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Amazon: Buy One, Get One 50% Off on MW3, Skyrim, Arkham City, Uncharted 3, and more
Amazon calls this deal "Buy One, Get One 50% Off" but we prefer to think of it as "Get Two $60 Games for Just $45 Each." Normally, these kinds of deals have perhaps one marquee title playing the role of siren, calling your wallet-shaped ship to its rocky, mediocre-game covered shores; however, this deal is different. Blockbuster titles like Modern Warfare 3, Skyrim, Batman: Arkham City, Uncharted 3, Rage, and more are available choices, with some junk like The Black Eyed Peas Experience and Go Vacation, just to keep us on our toes. With this many options, we're more inclined to think of it as a "Buy Three, Get One Free" deal. This offer is good for a "limited time," which we think means "not long."
Minecraft easter egg makes its way into Skyrim
Who says a nasty legal battle means you can't appreciate each other's work? A nice little nod to Minecraft made its way into Skyrim, Ology reports. Neat! Pictured above is the Notched Pickaxe, which looks an awfully lot like the one from Minecraft -- Notch, you likely know, is the creator of the game. Hats off to the Bethesda devs for including this in the game. If you want to see it for yourself (and perhaps use it to kill a few of the smaller dragon pups), you can find it in The Throat of the World. It shouldn't be too hard to find the one-of-a-kind pickaxe stuck in the biggest mountain in the game.
Metareview: Skyrim
Our Skyrim review was delivered in two flavors: the "pesky words" edition and the "too long, didn't read" version. Overall, the game delivers the most immersive experience yet in the Bethesda RPG formula, offering many dozens of hours -- hundreds of hours once all the inevitable DLC is out -- for those ready to experience being Dragonborn. Giant Bomb (5/5): "No other game I know of operates with this many moving parts to create such an immense world filled with this much choice in how you engage its excellent, endless fiction. It's one thing when a game offers dozens of hours of gameplay; it's quite another when that gameplay is good enough you'll want to live in its world for that long." Game Informer (95/100): "The biggest problem Skyrim runs into has plagued every Bethesda-developed game I've played: It's buggy. Not to the degree that Oblivion was – Bethesda makes headway in delivering a more stable product, but I ran into numerous bugs that forced me to reload previous saves. The auto-save system charts several recent points, which can be a relief, but losing progress is annoying and can erase significant victories and character development." IGN (95/100): "The changes made since Oblivion are many, and result in a more focused and sensible style of play, where the effects of every decision are easily seen." Gamespot (90/100): "Yet The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim doesn't rely on sheer scope to earn its stripes. It isn't just that there's a lot to do: it's that most of it is so good. Whether you're slashing a dragon's wings, raising the dead back to life, or experimenting at the alchemy table, Skyrim performs the most spectacular of enchantments: the one that causes huge chunks of time to vanish before you know it." Edge (95/100): "You play for the moment a dragon's silhouette fills the sky, backed up against the otherworldly colours of the northern lights. You play for the moment a diary clutched by a desiccated corpse sends you on a country- wide hunt for some ancient, forgotten loot. The illusion frequently falters – and sometimes completely breaks – but when it does you'll want to conspire with the game to pretend you didn't see."
The Queue: Fus Ro Dah
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today. Oh jeez. Oh gosh. It's 6:30 a.m. and I haven't written The Queue yet. This is your fault, Skyrim. This is all your fault. I hate you so much. Get out of my life, Skyrim. I never want to see you again. Wait, baby, no! I didn't mean it! Come back, please! I need you. I need you so bad. AGuyOnTheInternet asked: Any idea what Blizzard's plan is to get people missing expansions to be set and ready for MoP? Like a battle chest or something?
Modern Warfare 3 nukes UK charts, many seek refuge in Skyrim
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the game that sold 6.5 million copies on its first day, couldn't help but be at the top of the UK charts last week (filed under: duh!). In the region, MW3 had sales that put it on even footing with last year's Call of Duty: Black Ops in terms of units sold, but it grossed more revenue in its opening weekend than the prior entry. It's not all modern warfare -- there's also plenty of the fantastic, medieval variety going on. Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim placed second, but merely because it launched in the shadow of MW3. Skyrim sold twice as many units as Fallout: New Vegas, the publisher's previous largest launch. Skyrim also became the fifth largest launch of the year, follwing MW3, FIFA 12, Battlefield 3 and slightly behind Gears of War 3. Find the UK top ten after the break.
