the rights to produce toys based on Bethesda franchises, the first of which will be the Dragonborn from Skyrim. That is to say the dude on the Skyrim box (as seen in the art above), not your Dragonborn. The figure is available for pre-order now at $9.99 and will ship later this month. Pre-orders will also be taken during QuakeCon this week at Symbiote's booth.%Gallery-161559%
Skyrim update 1.7 live on Steam, Dawnguard details 'this week'
Skyrim's update 1.7 is out now on Steam in its full form, rather than the baby beta business that went live last week. Steam will automatically apply the update as Skyrim starts up.The console version of update 1.7 will be submitted to manufacturers this week, Bethesda says.Dawnguard, Skyrim's blood-thirsty, hair-raising DLC, has yet to be announced for other platforms now that its 30-day exclusivity deal with Microsoft is over. Bethesda's Pete Hines tweets that there should be Dawnguard information later this week, so keep those fangs sharp.
Skyrim 1.7 patch headed to PS3 'in the coming weeks,' but Dawnguard is nowhere in sight
Don't fret, PlayStation 3 Skyrimmers, Bethesda says the game's 1.7 patch is heading to Sony's console "in the coming weeks." Bethesda acknowledged as much in a tweet yesterday afternoon. The game's 1.7 patch on PS3 includes the various updates from 1.6 (mounted combat, new kill cams, etc.), but it falls short of adding the Dawnguard DLC, which is still exclusive to Xbox 360.That DLC was issued a 30-day exclusivity period earlier this year – a period which expires today, reports Kotaku – but Bethesda's VP of marketing Pete Hines stated on Twitter, "We have not announced Dawnguard for any other platform, nor given a timeline for any such news. If we have news, I promise I'd tell you." He followed that up by saying, "I was simply stating that expecting/demanding something today is unfounded. Not that news is never coming." It sounds like Dawnguard may yet head to other platforms (eventually).We've reached out to Bethesda for further comment and will let you know if we hear back.
Skyrim update 1.7 beta available now on Steam
Bethesda has rolled out the beta version of its Skyrim 1.7 patch on Steam for PC. An announcement on the arrival of the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions will arrive "as soon as possible," and details on the patch can be found on the BethBlog.For Xbox 360 users, Update 1.7 will also feature Kinect-specific fixes. Beyond improved recognition of Kinect voice commands, there will be properly working, Kinect-enabled dragon language shouts in Skyrim and the Dawnguard expansion for "French, German, Italian and Spanish" speakers. El FUS RO DAH! Le FUS RO DAH! Das FUS RO DAH!
