Elder Scrolls Online Beta Invites Roll Out This Month

[Andy Chalk]

Elder Scrolls Online Beta Invites Roll Out This Month

Bethesda has written up a handy FAQ detailing everything you need to know about the looming Elder Scrolls Online beta test.

The Elder Scrolls Online promises to be a Pretty Big Deal as MMOs go, and while the ugly failure of Star Wars: The Old Republic is a constant reminder that nothing is carved in stone, if anything is going to be able to shake up the genre (and shake loose World of Warcraft's death grip on it), it's Bethesda's long-running RPG franchise. The closed beta testing will be starting soon and if you're one of the many hopefuls who signed up to take part, here's what you can expect.

The first round of beta invitations will be sent out around the end of March, beginning with small groups of "focused testers" who will take part in scheduled beta events, typically held on weekends, which will run for a limited time and focus on a specific aspect of the game. Beta events will become longer and more frequent as the game gets closer to release, and of course more testers will be added as it goes.

Testers will be selected for each beta based on various criteria, such as a stated preference for a certain type of content - PvP, PvE, that sort of thing - or who live in a certain area or have specific PC specs. An invitation to one event does not guarantee you'll be asked to participate in another, and those who do get the call will be receive an email link to the client, which weighs in at around 20GB - so don't dawdle with the downloading.

I don't know what the odds of actually getting into the beta at this early stage may be, although I suspect they're likely somewhere just south of "zip," but if you're the optimistic sort and want to keep yourself informed, check out the whole thing at elderscrollsonline.com [http://elderscrollsonline.com/en/news/post/2013/03/01/your-beta-questions-answered].


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[Mr Cwtchy]

Frankly I don't care if it 'unseats WoW' or not, I just want it to be a good game.

 

[SonOfMethuselah]

I think the whole notion of 'unseating WoW' is, and always has been, a silly one. If that's your stated goal, then your development failed long before it began. If you can carve out a niche for yourself in the market, that should be good enough, and that should be what you're aiming for. Trying to rip ten million players (or whatever WoW's numbers are at these days) out of one game with the hope of hooking them on another is just unrealistic.

OT: Neat. I signed up ages ago. Hopefully I get a chance at some point. Getting into the beta is the only way I'm going to be able to try this game. I refuse to ever play an MMO with a subscription fee again: it racks up way too quickly. If at any point, this goes free-to-play, I'll try it for sure, but other than that, as much as I enjoy The Elder Scrolls games, this one is definitely a pass.

 

[Akexi]

Frankly I don't care if it 'unseats WoW' or not, I just want it to be a good game.

My thoughts exactly. I have hopes of this game being an enjoyable experience, not being some end all be all mmo. While some good things can definitely be taken from World of Warcraft, merely doing a cut and paste for a different setting is not going to cut it.

 

[Agayek]

It's going to fail and go F2P in 6 months, calling it now.

It's going to be another sub-par WoW clone, much like TOR was, and by virtue of such will fail utterly.

 

[lancar]

Despite the growing number of mmo corpses at the base of mount WoW, SWTOR was hailed as the one game that had a shot against it.

Now TESO is the same? Gimme a break.

It'll crash and burn like the rest if they think they can challenge WoW on its own turf.

 

[felbot]

It's going to fail and go F2P in 6 months, calling it now.

It's going to be another sub-par WoW clone, much like TOR was, and by virtue of such will fail utterly.

i disagree good sir, i think its probably going to be f2p in about 5 months.

anyway on topic, star wars couldn't de throne the mmo throne, I have no idea why this game would try and do it.

 

[Lunar Templar]

snip

Something accrued to me while reading this.

As a big a deal as TSE online going into closed beta is (I have no doubt there are more then a few on this site signed up for it)

Why is this the only MMO beta I've heard about? I had to have a friend tell about Warframe, and I'm sure there are other MMO's just as note worthy, if for no other reason the being an original IP, out there.

 

[Falterfire]

I think the whole notion of 'unseating WoW' is, and always has been, a silly one. If that's your stated goal, then your development failed long before it began. If you can carve out a niche for yourself in the market, that should be good enough, and that should be what you're aiming for. Trying to rip ten million players (or whatever WoW's numbers are at these days) out of one game with the hope of hooking them on another is just unrealistic.

Normally, yes, but when it comes to subscription model fantasy based MMOs, you're basically straight up saying you're trying to compete with WoW. I can't think of any other Subscription Fantasy MMOs that lived long before going F2P whether they were directly challenging WoW or not.

