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The Oblivion rumors are sent to, well, oblivion
Ever since we reported on IGN's preview of Oblivion for the PS3 and how many aspects of the game had been tweaked and optimized for the system, a flood of rumors buried most of the good news in its wake. To send these rumors back out to sea, IGN approached Pete Hines, VP of Marketing and Personal Relations at Bethesda. Here's what went down.Rumor: There is a lack of downloadable content because of the PS3's technical limitations!!1!11! Hines: Nothing could be farther from the truth. There are two reasons why Orrery and Mehrunes's Razor will be absent from the get-go on the PS3. There's a concern about the balancing of the game and giving players access to the thieves den or wizard's tower right from the start of the game. The expansions may hit the PS-Store later, but not at initial launch. The other reason is that the designers haven't tested the PlayStation Network Store and the mechanisms for getting the content out there. The designers were rightfully concentrating on making the game itself much better and glitch-free. The PS-Store was low priority. Rumor: Everything that's getting amped up on the PS3 is going to transfer over to the 360 and PC anyway. The shader function that re-renders low-res textures will indeed get to the 360 and PC versions, but that's it. The other optimizations are specifically available on the PS3. Why? Because it's awesome. Can we stop the rumor-mongering now? This isn't Sony saying this stuff -- it's Bethesda. Why would they lie on Sony's behalf? They wouldn't. In any case, look for the PS3 version of Oblivion in March. It should be super cool, if you're into that sort of thing.
Rumored price and download size for Shivering Isles
Next month the Shivering Isles expansion pack for Oblivion will be available, but we have yet to hear any specifics. Gamehelper.com is reporting that the Shivering Isles expansion pack will only be available for the Xbox 360 via the XBLM, cost around $29.99, and weigh in at a beefy 1.5 gigabytes. Again, this isn't official information coming from Bethesda and should be treated as a rumor. Gamehelper.com doesn't site any sources or where they received the information and simply treats these tidbits as fact ... but we'll err on the side of caution. So guys, were you expecting the $30 price tag for the expansion and would you be willing to shell out that kind of cash for 30 plus hours of additional gameplay?[Thanks, aragorn]
Shivering Isles adds 250 Gamerscore points to Oblivion
It looks like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion will be the first to take advantage of Microsoft's recently-amended Achievement points policy and push past that 1000-point gate of old. Speaking to Gaming Bits, Oblivion developer Bethesda has confirmed that the upcoming expansion Shivering Isles will have 250 Gamerscore points, divided amongst 10 achievements, to unlock.According to the new Achievement point policy, up to 250 points can be added to a disc-based Xbox 360 title via premium downloadable content, which means Oblivion has maxed out its Gamerscore potential.Shivering Isles is set for release via Xbox Live this Spring; it will also be available for PC and PS3. No word on if it will be released before Microsoft's Xbox Rewards contest ending April 12, so plan on augmenting your Gamerscore elsewhere.
IGN says: Oblivion looks better on PS3
IGN recently previewed the PS3 build of Oblivion and you know what? There were good things and there were bad things. Bad things? All eight of the recent plug-in features won't be available for PS3 owners upon release -- but there will be the Knights of the Nine expansion. That's it for the bad. We're just going to back up and use direct quotes from IGN so we don't get flamed too hard."For one thing, the PS3 version has been optimized to take advantage of the Cell processor and hardware that the system offers. As a result, the game runs a lot faster than the 360 build." In the same vein, "the amount of framerate drops or hitches that cropped up in the wilderness as you accessed a new area on the 360 have been substantially reduced on the PS3 version. There is a plan to completely eradicate these issues as the game nears release." They're also getting rid of a number of bugs, including the "item duplication" glitch. Cheaters."The visual presentation of Oblivion has also been significantly enhanced. While it was a beautiful title on the 360, far off environmental details often displayed low resolution textures. This has been fixed with new shaders dedicated to rendering the foreground cleanly with sharper details, so rocky landscapes now have craggy appearances instead of smooth, non-distinct surfaces." This is surprising, since you often hear 360 advocates, er, advocating that the 360 has better texturing abilities (it's Greek to me).Finally, "While there is still a fair amount of pop-in that occurs (which can't be helped due to the size of the world), the draw distance is farther than the 360 version. As a result, screens from the PS3 version should approach those from high end PCs running Oblivion, which is an impressive feat." Yes, the PS3 is capable of impressive feats. If you're a really, really hardcore Oblivion fan and own both the 360 and PS3, you may want to pick up the PS3 version for the enhancements, but keep the 360 version for the plug-ins. In all, this is awesome news for Sony.
