The Elder Scrolls Online May Bring Tamriel to Consoles

[Cognimancer]

The Elder Scrolls Online May Bring Tamriel to Consoles

You might be able to explore Nirn with your PC friends without leaving the couch.

The MMO is an almost exclusively PC-centric genre. While consoles have flirted with the idea, only a few [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/118553-DC-Universe-Online-Players-Flock-to-PS3] such experiments gain much traction. The common assumption seems to be that MMOs belong on computers. Matt Firor, head of ZeniMax Online, disagrees. As next-gen consoles grow more advanced, he thinks it's possible to bring modern MMOs like The Elder Scrolls Online to the console crowd - potentially as soon as the PS4 and Xbox 720.

"It's the classic desk vs. couch argument," Firor said, "but it is blurring over time. The current-gen and previous-gen MMOs were all about using the keyboard and mouse, and sure, everyone used things like Ventrilo and other voice chat services, but that only works in a small group. A lot of that has been thanks to design problems that people haven't focused on a lot, such as typing and controlling at the same time."

Firor claims that the main reason we haven't seen much progress in console MMOs is simply that the technology isn't ready yet. "The 360, when announced was a pretty ridiculously cool device, but it is not so good anymore compared to PCs and even when it was announced PCs were still better than it. The technology was a little limiting for the size and scope of the world you could have. It mostly comes down to PCs being wide open. Online game development is all about doing whatever you want, pushing limitations, and it's just easier to do on an open platform. Someday, it may all change."

Despite these theories, ZeniMax Online has no official plans for bringing The Elder Scrolls Online to consoles. According to Firor, the developers are working on making a quality game first and foremost. "There are a lot of rumors swirling around the next-gen coming back together with PCs," he said. "It seems like things are going back to a more standard platform. That being said, we haven't thought about it heavily right now. The worst thing you can do is worry about new platforms while in development."

One aspect of the current MMO market that doesn't concern Firor is the competition. Skyrim's success seems to have proven the popularity of the Elder Scrolls series, and Firor believes that the IP can compete with other fantasy MMOs like World of Warcraft and Guild Wars 2.

ZeniMax Online is not yet ready to reveal business models for The Elder Scrolls Online, but that information will be coming sometime before the game's 2013 release.

Source: GamesIndustry [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-07-17-the-elder-scrolls-online-reinventing-a-franchise-in-an-online-world]

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[Fasckira]

The Elder Scrolls Online May Bring Tamriel to Consoles

Despite these theories, ZeniMax Online has no official plans for bringing The Elder Scrolls Online to consoles.

Misleading thread title is very misleading.

 

[mad825]

Funny, after all these years we are still comparing to WoW. because of this, it shows that TES:O doesn't have a chance due to trying to identify and replicate it's successfulness.

 

[cerebus23]

wait online game development means pushing boundries and trying new things? tell that to all the triple A mmos in the last 5 plus years that have been copying WOW wholecloth and not trying much of anything to shake up the current formula of mmos.

 

[itsthesheppy]

Generic game looks so generic. Seriously, it looks like it should be a game designed for mobile devices, perhaps called "Eternal Sword: The Dwarven Prophecies" or something.

 

[Fappy]

They might actually make a decent profit off of this if it is released on consoles. Pretty sure the main reason FFXI was very successful was because it was released on the PS2. Console releases increases your demographic substantially.

 

[Ukomba]

I'm so tired of orcs and elves.

 

[ASnogarD]

Its moot as its already stated there are no plans for Elder Scrolls (Shouldnt Notch sue for them stealing the Scrolls mark ? ), but ...

A few MMO's had been developed to work on both a PC and a 360/PS3 ... the problem was mostly to do with screen estate and UI systems.
If your UI is developed to cater to the gamepad, it will be by nature clunky and wierd on a keyboard and mouse system, and a K+M system wouldnt work on a Console (unless the console had a K+M added, which basically negates the whole console feel of chilling on the sofa with the pad ).
Screen estate is the font size and size of the UI elements, must be huge for console players as you must assume the majority will be playing at a safe viewing distance from the TV, the same UI then shown on a PC would look like a child first reading book.

Let each system use the systems that works the best ? Well , that leads to unfair advantages between the types of players... imagine a PvP match in WoW where one is using the K+M with shortcuts and macros, and the other is using a gamepad to navigate and access abilies.
So, then simply dont allow cross playform interaction... ah, but then you split the base into 2 distinct groups and each group would require special attention, twice the effort for a base split in 2 which requires twice the hardware to serve both bases.
MMO's die just trying to keep up on the overheads of ONE market base, catering to 2 will be a nightmare.

