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Elder Scrolls Online releases cinematic trailer, announces CE info
Are you ready for another Elder Scrolls Online CG opus? We have one, and it clocks in with a whopping eight-minute-16-second running time. The clip stars the familiar trio of ESO heroes we've glimpsed in past promotional materials and it pits them against a range of baddies in a nonstop ode to over-the-top action movie violence. It finishes off with ESO's April 4th PC release date as well as a mention of June 2014 for consoles. In related news, information about the collectors edition appears to have been leaked early on Amazon [Edit: And now it's official!]. Like many CEs, this one, dubbed The Elder Scrolls Online: Imperial Edition, offers a fancy box, a book, a map, a statue, a ring, a mount, and a vanity pet. However, this CE is also the only way players can unlock playing an Imperial in any alliance. [Source: ZeniMax press release]
The Elder Scrolls Online won't require a PlayStation Plus membership
If you're looking forward to playing The Elder Scrolls Online on a console, it's going to be cheaper to do so on the PlayStation 4. Why? Because subscribers will not need a PlayStation Plus subscription to subscribe to the game and keep playing online. Xbox One owners, meanwhile, will require an Xbox Live Gold membership in order to subscribe, bringing the cost up ever so slightly beyond the normal price of entry. That's the takeaway from a recent post on the official PlayStation blog by game director Matt Firor. Other important points from this blog entry are the fact that the servers for the game will be split by platforms, meaning that PC players cannot play with PS4 players and vice versa. Firor also stated that while the team does not have an exact timetable, a beta on PS4 is incoming for later this year. The game is launching on the PC on April 4th, 2014.
Elder Scrolls Online Q&A focuses on group mechanics
ZeniMax Creative Director Paul Sage fielded 42 questions from the Tamriel Foundry community yesterday about grouping and other Elder Scrolls Online topics. Sage elaborated on various mechanics that PvE group members will encounter, such as healing, experience bonuses, role-swapping, switching alliances, and armor usage. He said that not every instance will require a four-person group to have the holy trinity, although the tougher dungeons will demand this. Skill synergy was a topic that Sage addressed at great length: "Synergies are those abilities which another player casts, they are useful by themselves, but take on new dimension if another player comes over and activates the synergy effect. They are much more about reacting to situations and using them at the right time. They aren't necessary, but they do provide a large advantage when used correctly and may be the difference between life and death in harder combats." Head over to Tamriel Foundry for the full read! [Thanks to Phanes for the tip!]
Meet the voice cast for The Elder Scrolls Online
Voice-overs can really bring MMOs to life, and Bethesda has just unveiled the star-studded cast that will bring depth to and immerse players in The Elder Scrolls Online. Game director Matt Firor stated, "This extraordinary group of actors helps bring the distinctive characters in The Elder Scrolls Online to life." John Cleese, known for his work in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, plays a cheerful and endearingly mad lost soul named Cadwell who is not afraid of anyone. Bill Nighy, who was in Pirates of the Caribbean, is the merchant prince High King Emeric. Kate Beckinsale, of The Aviator and Pearl Harbor fame, is leader of the Aldmeri Dominion and Queen of the High Elves, Queen Ayrenn. And Linda Carter, best known as Wonder Woman, returns to the Elder Scrolls series to reprise her role from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Other cast members include Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), Michael Gambon (Harry Potter), Malcolm McDowell (Clockwork Orange), Peter Stormare (Fargo), Jim Ward (WALL·E, Despicable Me 2), Jennifer Hale, and Kevin Michael Richardson. Learn more about each actor's part in the official announcement. [Source: Bethesda press release]
The Elder Scrolls Online receives Mature rating
The Entertainment Software Rating Board has given Elder Scrolls Online a Mature rating for "Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, and Violence," ZeniMax posted on its Facebook page. The studio is none too happy about the decision, stating, "The ESRB advised us that it has given The Elder Scrolls Online a Mature rating. While we may disagree with the ESRB's determination, we do not plan to challenge the rating, and we are unwilling to change the game's content to achieve a different rating. The game we have created is the one we want our fans to be able to play." ZeniMax said that the ruling has forced the studio to put the Mature rating and age gates on the ESO site, trailers, and ads.
The Elder Scrolls Online shows off group content in a new video
There are ways to interact with other players in MMOs other than via group content, but part of the fun is being able to gather up with your friends and go stomp some monsters for a bit. The Elder Scrolls Online has a new video out with the developers exploring just a fraction of the group content available in the game, ranging from bosses roaming the world to dark cultist rituals, while also offering commentary on the design goals of the various encounters. As the video states very early on, one of the major goals of the game is not to force players to group, but to provide positive incentives to encourage group play. Some of the game's quick-travel mechanisms work on this principle -- rather than simply allowing quick travel to waypoints, players can also teleport to their nearest party members, allowing a group to gather and get moving quickly. Take a look at the full video just past the break.