Shivering Isles to get 250 Gamerscore boost
Last week the policy for Gamerscore and Achievements was standardized to make sure that gamers got a full 1000 points per retail game, with downloadable content able to bring in an extra 250 points. In Episode 2 of our podcast we mentioned Shivering Isles being a fine example of giving Achievements on top of the game's original 1000. Well, now it's official, Oblivion's Shivering Isles expansion will have an additional 10 Achievements worth 250 Gamerscore bringing it to a total of 1250. This marks the first game to have more than 1000 available Gamerscore, and hopefully will set the proper standard for other developers to follow. So, with the promise of more Achievements, are you more interested in getting the Shivering Isles expansion, or does it even matter?[Via Digg]
Oblivion, Okami top GDC Awards Nominations
The 7th annual Game Developers Choice Awards nominations were announced today, with Okami and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion taking the most number of nods at four each. Wii Sports and Gears of War also earned high honors with three nominations apiece. With Capcom's recent bitterness over the AIAS "snubbing," four Okami nominations and a Technology nod for Dead Rising should satiate their ego. We're also glad that Rayman Raving Rabbids, Dreamfall, and Sam & Max: Episode One are getting some much-deserved kudos.The awards ceremony will occur Wednesday, March 7 at 6:30 p.m. and is being hosted by Tim "Psychonauts owns your soul" Schafer (also known for Monkey Island and Grim Fandango). The nominations are listed after the break.
1UP previews Shivering Isles
1UP has posted a lengthy preview of the Shivering Isles expansion for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Promising to give players 30 hours of new gameplay, Shivering Isles sets players in the twisted land of Sheogorath. Sheogorath is divided into two lands, mirroring the psychosis of the game's god of madness. Mania is a pristine world of excess and Dementia is a twisted land of decay. It's up to you to become the champion of Sheogorath and stop the land's impending destruction. The expansion will offer new quests, items, and of course new baddies to slay. Thanks to the smaller size of Shivering Isles, more attention has been paid to NPCs as well, giving them more varied dialogue and personalities. Each of the two major cities in the expansion houses a smith that will craft appropriately shiny or twisted armor which you can enhance with magical properties later on. Also available is the Dawnfang sword, which becomes more powerful each time it makes 12 kills. The catch is that its original power is restored every twelve hours with the cycle of the sun. We won't reveal any more details, but the expansion looks to suck 360 owners back into the world of Oblivion when it releases later this year. Hit the "read" link for 1UP's preview, but be warned, there are spoilers ahead.
Bethesda "several years" into Fallout 3 development
During a Q&A with Gamasutra, Bethesda VP of PR and marketing Pete Hines gave a brief update on the status of Fallout 3. While Bethesda remains shy about showing off its baby, Hines did reveal that "[the development] team has ramped up," perhaps suggesting that our first glimpse at the game is not far away.Indeed, Hines reaffirms that Bethesda is "already several years into the project." So show us something, will ya! Pretty please? [Via CVG]See also: Bethesda: "Fallout 3 is our baby" E3: Fallout 3 appears ... in spirit
Bethesda talks Shivering Isles download and price
Bethesda Vice President of PR Pete Hines sat down with Gamasutra to talk about Oblivion's Shivering Isles expansion. In the Q&A, Hines stated that the the content will only be available through Xbox Live Marketplace. According to Hines, stand-alone expansions can not work with another existing product on the Xbox 360, leaving Marketplace downloads as the only viable option. Despite Bethesda wanting to have a version for the retail market, they were unable to do so because of this. Should implementing expansions via disc become possible after some extensive work on Microsoft's part, Bethesda plans to explore that option for Shivering Isles. As for price point, Bethesda doesn't have anything concrete yet. They are still in talks with Microsoft to find the proper balance between value and profitability. After Shivering Isles releases, Hines said that they are planning one or two more pieces of content for Oblivion, albeit not the size of the forthcoming expansion. So are you going to download Shivering Isles? If so, how much are you willing to pay?[Via Digg]
Rumor: Fallout 3 bound for 360?
