Bethesda and Zenimax Announce The Elder Scrolls Online Release Date

[StewShearerOld]

Bethesda and Zenimax Announce The Elder Scrolls Online Release Date

Zenimax Online has announced an April 2014 release date for The Elder Scrolls Online.

Since the game was first announced <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/117074-Bethesda-Announces-The-Elder-Scrolls-Online>back in 2012, there has been tangible anticipation for The Elder Scrolls Online. It's not hard to see why. Setting aside the fact that The Elder Scrolls series as a whole enjoys a fairly dedicated fan base, the franchise's most recent entry, Skyrim, was arguably one of the definitive games of the last console generation.

All of this said, those fans eagerly awaiting the arrival of the series' first online entry will be pleased to find out that its developers at Zenimax Online have finally revealed when the game will hit stores. The Elder Scrolls Online on PC and Mac will release on April 4th, 2014. The console versions will, in turn, be released a few months later in June.

Alongside this news, the studio has also <a href=http://www.warcry.com/news/view/130420-The-Elder-Scrolls-Onlines-Release-Date-Revealed>unveiled a new trailer showing off the game's implementation of larger scale battles. The "War in Cyrodiil" trailer features armies, siege weaponry and, of course, a booming soundtrack and choir to help put across just how epic it all is. Not that it isn't, or anything. So take the next few months to finish up any vital business, because come April we're expecting we'll all be embroiled in the conflict to claim the Ruby Throne.

Source: <a href=http://www.warcry.com/news/view/130420-The-Elder-Scrolls-Onlines-Release-Date-Revealed>WarCry


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[Naqel]

Release date for the F2P version is 05-05-15.

 

[SilverUchiha]

Looking forward to trying this out. Not sure if I'll actually get it since MMOs aren't usually my kind of game. But the chance to explore more Elder Scrolls verse would be kind of cool if the game is actually good.

 

[shintakie10]

Am I really the only person who plays Elder Scrolls games and doesn't think "You know what this needs? Random assholes I dont know messin with my experience" because it honestly feels that way when I see how excited people are for ESO.

Don't get me wrong. I love me some MMO's. I play WoW constantly. I play Champions sometimes. I'm one of the hundred people that actually plays and enjoys STO. I'm incredibly stoked to play Wildstar.

I just can't get into the idea of these sprawling single player games turnin into gigantic clusterfucks of other people.

 

[EbonBehelit]

I wouldn't be surprised if Blizzard released Warlords of Draenor shortly beforehand.

 

[teebeeohh]

look guys, 11.11.11 for skyrim was cool and all but you will never have that again. you could have released a ginat expansion for skyrim on 12.12.12 but you didn't so suck it up

 

[Legion]

Am I really the only person who plays Elder Scrolls games and doesn't think "You know what this needs? Random assholes I dont know messin with my experience" because it honestly feels that way when I see how excited people are for ESO.

Don't get me wrong. I love me some MMO's. I play WoW constantly. I play Champions sometimes. I'm one of the hundred people that actually plays and enjoys STO. I'm incredibly stoked to play Wildstar.

I just can't get into the idea of these sprawling single player games turnin into gigantic clusterfucks of other people.

I'd much prefer a co-op experience like Borderlands.

Skyrim/Fallout with 1-3 friends? That'd be something I'd like to see, assuming they did it properly.

 

[synobal]

Am I really the only person who plays Elder Scrolls games and doesn't think "You know what this needs? Random assholes I dont know messin with my experience" because it honestly feels that way when I see how excited people are for ESO.

Don't get me wrong. I love me some MMO's. I play WoW constantly. I play Champions sometimes. I'm one of the hundred people that actually plays and enjoys STO. I'm incredibly stoked to play Wildstar.

I just can't get into the idea of these sprawling single player games turnin into gigantic clusterfucks of other people.

I'd much prefer a co-op experience like Borderlands.

Skyrim/Fallout with 1-3 friends? That'd be something I'd like to see, assuming they did it properly.

ya I was amazed they went the MMO route rather than a co op route. But no, MMO's are suppose to be big cash cows, though almost no one makes that much of mmo's WoW and Eve Online being the only really successful mmo's with subscription models. The f2p model seems to be doing better, as a group though no one is having quite the success wow is.

 

[funksobeefy]

Oh boy, so the lose of another great single player franchise has a date? Great

 

[Scarim Coral]

Wow an awesome game coming out right on my Birthday!