Fantastic Skyrim Gameplay that looks like a Bug #1: Giant physics
So there you are, quietly guarding Whiterun Hold, when a massive, dumb giant comes stomping up the path and hits you with its club, trampolining you miles into the beautiful autumn sky, never to see your family or friends again. Rude. Ok, maybe you shouldn't have taunted it with your shield or said its mother was that particular brand of professional, but you didn't deserve such a severe punishment. But who knows, maybe you did, and maybe this video is why they call it Skyrim.
Fantastic Skyrim bugs #1: Horse rides a dragon
Look, just because dragons are massive, ancient and deadly creatures doesn't mean they can't also have a sense of humor. After all, what's the point in all that power if you can't engage in a little horseplay every now and again?
MMObility: The clever design behind War of Dragons
Ah, the things that rev up the imagination of gamers. Right now I can almost feel the excitement as players all over the world are waiting to jump into games like Skyrim or Star Wars the Old Republic. I'm a bit excited as well, but honestly none of those titles tantalizes me like some of the browser-based goodies I have been playing lately. It could be the model railroad world of RuneScape or the epic scale of Illyriad that is inspiring me, making me spend hours of dog walking or drinking tea while daydreaming of game creation. I've also stumbled across this newish world of semi-graphical, browser-based, MUD-like MMOs. They have shown me that text and description can still be very powerful tools, especially mixed with graphics or even basic animation. Then I stumbled upon War of Dragons, a wonderful browser-based MMO that shows me just how amazing browser-based gaming can be. Click past the cut and I'll explain.
Bethesda squinting at Skyrim's texture scaling issues on Xbox
Poor vision and awareness may afflict some of Skyrim's population, but your bellowing, dragonborn protagonist is meant to have 20/20 vision. Blurry textures on the Xbox 360 version, which aren't replaced with higher-quality versions as they come into closer view, may be a symptom of having the mammoth RPG* installed on the hard drive, Bethesda now suspects. "Skyrim uses a lot of dynamic streaming systems, including textures," says a Bethesda community manager posting on the official forums. "We've seen a few reports of certain textures temporarily scaling down on the Xbox 360, and not scaling back up. We have verified that this issue does not occur when playing off the disk and when the game is fully cached (not installed)." For now, it seems the streaming glitch can be avoided if you play directly from the disc, and imagine the loud whirring emanates from Dovahkiin's vocal chords warming up. According to Bethesda, a solution is being prepared for installed Skyrim in the next title update. The patch notes for the most recent update are available here. * Sorry, we just wanted to share that we've been thinking about turn-based tusk battles between customizable mammoths all afternoon.
The unseemly side of Skyrim's Dragonborn origin revealed
So, the main character of Skyrim is a "Dragonborn," which essentially means he (or she!) is part dragon. But have you ever thought about what that means? Like, what it really means?
Wanted: Buckets, accomplices to theft and murder in Skyrim
Whether it's post-Oblivion or post-apocalypse, the humble bucket remains an insidious tool for the despicable. Be on the lookout for the voluminous accomplice to all manner of crimes, and remember that no ill deed is truly beyond the pail!
The MMO Report: Giving it away for free edition
Today on The MMO Report, Casey chronicles DC Universe Online's F2P growing pains ("It's almost like they're giving it away for free," he says cheekily) before moving on to the Total Recall MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic's server types, Guild Wars 2's pet system, and the bizarre addition of Second Life to the FBI's watch list for criminal gangs and drug traffickers. "Way to give criminal organizations a wonderful idea, FBI," jokes The Beard. This episode also sees the return of Uncle Casey's mailbag and a new contest to devise an MMO Report-themed drinking game. Winners will receive (what else?) World of Warcraft-themed MEGA Bloks. Casey ends the show on a Skyrim note: "For some reason, I am always drawn to the most useless skills and end up creating a character that's only good at talking to people and getting lower prices on things but not so great at killing things." Sounds like some of my toons! Hit the break for the full episode!