Own a piece of limited-edition Elder Scrolls Online art
You may have to keep waiting to play The Elder Scrolls Online, but you can get a hold of a lithograph of Jorunn the Skald-King, Queen Ayrenn, or High King Emeric for your wall come this Friday. Art of these three alliance leaders will be available in the Bethesda Store starting January 17th, and players can pick one for $40.00 or get all three bundled together for $90.00. The lithographs are limited, however, so if you're aching for the artwork, be sure to grab yours while supplies last.
Elder Scrolls Online anticipates 'massive' test weekend
Elder Scrolls Online is going big for this weekend's beta test, as ZeniMax says that it has invited "a massive number of players worldwide" to push the systems to their limits. The team encouraged any and all beta testers to persist through issues and play hard while it conducts its own tests and roots out bugs. "With your help, we can uncover problems and solve them before launch," the team wrote. ZeniMax says that those not invited into this weekend's test need not worry, as there will be additional sessions in the near future. Elder Scrolls Online is scheduled to launch on April 4th.
Forbes: ESO's subscription model is just 'a compounding factor' to risk
Forbes is firing back at Pathfinder Online CEO Ryan Dancey, rebutting his faith in the subscription model by observing, "The general, obvious trend is that games are moving to microtransactions or optional subscriptions at best." Forbes contributor Paul Tassi casts doubt on the subscription chart estimates provided by Dancey, saying that they leave out costs and other factors and are mere guesses to boot. The article points out that virtually all newer MMOs have either launched with a hybrid or mictrotransaction model or have moved to free-to-play in recent years. "With rumors of a massive budget, indicators that the game itself isn't anything phenomenal, and the insistence of the subscription model across all platforms, I stand by my assertion that Elder Scrolls Online has the potential to be a huge miss for ZeniMax and Bethesda," the article concludes. "Honestly, even a free-to-play ESO would have seemed incredibly risky by itself, and the subscription fee is just a compounding factor."
Pathfinder Online CEO defends Elder Scrolls Online's subs
The Elder Scrolls Online's subscription-only business model has had an unlikely ally step up to defend it: Goblinworks CEO Ryan Dancey. The Pathfinder Online head chief claimed that subscriptions were still responsible for upward of an estimated $100 million a month in revenues in the Western market with a much smaller amount being gained by cash shops. "It's even harder to estimate how much revenue is being generated from microtransactions but it is extremely difficult to imagine that the revenue even approaches 50% of the amount being paid as subscription fees," he wrote. Dancey also commented that initial box sales will be incredibly important for ZeniMax: "This may be the internal justification ZeniMax is using to benchmark its budget for Elder Scrolls Online. Skyrim, the most recent single-player entry in the Elder Scrolls franchise, is reported to have sold approximately seven million units, which we can impute translates to something like $210 million in revenue. If the MMORPG can carry that kind of weight, its budget becomes suddenly very rational." Incidentally, Dancey said that Pathfinder Online will launch with a subscription-only model as well, although he predicts that will change over time.
ZeniMax sends out more Elder Scrolls Online beta invites
Curious about Elder Scrolls Online but stuck in the dark because the game is still, for some reason, blocked by a ridiculously limiting NDA despite being less than three months from launch? Today might be your lucky day. ZeniMax Online has announced that another round of Elder Scrolls Online beta keys have been sent out, so take a look at your email inbox to see if you've earned yourself a ticket into the party. If you didn't get an invite, don't fret; ZeniMax will be sending out more in the near future. Don't forget to check your spam folder and Gmail's "Promotions" tab, just to be sure. [Thanks to Mortis13th and Balsbigbrother for the tip!]
Elder Scrolls Online player emperors will gain a permanent skill set
Are you wondering what you'll get when you become emperor of Elder Scrolls Online -- other than a fancy suit of armor, that is? The Official Xbox Magazine discovered that player emperors will gain a skill line that they will retain for the rest of their time in the game. The skills will persist even if the position of emperor is lost, although the skills will be toned down somewhat in that case. Becoming emperor won't be easy, however (as if you thought otherwise). To do so, a player will need to do a heckuva lot of PvP to gain alliance points. If a player's alliance conquers all of the keeps around the Imperial City and that player has the most alliance points when it happens, he or she will be crowned emperor.
Perfect Ten: New MMOs to watch in 2014
Out with the old desk calendars that you didn't use past February 2013 and in with the new, I always say! It's a brand-new year, and while we don't know all of the twists and turns that we'll travel in MMO news in 2014, I dare say it promises to be a fascinating ride. Last January I gave my list of 10 new MMOs to watch for that year, and I'm a sucker for traditions. With 2014 a mostly blank slate right now, I want to lay out the up-and-coming class of games that at least have a shot at releasing by December. There are the big names, of course, but several other titles that could be sleeper hits if all goes right. Which will succeed, which will flop, and which won't even get out of the door? I don't claim to know all, but I know all, so here are my prognostications for 2014!
