Bethesda Nods to Minecraft in Skyrim

[Greg Tito]

Bethesda Nods to Minecraft in Skyrim

Legal wrangling be damned, Bethesda devs still show Notch some respect.

Bethesda's parent corporation is involved in a defend their ownership of Elder Scrolls [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/112106-Bethesda-Says-Mojangs-Scrolls-Infringes-on-Elder-Scrolls-Mark] in the future. Of course, all the legal mumbo-jumbo doesn't mean the developers at Bethesda Softworks do not respect all Markus "Notch" Persson has done with Minecraft. To prove it, over the weekend, careful players of Skyrim found an Easter egg tribute to Mojang's breakthrough game.



On the top of a mountain called the Throat of the World in Skyrim, you can find a conspicuous artifact embedded in the rock. Examination will show a mining pick that looks a lot the implement used in Minecraft. Even the name of the tool - "Notched Pickaxe" - has a familiar ring to it.

I have yet to discover the pick myself - I've only just created my High Elf fighter/mage last night - but I'm glad the Easter egg is there in Skyrim. Let the lawyers battle it out in court [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/113339-Mojang-and-Bethesda-Are-Going-to-Court]; the people who actually program and design games at Mojang and Bethesda still have a healthy respect for each other.

Source: Geekology [http://ology.com/technology/bethesda-leaves-minecraft-easter-egg-skyrim]

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[EvolutionKills]

This is what I like to see. Good on Bethesda.

 

[DasDestroyer]

Now if only Notch could add something that reminds us of Skyrim in Minecraft... oh wait, Ender Dragons!

Also, High Elves ftw

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

That's really awesome. I need to find that pickaxe now.

 

[Zoe Castillo]

There is a difference between Bethesda?s lawyers and Bethesda itself .

 

[CardinalPiggles]

See now I saw a video showing this on YouTube, and I didn't believe it was an easter egg then, and I still don't, what evidence is there to say it is?

Has anyone considered it to be a coincidence? Or is everyone jumping to conclusions?

 

[The Lugz]

why didn't they make it worth 257 gold?

( steel pickaxe data value in mine-craft )
value : 257
just.. you know, missed opportunity.

I'll be lead Easter-egg designer for anyone who wants to hire me btw!

 

[Ruwrak]

That is actually pretty funny.

"No hard feelings." is what they say x3

 

[Frostbite3789]

See now I saw a video showing this on YouTube, and I didn't believe it was an easter egg then, and I still don't, what evidence is there to say it is?

Has anyone considered it to be a coincidence? Or is everyone jumping to conclusions?

Not to mention the general internet seems to be saying that there was also a Notched Pickaxe in Oblivion.

So either Bethesda has a time machine, or people just want to think what they want to think.

 

[Strixvaliano]

See now I saw a video showing this on YouTube, and I didn't believe it was an easter egg then, and I still don't, what evidence is there to say it is?

Has anyone considered it to be a coincidence? Or is everyone jumping to conclusions?

That's the first thing I thought as well.

Something that really stood out at me in the article was "Examination will show a mining pick that looks a lot the implement used in Minecraft." I didn't much expect a mining pick to look like a mining pick. Is it different looking or more pixelated than the other picks?

I would also like to believe if it was an easter egg it would have been more of a nod and not something so vague. It could just be notched from being "used" and then "weathered" so much.

Also it is a magical item so it would be more likely for it to have a special name to differentiate itself from all the normal pickaxes.

I guess now that these two entities are intertwined people will start seeing these little tidbits all over. Case in point, a thread I saw somewhere (possibly here or GameFAQs) where someone thought Iron Ore veins were an easter egg to Minecraft.

 

[Sparrow]

See now I saw a video showing this on YouTube, and I didn't believe it was an easter egg then, and I still don't, what evidence is there to say it is?

Has anyone considered it to be a coincidence? Or is everyone jumping to conclusions?