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim review: Paths of desire
"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail" – Ralph Waldo Emerson We live in a world of pre-blazed trails, of Google Maps and endless shelves of travel books detailing every motel, every restaurant. The most amazing discovery most of us are likely to make is a great new burrito place, and even that we would have heard about if we checked Yelp more often. Whether or not you know it, that same wanderlust that whispered into the ears of your ancestors and led them into the forests, into the oceans, still calls out to you. In those moments when all seems at peace, all seems safe, it's that persistent, ceaseless call of "Yes, but what else?" The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the answer to that call. %Gallery-139026%
New Skyrim toon by Harry Partridge
Harry Partridge has produced a new Skyrim ballad, likely to be appreciated most by those watching the clock, waiting for the sun to set Thursday and seeking to obtain the new Elder Scrolls game shortly thereafter.
Skyrim behind the scenes animation vid
The latest trailer for Skyrim is supposed to have our eyes focus on the animation, but we can't help but notice all the visceral monster mashing going on. How are we supposed to appreciate the subtle work of the animators when watching a sword glide through a giant's head?
Bethesda's Pete Hines on Skyrim, sports, and specialization
With the video game industry seemingly headed toward smaller, cheaper, more casual and less complex game experiences, it's somewhat of an anomaly to see Bethesda Game Studios continuing to hit the ball out of the park with games that are the exact opposite: long, expensive and incredibly dense. Starting with the 2002 release of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Bethesda has focused almost exclusively on lavish RPG experiences. Ten years later, Skyrim looks to continue that trend to a round decade and beyond. I recently spoke with Bethesda VP of Marketing Pete Hines about what makes the developer's RPGs "bulletproof" against gaming's current "less is more" trend. "We do what we do best," said Hines. "We make big, crazy RPGs, and fortunately for us the previous ones have done really well so there's no reason for us not to keep making them. If that's what we loved doing and nobody wanted to play them, we'd have a problem on our hands."
Howard: Skyrim offers infinite procedurally generated quests
You've already been assured that you'll never run out of slayable dragons in Skyrim. In an interview with Wired, director Todd Howard revealed that the game features an inexhaustible supply of quest content, as well. Using the "Radiant" quest system, the game randomly generates missions for each of the in-game guilds, as well as tasks offered by other NPCs. Examples cited by Wired include collecting flowers for an alchemist or hunting for bandits. This likely comes as bittersweet news for people who have experienced Bethesda games in the past. Sure, you'll never run out of content, but how long before you have to defeat a monster who's embedded in a tree, or go on a quest for the dagger of ^^^^^^ARTIFACTNAME?
Skyrim is getting a day one patch, more DLC than you can shake a giant sword at
For those of us currently slaying dragons in the frigid realm of Skyrim, pushing ever towards the review embargo this Thursday and launch thereafter, a game patch was spotted upon initial startup. Bethesda reps tell reviewers that the patch "fixes some minor stability and quest progression issues," and that it will be received automatically by players on day one. If fixes to "minor stability and quest progression issues" don't get you excited, perhaps the prospect of "bigger and more substantial" downloadable content will, as teased by Bethesda creative lead Todd Howard earlier this week. "We're not going to do be doing a lot of it. Our high-level thinking is that there'll be not as many," he told Wired, before he explained the company's Fallout-esque approach to Skyrim's DLC. "We'll start hitting on everything after vacation," Howard added. Looks like we'll just have to busy ourselves with infinite dragons in the meantime. Darn.
Watch the sounds of Skyrim get made, pre-order the four-disc soundtrack
We appreciate all the work that went into the sounds of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, as seen in the developer diary posted above. It seems a bit excessive though -- the only sounds and music we need are ones to accompany us breaking into every house, and stealing every pair of pants. Regardless, if you want the powerful hymns of a barbarian choir to make your working day that much more enthralling, you can pre-order the four-disc Skyrim soundtrack through DirectSong right now, for $29.99. That's a lot to pay for a soundtrack, but just imagine how great you'll feel as you fold your laundry as ninety dudes shout "DOVAHKIIN! DOVAHKIIN! DOVAHKIIIIIIN!" at you.
Skyrim teases 'making of' video
Want the "making of" Skyrim documentary? Better have the cash for the $150 Skyrim Collector's Edition. If that's not good enough, the Ultra Edition at $250 has The Making of the Making of Skyrim documentary.
