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Elder Scrolls Online leaks flood the web
The internet and rabid fandom being what they are, it's next to impossible for gaming press outlets to keep their exclusive information exclusive for very long. So it went with Game Informer's The Elder Scrolls Online reveal, which is slated to appear in its June print edition. Posters at NeoGAF, as well as pretty much every gaming news site around the web, subsequently got a hold of the article and leaked a bunch of screenshots as well as a few rumored gameplay details. Said details include traditional hotbar combat, a third-person perspective, and around 120 hours' worth of leveling content for the average player.
ZeniMax reveals Elder Scrolls Online teaser trailer
ZeniMax has unveiled the first trailer for its newly announced The Elder Scrolls Online MMORPG. There's no gameplay on offer at this early stage, and the clip itself is rather short. It's long on subtle bits of awesomeness, though, including a brief tease of the familiar Elder Scrolls melody and a glimpse of the game's logo (which features a telling three-part design to go along with the game's announced three-faction PvP). At this point, we're still in the dark about almost everything TESO-related. Will it be a sandbox? A themepark? A marriage of the two? How's the crafting, the character customization, and the questing? Your guess is as good as ours, so take a look at the clip after the break and let us know what you think in the comments. [Source: ZeniMax press release]
Elder Scrolls Online announcement generates fan backlash
We've yet to see even a hint of gameplay for the newly announced Elder Scrolls Online, but a good portion of the fan reaction to the news has been negative, according to a report at GamesIndustry.biz. The site says that many of the comments on Bethesda's blog were filled with despair at the prospect of an online title gobbling up development resources or otherwise impacting one of gaming's most beloved single-player franchises. A Bethesda moderator even chimed in to calm down the angst-ridden faithful. "The teams working on these games are separate. Todd Howard's team at BGS will keep doing the type of games they like making, and the ZeniMax Online team will focus on MMO games like this newly announced title," the spokesman said. ZeniMax is scheduled to release the game's first trailer at some point this morning.
Bethesda confirms Elder Scrolls MMO, three-faction PvP
Well, one of the industry's worst-kept secrets has been officially put to rest courtesy of Game Informer. There is in fact an Elder Scrolls MMO in the works, and ZeniMax Online has chosen the print magazine for its initial reveal. Despite a professed lack of interest in MMOs from Elder Scrolls notable Todd Howard, the project has been ongoing for a number of years now, according to the game's first press release. The dev team is headed up by Matt Firor, known primarily to gamers for his work on Dark Age of Camelot. Like DAoC, the new Elder Scrolls title will feature three-faction PvP. We'll keep you updated as Bethesda releases additional details.
Rumor: Elder Scrolls MMO to be announced in May
You know, that pesky Elder Scrolls MMO rumor just won't die. We've been hearing scuttlebutt of a Tamriel-themed massively multiplayer title for years now, and even though Bethesda has debunked such gossip in the past, Tom's Hardware is citing an "industry source" who says the title is a reality. The latest rumbling posits that the game will feature three factions and will take place several hundred years prior to the events of Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim. Also, some sort of official announcement is supposedly scheduled for May. Following that, the source claims, the Elder Scrolls MMO will have a "presence at E3" in June. Bethesda has yet to comment, but we'll bring you the latest info as it happens. [Thanks to Matt for the tip!]
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..