Plus there's the whole thing where as far as I know literally every single subscription based MMO that has launched in the past two years has gone free to play within the first year. Certainly all the biggest ones.

 

[Chessrook44]

I can't think of any other Subscription Fantasy MMOs that lived long before going F2P whether they were directly challenging WoW or not.

Everquest. You know, the one WoW took the title from in the first place.

Also, to those saying ESO will topple WoW, need I remind you how the company has made some of the buggiest (If most expansive and immersive) games out there? I predict patches every other day.

[PleasenoteI'mjusttryingtomakeajokeIlikedtheirgamesIdon'thatethempleasedon'tburnme]

 

[Falterfire]

Everquest. You know, the one WoW took the title from in the first place.

Allow me to rephrase then: Any Fantasy MMO that launched AFTER WoW.

 

[SonOfMethuselah]

I think the whole notion of 'unseating WoW' is, and always has been, a silly one. If that's your stated goal, then your development failed long before it began. If you can carve out a niche for yourself in the market, that should be good enough, and that should be what you're aiming for. Trying to rip ten million players (or whatever WoW's numbers are at these days) out of one game with the hope of hooking them on another is just unrealistic.

Normally, yes, but when it comes to subscription model fantasy based MMOs, you're basically straight up saying you're trying to compete with WoW. I can't think of any other Subscription Fantasy MMOs that lived long before going F2P whether they were directly challenging WoW or not.

Plus there's the whole thing where as far as I know literally every single subscription based MMO that has launched in the past two years has gone free to play within the first year. Certainly all the biggest ones.

You've a point. WoW does have such a huge slice of the market that it's difficult for any other MMO to really get a piece. I mean, aside from WoW, I can only think of two other subscription-based MMOs that have managed to stay afloat. It's definitely a tough market to elbow your way into. I suppose predicting that this one will have to turn to the F2P space to save itself wouldn't be completely ridiculous, at this point, Elder Scrolls game or not.

Also, to those saying ESO will topple WoW, need I remind you how the company has made some of the buggiest (If most expansive and immersive) games out there? I predict patches every other day.

[PleasenoteI'mjusttryingtomakeajokeIlikedtheirgamesIdon'thatethempleasedon'tburnme]

Does the fact that the development of the game is being handled by Zenimax Online, and not Bethesda, change your opinion any? Not saying your wrong, or anything. Just curious.

 

[Tradjus]

Swtor had 200 Million bucks poured into it by E.A, and guess what, it hasn't turned a single dime of profit yet.
That was the game that had the best chance out of any MMO ever of "Killing" WoW and it failed out of the gate because E.A told Bioware too make a bad copy of WoW and then staple the Star Wars license onto it.
If Zenimax has made another bad copy of WoW and is going to just staple the Elder Scrolls license onto it, it'll fail just as spectacularly, and despite being a fan of the Elder Scrolls, I'll laugh it up over their idiocy.

 

[xyrafhoan]

Considering that TESO runs off the Hero Engine, same as TOR... my hopes for this game is not high. The engine makes or breaks a game and if it's anything like TOR it'll run terribly. Not to mention the gameplay already just looks way too similar to a large number of games on the market, WoW of course being one of those games that comes to mind. Back before WoW came out, and shortly after, there were so many risks taken with the MMO format. Ragnarok Online, Everquest, Final Fantasy 11, and EVE Online are drastically different games and all of them are still around to this day. Maybe not in the best shape, but they're around and have their dedicated fanbases. Now, it seems like most MMOs are just aiming for fleeting success trying to cash in on the familiar "MMO" genre, instead of taking cues from games in general and looking at ways to make an innovative massive multiplayer game.

 

[Chessrook44]

Everquest. You know, the one WoW took the title from in the first place.

Allow me to rephrase then: Any Fantasy MMO that launched AFTER WoW.

I think LOTRO lasted a good while before it went F2P. DDO too.

 

[Legion]

If they try and be WOW, it will fail. They need to give players something they can't get from WOW apart from lore and character differences.

 

[Ickorus]

Has a dev actually said that this game is going to be subscription based? The only news I can find on it is from an analyst and those guys don't have a particularly brilliant track record when it comes to games.

OT: I got a full bar when I signed up for the beta so I feel like I have a pretty good chance of getting in early so I'm really looking forward to it.