 

[Cognimancer]

The Elder Scrolls Online May Bring Tamriel to Consoles

Despite these theories, ZeniMax Online has no official plans for bringing The Elder Scrolls Online to consoles.

Misleading thread title is very misleading.

The title was not meant to mislead. ZeniMax has not made any kind of official announcement because that's too far in the future to make any promises, but the head of the studio is expressing interest in a possible console port. They may pursue that once they've finished making the game itself, but the keyword of course is "may."

 

[FogHornG36]

The elder scrolls universe isn't really that exciting, the games are fun, but how many people really go into the game's libraries, and read the books to learn the history of the elder scrolls universe? I only know one person who has ever done it, everyone else, myself included just want to run out and kill stuff and lute dungeons.

 

[Al-Bundy-da-G]

A lot of that has been thanks to design problems that people haven't focused on a lot, such as typing and controlling at the same time."

Finally the real issue. How can you control your avatar and type at the same time. The answer so obvious that we missed it completely. On sale now,
"X-TRA Hands"[small]TM[/small]. With an extra pair of hands you can now type 1337 speak to yo boys and pwn dem at de same time.

Sorry. What we talking about?

 

[greenice]

A lot of that has been thanks to design problems that people haven't focused on a lot, such as typing and controlling at the same time."

Finally the real issue. How can you control your avatar and type at the same time. The answer so obvious that we missed it completely. On sale now,
"X-TRA Hands"[small]TM[/small]. With an extra pair of hands you can now type 1337 speak to yo boys and pwn dem at de same time.

Sorry. What we talking about?

If you don't mind me asking, where is that 8-bit Deadpool from?
OT: To me it just looks like WOW in the TES universe, which may have some degree of succes because of the name, but I doubt it's going to make huge amounts money.But then again I'm not really an MMO guy, so what do I know.

 

[chaos order]

The elder scrolls universe isn't really that exciting, the games are fun, but how many people really go into the game's libraries, and read the books to learn the history of the elder scrolls universe? I only know one person who has ever done it, everyone else, myself included just want to run out and kill stuff and lute dungeons.

I do.. i love doing that. Given i dont read every book or note, but i do like the lore and the atmosphere of the game. its the main reason I like oblivion and skyrim over the fallout games

 

[Al-Bundy-da-G]

If you don't mind me asking, where is that 8-bit Deadpool from?

Cropped it out of a piece by Killingraptor off Deviantart.

 

[dangoball]

One aspect of the current MMO market that doesn't concern Firor is the competition. Skyrim's success seems to have proven the popularity of the Elder Scrolls series, and Firor believes that the IP can compete with other fantasy MMOs like World of Warcraft and Guild Wars 2.

Waaait a second! I seem to recall some similar claim made by some other to-be WoW killer... What was it? Ah, yes! Star Wars: The Old Republic! Based on popular fictional universe and see where that got them. Definitely not on par with WoW.
And personally I think SW is more popular than TES, just by the fact SW actually spans multiple media.

 

[Ukomba]

One aspect of the current MMO market that doesn't concern Firor is the competition. Skyrim's success seems to have proven the popularity of the Elder Scrolls series, and Firor believes that the IP can compete with other fantasy MMOs like World of Warcraft and Guild Wars 2.

Waaait a second! I seem to recall some similar claim made by some other to-be WoW killer... What was it? Ah, yes! Star Wars: The Old Republic! Based on popular fictional universe and see where that got them. Definitely not on par with WoW.
And personally I think SW is more popular than TES, just by the fact SW actually spans multiple media.

And SWTOR had the advantage of a scifi setting over the standard fantasy one. This is sounding like a Fantasy version of SWTOR. A fantasy version of SWTOR is WoW.

 

[ScruffyMcBalls]

I won't play this, I'll state that now. But I might be tempted to try it out on a console, but still doubtful.
I would like to see more console MMOs, as apposed to PC MMOs. I mean, there's about six, possibly seven MMOs off the top of my head that I'll be playing by this time 2013 on my PC, I'd rather have another online experience but on a TV, something I could lounge with. That's why I'm annoyed I've missed out on the console MMOs of the past, would love to see something similar come around again.

 

[Tradjus]

Elder Scrolls Fan since Morrowind.
Predicting this will be a flop, it's not a T.E.S game, it's same old, same old MMO pap.
Even if this makes it to consoles ( It won't ) it'll be a flop, that's a guarantee from me personally. It's just like the Syndicate thing, you can't throw in the face of every fan of a franchise by changing genres and utterly gutting everything that made the originals good, then expect them too lap it up like good little kittens.