Ok I really need to get into the franchise (haven't played Skyrim yet eventhough my pc should be able to handle it) so should I hope right into the online game since I am into fantasy MMORPG?

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

I kinda like it but they need to do away with auto aim and allow people to free build more. The classes are not bad but why bother having them when you have the skill system is beyond me. ALl in all its half right and was neat.

 

[Amir Kondori]

PC/Mac getting a jump on console is surprising.

My housemate was considering getting a PS4 just for ESO, but if it comes to PC first, he may just get a new desktop instead.

An MMO coming to PC ahead of console isn't that surprising.

I played in the beta and didn't like the game at all. Of course I am a big Elder Scrolls fan but have yet to meet an MMO I liked, so that may be the reason.

 

[GundamSentinel]

I've always had a weird relationship with Elder Scrolls games. I both really love them and really really hate them. I love the world, concepts and the lore, but I hate the absolute shallowness of characters, story and gameplay. Making it an MMO doesn't seem like an improvement to me. At all.

 

[Pebkio]

Okay, something I haven't said yet, but I'm pretty sure of now: I'm not going to play. The last thing I want from my Elder Scrolls experience is sharing my adventure with other people.

In Morrwind you play as Nerevar Reborn.
In Oblivcion you play as someone chosen by fate to lead a line of Emperors to it's final conclusion.
In Skyrim you play as the Dragonborn who saves the world from the second coming of Big daddy Badass Dragon.
Now what'll we be playing as... adventurer 27? Or whatever number you happen to join as?

It's kinda hard feeling like you're playing through a Story Written on an Elder Scroll when you're camping a spawn point with ten other people. I understand that no game is a unique experience but at least I wasn't being reminded of that fact whenever someone took a kill before I could get to it because that someone is 25 levels higher and is helping a friend level faster. And even if it's all instanced like in Mabinogi, the feeling of being insignificant is inescapable.

For example, I could kill any random NPC in Morrowind and they'd be gone. Dead, and the entire nature of whatever factions they belonged to might change. I could do that whenever and to whomever and I'd have to face the consequences of that. Not in an MMO though, only through scripted events, and then only maybe.

I'll look forward to the next single-player game but this shit aint MY Elder Scrolls.

 

[Ken Sapp]

Played the betas, was not impressed. The graphics were nice but graphics are secondary or tertiary concerns when it comes to MMOs. My impression is that it is overly ambitious for a company that is taking its first steps into MMOs and it has all of the classic flaws of an MMO. It might be fun as a F2P like Guild Wars 2 where you purchase the game but have no ongoing subscription required to play, but I am not about to pay a subscription for the game as it is now. And, as previous posters have said, I would much rather play a small group co-op Elder Scrolls game with my friends, than an MMO with hundreds or thousands of players competing against each other.

When I play MMOs I tend to be soloing my way through everything that is not gated away and helping others where I can. I could not care less about guilds, raiding, and most world events as I don't have the free time to invest that deeply into a game. Two of the greatest innovations I liked about GW2 that I wish more games would do is letting everyone who participates in a fight or event benefit according to their contribution rather than making and gather points that only go away for the player that just harvested them instead of everyone on the server.

Maybe if ESO was innovative instead of looking like just another MMO with a coat of Elder Scrolls brand makeup thrown on top... Maybe then it would be worth it in my eyes, but not as it stands now.

 

[Amir Kondori]

An MMO coming to PC ahead of console isn't that surprising.

Well, no, but given the newness of the XB1/PS4 and the contracts that Microsoft/Sony have made developers sign regarding the release of their titles, I find it surprising that Bethesda would be allowed to release ESO (a title used to generate much hype for both consoles) for PC/Mac first.

But yeah, like you, I'm not really into MMOs (especially F2P titles). But my housemate is.

You are speaking of exclusives, with the new consoles publishers have more power than the console manufacturers as Sony and Microsoft are competing for high quality exclusive games. They have to make concessions, in terms of percentages, in terms of advertising matching, etc., in order to secure these exclusives. Microsoft and Sony only get to dictate which platform gets it first if it manages to negotiate an exclusivity contract, whether time based or lifetime.

ESO knows most of its players will likely be on PC so they are targeting PC as lead platform and releasing there first. I have played the ESO beta and didn't like it, but I am a die hard Elder Scrolls fan and almost as die hard a hater of MMO games.