The Soapbox: My MMO resolutions
Today is the last day of 2013, a long year of extended betas, early access pre-purchases, and soft launch nonsense. The release slate for 2014, however, brings slightly more excitement. 2014 is the year we'll (hopefully) first set foot into Elder Scrolls Online, EverQuest Next Landmark, Destiny, Star Citizen, WildStar, and more. It's the year in which a record number of MMOs will go live on consoles. And most importantly, it's likely the year in which consumers will decide whether the traditional MMO is dead or just in need of a good kick in the pants. Ordinarily I'm not the type to make New Year's resolutions. It seems arbitrary to hang important life changes on a date on the calendar. But the end of the year does bring a nice opportunity to look back on my gaming habits over the last 12 months and provides me with an opportunity to draft a list of things I'd like to do better moving forward. 2014 will be an MMO year like no other, so perhaps it warrants a few adjustments in behavior. With that in mind, these are my 2014 MMO resolutions.
Perfect Ten: Biggest MMO news stories of 2013
As the light slowly fades from 2013, we spend our final moments quaffing eggnog, putting up President's Day decorations, and reminiscing about the year that was. We stare at the past and realize that it's a mirror reflecting our own journeys through the past 12 months. We contemplate the impact of one small decision that ripples out and touches souls everywhere. And then we stop getting so maudlin and start getting excited for what 2014 has to offer. For me, I live for end-of-the-year lists. Man, I love 'em. I will devour them, drinking up everyone's opinions about what what the best what, what movies or songs I should check out, and what idiocy drives some people to write top 10 lists. Seriously, am I right? Learn to use a paragraph format, people! Well, here's my top 10 list covering the year's top stories in the MMO industry. Some are pretty obvious, some will be up for debate, and all will be in the past soon enough. So what will historians say about 2013 and online games?
Here's an Elder Scrolls PvP Ask Us Anything
Ask Me Anything question-and-answer sessions are a good idea, in theory. But, like any other Q&A format in the publisher-controlled game journalism field, they're specifically designed to showcase the game in question as opposed to providing potential customers with complete or completely accurate information. Live AMAs are of course more challenging for devs and their PR handlers than email or forum questions, and it's the latter approach that ZeniMax takes with its latest Elder Scrolls Online publicity push. The AMA -- or really, AUA, for Ask Us Anything in this case -- focuses on ESO's PvP. Pre-screened questions include bits on bottlenecks, siege weapons, ranking systems, and the effectiveness of low-level players.
Elder Scrolls dev blog on creating PvP keeps
ZeniMax's latest dev blog talks up The Elder Scrolls Online's keeps and the design and engineering know-how that went into producing them. The devs wanted the game's three-faction PvP battles to "consist of multiple stages, allowing the attackers and defenders to each have several opportunities to turn the tide of a siege." Keep layouts were planned accordingly, and player abilities like knockbacks, gap-closers, and AoEs factored in as well. Read the full blog at the official ESO website.
Tamriel Infinium: Marketing, modeling, and modding the Elder Scrolls Online
I knew Massively readers would have a lot to say regarding the release date for the Elder Scrolls Online and how it measures up against other upcoming MMOs, but I had no idea about the breadth of topics that would come up. We heard the old standard, that nothing will ever beat the two-ton gorilla, World of Warcraft. Other readers argued that other games releasing about the same time are so much better. But what I'm most interested in is in the deeper discussions about why one franchise would choose one date while another would choose to wait. And because I included the launch-day-announcement video, readers had an opportunity to give their input on the aesthetics of the game as well as the overall expected performance. These topics also sparked discussion on modding for ESO. I love all these topics and frankly couldn't settle on one to talk about this week. So I'm just going to hit on them all: marketing, modeling, and modding.
Elder Scrolls Online shows concept art of the emperor's armor
Let's assume that you're really, really awesome at Elder Scrolls Online when it launches next year. Let's assume -- and this is stretching a bit -- that you're the one who claws his or her way to the throne in Tamriel to become the emperor. And let's assume that you were just in it for the bling and not merely the promise of power and the admiration of your player subjects. If the planets align and this happens, then you'll have access to a suit of armor that will be truly unique in the game. ZeniMax showed concept art today for the emperor's armor that the big kahuna will be able to wear. According to the description, it is "armor that only the emperor can wear, intricately worked from the strongest materials and valuable beyond measure." Will it be yours?
Tamriel Infinium: The Elder Scrolls Online is no April Fools' joke
Usually for this Elder Scrolls Online column, I bury the weekly question somewhere in the middle of the article or tag it at the end, but this week, I want to begin with the question. What do you think of the ESO release date? For those of you who missed Wednesday's announcement, here it is again: ZeniMax set the release date for April 4th, 2014 (4-4-14, isn't that quaint?). The date is smack-dab in the middle of the spring sales season, not the mid-June definition of spring many gamers feared. That also means that we sit less than five months away from stepping foot into the online world of Tamriel. Are we ready for it? Is ZeniMax ready for it? I know people who are in the beta have claimed that the game needs to cook for another year, at least. True or not, that state seems to be far too popular for MMO players to say so that they can be "right" when the game "fails" three months after launch. Although I believe there is some merit to statements like that, there are always reasons companies pick specific dates for releases. Today, let's talk about some of those reasons, and let's also examine the newly released trailer. What do these two things tell us about the game to come?
