Report: Bethesda Working On Elder Scrolls MMO

[Sonic Doctor]

I really don't think this will work. I don't know exactly why, but I just won't work. Probably the whole single player aspect of the series. The vast majority of the fan base plays it because it is single player.

Why does every game have to have a multiplayer aspect, they don't. Seriously, we need to at least keep a few franchises free of such things. We can't let the proper single player only games die out, games where people can get a rich experience by themselves with out the occasional moron messing up the game.

uh oh... Turbine might have compation for its MMOBH (thats massively multiplayer onling bug hunt).

I can't say that I have seen bugs while playing Turbine MMOs, though then again, the only one I played was Lord of the Rings Online, for over a year.

 

[Lectori Salutem]

Oh there has, it's been discussed on this site in forums lots of times. And don't let it bother you dude. IF you don't like it don't play it.

I know, it doesn't really bother me that much actually. Though it might mean it'll take some time before we get another (non-mmo) elder scrolls game. Oh, well..

 

[-Samurai-]

So an MMO with 1.2 million rogues, and about 100 people using other builds?

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

An openworld Elder Scrolls MMO would probably be successful. Not that I would buy it but the fanbase is there.

 

[Yankeedoodles]

Ughh... I hope not. I have nothing against MMOs (except for the fact that they seem to have the same effect on people and their finances as a narcotic) it's a potentially hugely lucrative business. But Bethesda working on an MMO means that they are diverting resources away from the next single player Elder Scrolls game. And I want to see Akavir/Summerset Isles goshdarnit!

 

[walrusaurus]

PS here's my bet for the factions:
Dragons: Dovahkiin led or inspired "rebellion" (possibly including NPC Dragons)
Lions: The Cyrodiil Empire
Bird of Prey: The Aldmeri Dominion

The Dragon would almost definitely be representative of the Cyrodillic Empire. The dragon has always represented AKatosh, the deity through whom the emperor's claim their divine right.

The Akavir would be one of the factions (all those old ruins in Oblivion were Akaviri, and if you played Knights of the Nine you learned a lot more about them). The Aldmeri Dominion would indeed be the third. Now which of those would be the lion and the pheonix I don't really know.

 

[chadachada123]

As long as there are no children in the game.

That, or you have the ability to slap their fucking faces if they mouth off like they do in every Bethesda game.

 

[spartan231490]

I think it's odd that Bathesda would announce this before even the first skyrim DLC, but I wouldn't be too surprised. Still, unless it's F2P I just cannot afford.

 

[TheDrunkNinja]

The Elder Scrolls have come in many ways, shapes, and forms, but they've always had one creed to live by: Exploration.

I can understand the tempting concept of having an MMO sized world to explore, but ultimately the experience would be diminished by the hundreds of other players running around grinding respawning monsters, screwing around in the chat, and jumping around like maniacs.

 

[Dr Jones]

Double points to anyone who can craft a convincing argument for how this game might topple Blizzard's World of Warcraft empire.

it would be on consoles ? i mean it would right ? Elder Scrolls is on consoles.

there has never been a "breakthrough" console MMO.

its one of those things that everyone knows will happen at some point but simply hasn't happened yet.

this, if true, is a very serious contender.


PS here's my bet for the factions:
Dragons: Dovahkiin led or inspired "rebellion" (possibly including NPC Dragons)
Lions: The Cyrodiil Empire
Bird of Prey: The Aldmeri Dominion

As stated it would likely take place in the 2nd era, the Dragonborn returns chapter is in the 4th era (several hundred years away).

 

[Necrofudge]

When I first saw this article, I was upset with the idea of turning an immersive single player world into a more watered down MMO version.

Still, if they make it in the second era, I'd pretty much have to buy it just to experience all the lore that the writers would throw in about an era that hasn't been reflected in any of the 5 games.

Although honestly I'd kind of prefer the first era with Alessia and the humans rebelling from slavery under the Ayleids and all that.

 

[Hungry Donner]

When Zenimax Online Studios was founded several years back many people on Bethesda's forums assumed they'd be working on an Elder Scrolls MMORPG. A brand new ip was hardly unthinkable, but why skip out on a well-known RPG franchise when you have access to it? Still, until the game is officially announced I'm going to be extremely skeptical of any supposed leaks, particularly from sites I've never heard of.

Double points to anyone who can craft a convincing argument for how this game might topple Blizzard's World of Warcraft empire.

That's easy. First, let's look at the situation that led to WoW's early success. At the time there was a glut of MMOs on the market, so why did WoW rise to the top?

1. WoW was released by a well-known and well-liked studio
2. WoW used a popular IP with a large established fan base
3. WoW was released about two years after WC3, allowing it to ride off of the previous game's popularity.
4. WoW was released around the time EverQuest, the previous juggernaut, was starting to wind down.

Assuming ZOS is working on an Elder Scrolls MMORPG and it's released in the next year or so they'll have a very similar situation set up:

1. Bethesda Softworks is a well-known and well-liked company
2. Such a game would use a popular IP with a large established fan base
3. This title will show up about a year or two after Skyrim, allowing it to ride off of the previous game's popularity.
4. WoW is starting to wind down, so this new game could benefit from people looking to jump ship for a new experience

SWTOR fulfills these as well, and it may be the next MMO juggernaut - but it wouldn't surprise me if SWTOR and an Elder Scrolls MMORPG can coexist together. They're very different settings.