Is the anticipated third installment of the Fallout series going to see the light of day on the Xbox 360? It's too early to tell right now, but there are a few things that will give gamers a glimmer of hope. After a brief interlude with Fallout Tactics, the popular RPG franchise is getting a true sequel from Bethesda. Executive Producer Todd Howard informed UK OXM that when work started on Fallout 3 in 2004, the team was only 10 or so strong. After Oblivion finished up, however, most of the staff moved over to work on development for the title. He also hints that while their preproduction process is relatively long, they should soon be able to show it off. Running on the same Gamebryo engine as Oblivion, the chances of there being a port to Xbox 360, with open ended gameplay intact, are high. On top of that, Todd was Executive Producer for Morrowind and Oblivion, which definitely makes the glass look half full. Do you want to see Fallout 3 make it to the Xbox 360?[Via GameSpot]
PS3's Oblivion to include both expansions?
Gosh, hopefully I can finish this by 11AM... so let's get right to it, shall we? We're all aware that Oblivion is coming to the PS3 and we'll probably get that one expansion too -- what's it called? Something about Knights of the Nine or whatever. It's probably going to be a downloadable expansion from day one of Oblivion's release. We have to ask because the newest addition, Shivering Isles, has been sweeping up all of the attention.This new expansion takes you on a quest to take out an entirely different Daedric Prince, this one of "Madness". The size of the Shivering Isles is approximately one quarter that of the land of Oblivion, Cyrodiil. The quest itself? Well, aside from all the random time-wasting crap you can probably do, the main adventure is supposed to clock in around 30 hours. If you're wondering, you can go back and forth between the two lands with your character as you please. Anywho, there's no word on if this will be packaged with the PS3 Oblivion, but it's doubtful. It'll be out not too long after the initial release, though, as the PC and 360 are expecting the expansion sometime this Spring.
Bethesda (finally) confirms Shivering Isles Oblivion expansion
The Shivering Isles expansion pack has been officially announced by Bethesda and will be available on PC through retail this spring. At that same time, the new content will be distributed through Xbox Live Marketplace to Xbox 360 Oblivion owners. The possibility of Shivering Isles releasing on PlayStation 3 has not been addressed, but presumably Bethesda could include the expansion with the forthcoming PS3 release of Oblivion (if there's any space left on the Blu-ray disc) or opt for digital distribution.Today's announcement confirms many of the details that were revealed in PCZone, which published news of the Oblivion expansion several weeks ago. Bethesda's decision to cease its silence is likely tied to an OXM feature article that hits newsstands this week. Bethesda claims Shivering Isles with feature 30+ hours of gameplay, suggesting that the expansion will set a new bar, both in scope and price, for premium add-on content distributed via Xbox Live. Horse armor this is not.
PS3's Blu-ray drive speed could be reason for Oblivion delay
GameSetWatch has singled out a tidbit about the PlayStation 3 version of Oblivion that's sure to ignite fanboy ire. According to comments made by Bethesda's Todd Howard in the latest issue of EGM, the development team is using extra space on the Blu-ray disc to duplicate crucial data and improve load times. "Drive speed matters more to me [than capacity], and Blu-ray is slower," Howard told EGM.This is a sketchy workaround, as it could be susceptible to issues caused by data irregularities; GSW notes, "What happens if you don't have your pieces of data correctly sync-ed and one of them is an old version of an object/piece of code and one is a newer version?" A better, albeit unpopular solution, is to include an option to install a chunk of a game directly onto the hard drive (Genji has this option; so does Ridge Racer). Bethesda's use of the extra Blu-ray disc capacity is clever, but hopefully won't become the standard.Overall, we know that the Xbox 360 drive reads data faster than PS3's. While the Blu-ray drive might consistently read data at the same speed, the 360 drive is faster at reading data on the outer layers of the DVD disc; and that's were devs tend to put the biggest files.While EGM makes no note of it, it's worth considering that drive speed concerns played into Oblivion's delay. Will this become an issue for other cross-platform titles?
Shivering Isles on 360, free content in OXM
360 Fanboy regular, J. Goodwin, reports that the latest issue of the Official Xbox Magazine contains a six page blowout of information on the upcoming expansion for Oblivion, entitled Shivering Isles. We assumed that the expansion was 360 bound before, but it's always nice to have confirmation, right? As an added bonus, the DVD that comes with the latest issue has two pieces of previously released Oblivion content, "Wizard's Tower" and "Thieves Den." Wow, after grabbing "Mehrune's Razor" for free last month, patient Oblivionites have really struck gold. Of course, the real question is: are you buying a magazine with free Oblivion content, or Oblivion content with a free magazine?