Rumorang: Elder Scrolls MMO three years into development
According to VG247's "very reliable" source, Bethesda Softworks is already three years deep into development on an Elder Scrolls MMO. Recent court documents in the ongoing Bethesda/Interplay lawsuit have allegedly revealed that Bethesda has "close to 100 people working on a secret World of Warcraft-type MMO" -- a tasty piece of info that it's said to be currently fighting to have redacted from a 218-page court transcript. Furthermore, the unannounced MMO is said to be "very close" to being unveiled. We could even be seeing a release of the purported title later this year, as the transcript is said to also reveal a four-year development cycle (starting in late 2006 would put that either later this year or early 2011). Bethesda has commented in the past that it is currently not working on an MMO, though ZeniMax Online (another studio under Bethesda's parent company, ZeniMax Media) is working on a currently unannounced title. We contacted Bethesda for comment and were told, "We aren't talking about what that studio is working on and don't comment on rumors and speculation." Source 1 - VG247 Source 2 - Duck and Cover Forums
Bethesda clarifies MMO claims, Elder Scrolls V statements
Rather than let the statements made at QuakeCon 2009 by Elder Scrolls executive producer Todd Howard rest as they are, Bethesda's Pete Hines has clarified a few things on the company's blog. First and foremost, he wants to make sure that people know that another Elder Scrolls game will eventually be released. "Both Todd and I have said repeatedly that, of course, we're going to do another Elder Scrolls game," Hines outright states. Rather than comment directly on what Bethesda is currently working on, he instead notes that, "We aren't going to confirm or deny or comment on speculation, nor are we going to give hints about anything ... if you know us by now, you know we don't really do that." Hines additionally points out that Bethesda Softworks (the game studio) isn't working on an MMO at the moment, per the speculation surrounding a possible Elder Scrolls MMO. ZeniMax Online Studios, however, is working on an MMO, though "they have not said anything about what game they are making." It looks as though an upcoming Elder Scrolls MMO may be more likely than seeing numero cinco anytime soon, folks. What happened to that "possible 2010 release," eh, Bethesda?
Elder Scrolls V not in the works, there's a 'chance' for Elder Scrolls MMO
Bethesda's Todd Howard delivered a heart-crushing blow to fans of Oblivion (and the Elder Scrolls series as a whole) during a recent speech at QuakeCon 2009. When pressed about the company's next big project, Howard told the audience not to expect "Elder Scrolls V" any time soon. Amidst wails of anguish from the Tamriel enthusiasts in attendance, Howard followed that statement with a minor concession -- he joked that "there's always a chance" for an Elder Scrolls MMO. Flash forward to this morning, when stalwart internet lookyloo Supererogatory noticed a startling trend. A number of intriguingly named web domains use Zenimax's nameserver as their host -- domains such as ElderScrollsOnline.com, ElderScrollsMMO.com, TheElderScrollsMMOG.net, etc. This is so very far from a confirmation of the project -- but definitely food for thought following Howard's QuakeCon remarks.
ZeniMax Media hiring for MMO division
ZeniMax Media Inc., is currently seeking out MMO development talent for its online game division, GamesIndustry.biz reports. Why is this significant? ZeniMax is the owner of Bethesda Softworks, and thus both Fallout and Elder Scrolls. A Fallout MMO is entirely possible, but the business side of producing this title is somewhat complex. Daedren over at r1ft Gaming dissected the issue as it stood in November:Bethesda Softworks owns the rights to the the Fallout IP, while Interplay retains rights to a Fallout MMO. However, those rights are forfeit provided Interplay is unable to raise $30 million and begin development of the Fallout MMO by April of 2009. (This is presumably Interplay's "Project V13" which involves other original Fallout team members.)
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?
An Elder Scrolls MMO in the works?
The domain name elderscrollsonline.com was registered on 15 August this year by ZeniMax Media Inc, parent company of Bethesda Softworks - the lovely people who make all those wonderful Elder Scrolls games. Adding fuel to the speculation, ZeniMax Media obtained 15 million US dollars in funding from Providence Equity Partners Inc in late October, which will be used "to fund future growth, increase game development and publishing, facilitate acquisitions, and finance massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs)." [our emphasis] Bethesda, the Elder Scrolls, and MMO development. These things potentially add up to Massively Tasty Online Games.
Bethesda MMO studio sees substantial investment
An Elder Scrolls MMO may be closer to conception than we were previously aware, as Gamasutra reports that Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media has gotten a massive buff in cash from Providence Equity Partners to, and here we quote, "Fund future growth, ramp up publishing and development, facilitate acquisitions, and finance MMOGs." This comes on the heels of the formation of ZeniMax Online Studios, an MMOG studio formed by estranged Mythic Entertainment founder Matt Firor in Hunt Valley, MD. While our knee-jerk reaction is to assume they'll be working on an Elder Scrolls MMOG, just given the success of Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, it's also worth remembering that Bethesda owns the rights to the Fallout franchise. We normally wouldn't stoop to this kind of scandalous rumor-mongering, but the announcement specifically mentions "MMOGs" in the plural. Assuming Elder Scrolls is numero uno, what else besides Fallout could they bring to the MMO genre? We know Interplay technically owns the rights to a Fallout MMO, but Bethesda just got quite a bit richer... More corporate back-patting after the jump.