Someone also said this on the facebook comments, I'll just post here what I posted there

If it isn't an easter egg what is a lone pickaxe doing embedded in a rock at the top of a mountain? If it were in a room or a crate or somewhere you'd expect to find a pickaxe I'd be inclined to agree with you. As it stands it is just too remote and hard to get to location for such a simple thing that I don't think it can be anything but an easter egg.

Nope. [http://www.justpushstart.com/2011/11/14/skyrim-does-not-have-a-minecraft-easter-egg-after-all/] Just a regular old pickaxe apparently.

 

[Vault Citizen]

See now I saw a video showing this on YouTube, and I didn't believe it was an easter egg then, and I still don't, what evidence is there to say it is?

Has anyone considered it to be a coincidence? Or is everyone jumping to conclusions?

Someone also said this on the facebook comments, I'll just post here what I posted there

If it isn't an easter egg what is a lone pickaxe doing embedded in a rock at the top of a mountain? If it were in a room or a crate or somewhere you'd expect to find a pickaxe I'd be inclined to agree with you. As it stands it is just too remote and hard to get to location for such a simple thing that I don't think it can be anything but an easter egg.

Edit, I've contacted the press relations person for Bethesda and asked, hopefully this should be cleared up soon.

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

Nice!
Always loved easter eggs... the digital type AND the chocolately too!
Anyway, this is awesome and very awesome some more and then sprinkled with epic.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

See now I saw a video showing this on YouTube, and I didn't believe it was an easter egg then, and I still don't, what evidence is there to say it is?

Has anyone considered it to be a coincidence? Or is everyone jumping to conclusions?

Someone also said this on the facebook comments, I'll just post here what I posted there

If it isn't an easter egg what is a lone pickaxe doing embedded in a rock at the top of a mountain? If it were in a room or a crate or somewhere you'd expect to find a pickaxe I'd be inclined to agree with you. As it stands it is just too remote and hard to get to location for such a simple thing that I don't think it can be anything but an easter egg.

I'm not saying it's absolutely not in any way an easter egg, I'm just saying it's not exactly cleat cut is it? Maybe it's all the way up there in that hard to reach place because it's a magical item.

People can believe what they want, but I still don't think it is an easter egg until Bethesda say, yeah we put that in there for Notch.

 

[Misterian]

I already discovered this pickaxe just after I finished the Main Quest, I decided to climb to the top of the Throat of The World triumphantly and shout to myself 'DOHVAAAAAKIIIIIN'!

And then I found the Pickaxe. and I took it.

 

[Baldr]

I picked up that pickaxe this morning. I totally missed the reference.

 

[Vault Citizen]

I already discovered this pickaxe just after I finished the Main Quest, I decided to climb to the top of the Throat of The World triumphantly and shout to myself 'DOHVAAAAAKIIIIIN'!

And then I found the Pickaxe. and I took it.

Is it a magic pickaxe?

See now I saw a video showing this on YouTube, and I didn't believe it was an easter egg then, and I still don't, what evidence is there to say it is?

Has anyone considered it to be a coincidence? Or is everyone jumping to conclusions?

Someone also said this on the facebook comments, I'll just post here what I posted there

If it isn't an easter egg what is a lone pickaxe doing embedded in a rock at the top of a mountain? If it were in a room or a crate or somewhere you'd expect to find a pickaxe I'd be inclined to agree with you. As it stands it is just too remote and hard to get to location for such a simple thing that I don't think it can be anything but an easter egg.

I'm not saying it's absolutely not in any way an easter egg, I'm just saying it's not exactly cleat cut is it? Maybe it's all the way up there in that hard to reach place because it's a magical item.

People can believe what they want, but I still don't think it is an easter egg until Bethesda say, yeah we put that in there for Notch.

I just can't see any other conceivable reason for it. If I do get a response from Bethesda that proves me wrong however I will admit to having egg on my face.

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

I found this, but I never went so far in my speculations that I figured a pickaxe had anything to do with minecraft.