ZOS, unlikely Bioware or Blizzard, isn't well known and doesn't start with the letter B. However I suspect their project will generally be understood to be Bethesda's, which fulfills both of these. That's a bit unfair to ZOS, which has some talented devs in its own right. However ZOS is a sister-studio of Bethesda's so least they're being mistaken for a similar-looking relation.

 

[Jake the Snake]

Sigh, no, please don't let this be true. The reason I like the Elder Scrolls series is BECAUSE it is single player. An MMO would just...leave a sour taste in my mouth. Kind of undermines the whole epicness of it.

 

[ZexionSephiroth]

I'm not even going to mention the beast-men introduction that was basicly unheard of other than shapeshifter's(which is a very insignificant number) in Tolkien lore. Or their own unique take on the origins of vastly different cultures within Mer and Men, which is contrasts the whole "elves are enlightened and at the end of their existance" and "men are teh last hopez!". Im not going to mention probably the most significant piece of lore the Elder Scrolls themselves or perhaps even just as important, the Daedra.

But yeah, other than basicly anything that goes into detail beyond "There are men and elves..." i guess it is unoriginal.

Edit: just to clarify, i do agree with you that an ES:MMO is a bad idea (unless Akiviri are involved) but don't call ES lore unoriginal.

As an intermidiate between this view and the other... both sides have a point on whether ES is origional or not. The Elder Scrolls series has plenty of things I haven't seen in other fantasy games, and other fantasy games can have the same said of them too. While at the same time, it's hard to ignore that most fantsy games are built from some kind of template; Humans, elves, swords, sorcery. Elder Scrolls did a lot of building away from that template, but still has the same root template buried under it with a corner of it sticking up.

(Interlude): I wonder why fantasy games don't take a leaf from Mon' games and Mon' Anime? A race that looks like a wolf with drills coming out of it's body would be awesome. Or maybe something where a blade is literally part of their body, Like on a tail or extended past the hands? Hay maybe have a race that is made of solidified magic, a beast version of that race would be awesome.

Now on to ES MMO being a bad idea: while an MMO is a suitable way of going about a game for the purpose of exploration like ES, the problem is that none of the other elements of ES Suit MMOs. The idea is complete freedom to explore and become stronger and more equiped at your own pace and in your own direction, something that MMOs have a habit of stifleing. MMOs are three paces away from rail-roading someone down a set path, and once you reach "the end game" they rail-road you completely by having only one way of progressing to the next event; made worse by the fact that you need people to help you get through. And if there's one thing I know about people forced into helping eachother, it's that they are irritable, unorganized and utterly incompetant when there is no clear leader; in which the problem is that nobody wants to be leader, it's too much work and the rest of the game takes too much of their lives away anyways!

*HUFF* *HUFF* *Pant* *Wheeze* Okay, that's enough of a rant on that side of things for now.

 

[mig_853]

There is no curse in Elvish, Entish, or the tongues of Men for this treachery.

 

[Dango]

PS here's my bet for the factions:
Dragons: Dovahkiin led or inspired "rebellion" (possibly including NPC Dragons)
Lions: The Cyrodiil Empire
Bird of Prey: The Aldmeri Dominion

Unfortunately, that makes no sense, as none of those existed in the Second Era.

 

[Faerillis]

I could believe that there would be an Elder Scrolls MMO, just not what they're saying.

I can't imagine 3 Player Factions can work well in an MMO.
They can't place this before the Elder Scrolls game without absolutely destroying the lore.
I could see them having it during the years between Oblivion and Skyrim (not after, unless they can think of a way of resolving the matter of player choices in the Stormcloak-Imperial conflict) as there was plenty of open conflict in that time.
The game systems of TES absolutely would not work in a game with more than one character. So it'll be set in the Elder Scrolls universe, but it won't play like one of their games.

Don't get me wrong, I want an Elder Scrolls MMO, I just believe most of this information is false.

Make it a console MMO and they will destroy WoW. First console MMO that does well... screw WoW and its catering to people even with low end computers, a good console MMO will get a ridiculous amount of players i'd say. Even more than WoW's peak of 12 or 13 million maybe...

Yes screw people with low end computers, make an MMO for devices with far less computing power!

 

[Eleima]

Second Era, three players factions... Yeah, why not, could be legit.

If it is legit, however, I'm not touching an Elder Scrolls MMO, not with a ten foot pole. I've been playing TES since day one, but there's no chance I'd play a MMO. For starters, I like games I can pause and leave running if needed. And I don't like the concept of sharing Tamriel with a bunch of other players. TES has always been solitary experience in my book.

 

[00slash00]

topple wow? hahaha, ill be a little surprised if it lasts a year. whats the point though? yeah hardcore fans that have played all the elder scrolls games might be excited about this but we already have plenty of fantasy mmorpgs that dont have a story, and a bunch of them are free. worst of all, an mmo is expensive and time consuming. seems hard to believe that they would continue putting out single player elder scrolls games that are as good as skyrim (and i wasnt even that big a fan of skyrim)

i think theyd have more success with a fallout mmo. or better yet, no mmo at all

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Well, May isn't to far away, so if it is true, we will know soon.