Bethesda mum about Oblivion expansion
Call it a formality, but Bethesda refuses to confirm Shivering Isles, Oblivion's first full-length expansion. But the forthcoming content is no myth. After all, Bethesda supplied the details for the scoops that were bought and published by PCZone and PC Gamer, two UK mags. In fact, another Shivering Isles feature will appear in the March issue of Games for Windows (due Feb. 6 on newsstands).This is just the business of embargoes, folks. Once Games for Windows has had its window of opportunity to sell the "exclusive" content, Bethesda will open right up.
Rogue Warrior screenshots -- what a hairy arm!
Bethesda, company behind that little ol' game called Oblivion, have been hard at work a new FPS entitled Rogue Warrior. Doubtless, you'll play some loner mercenary who ends up taking whatever side you want in a conflict between multiple forces (if Oblivion is any indicator of the freedom these guys will allot you in this game). The game is due out this year sometime for the PC, 360, and PS3.Look at the screenshots, though. They're... strange. They look good in some respects, but kind of "meh" in others. The hairy arm is a nice touch, but the gun looks a bit... blocky? Wait, nevermind, guns are supposed to be symmetrical and blocky or else they'd explode all over you. Screens look pretty good. We'll keep an eye on this game, for sure.
First Oblivion expansion: Shivering Isles
PCZone has the latest info on the first expansion for Oblivion, entitled Shivering Isles. Those of you who have purchased mountains of downloadable content may be confused. So far, the downloadable quests have been just that: quests. Shivering Isles represents the first true expansion, offering a new realm, new monsters, and over 30 hours of extra gameplay. Shivering Isles takes place in (you guessed it) the Shivering Isles, a desolate (and apparently cold) land ruled by the god of dementia, Sheogorath (does dementia really need its own god?). Players must ultimately overcome Sheogorath and take control of the isles. An interesting note, the isles apparently take on visible changes based on the actions taken by the character. While it has not been officially announced for the 360, we can only assume the content will be made available when the PC expansion arrives (tentatively in Q2 2007). In the meantime, somebody get those isles a blanket![Via Joystiq]
Shivering Isles: first full-length Oblivion expansion
The latest issue of PCZone spills the beans on Shivering Isles, Bethesda's first true Oblivion expansion (Knights of the Nine was really just a lengthy quest). The expansion is set in a new realm, the Shivering Isles, a ruined land controlled by Sheogorath, the god of madness and dementia. Players must overcome the god's trials, and apparently, the god itself, ultimately seizing control of its domain.The expansion will include new monsters and a series of branching quests, which allegedly expand Oblivion's freeform gameplay. The description implies that players' decisions will have various visible affects on the transformation of the Shivering Isles.Bethesda has not yet announced the forthcoming expansion, but PCZone suggests a Q2 2007 release window. We assume that, as with all added content to date (barring player mods), Shivering Isles will also be offered for the Xbox 360 and (impending) PlayStation 3 versions of Oblivion.
Best of the rest: Ross' picks
Lumines Live! (XBLA) On a big screen with surround sound, Q Entertainment's Lumines Live was easily the most-played game in my library (if you stretch the definition of library to digitally distributed titles). Although I railed against how microtransactions were implemented in this title and still think the extent to which they disclosed the dearth of features was misleading, both the Basic and Advanced Pack got more than enough play time, as did the multiplayer. It is the best Xbox Live Arcade title since Geometry Wars.
Bethesda's Christmas present to all
Tis the season for giving, and gaming companies are starting to get festive about it. THQ has released a Christmas theme pack for Saint's Row ... completely free. How Bethesda is getting into the spirit. Mehrunes' Razor, a 250 point Xbox Live Marketplace add-on, is being offered for absolutely free starting tomorrow through December 31. The quest, which was big jump in quality compared to the infamous horse armor (which we're sure they should have packed in as a freebie as well), is a wonderful way to thank all the loyal customers who purchased Oblivion. We just hope more companies do this next year, since all the new consoles now have some kind of online option available out-of-the-box.
