Report: Bethesda Working On Elder Scrolls MMO

[Earnest Cavalli]

Report: Bethesda Working On Elder Scrolls MMO

If a recent report is to be believed, you may soon be exploring the world of Tamriel alongside, like, a billion other dudes.

This news comes from Tom's Guide, a site that while quite respectable isn't the sort of place you'd expect to break this kind of story. Still, they claim that anonymous industry sources have told them that Bethesda Softworks "will officially announce Elder Scrolls Online in May 2012."

Not entirely unexpected, given the lucrative potential of the MMO genre and how well the Elder Scrolls setting would lend itself to a vast, open-world online title, right?

Even more damning however, is the specificity in this anonymous source's claims. Tom's Guide reports:

An industry source that wishes to remain anonymous revealed the name of the new MMO to us, and confirmed that the game would take place a full millennium before The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Using the Elder Scrolls Wiki timeline as a guide, Elder Scrolls Online will likely take place during the "Second Era," or several hundred years before any of the other Elder Scrolls games. This information was corroborated by two additional sources before publication.

Elder Scrolls Online will have three playable factions, according to the tipster. Not much is known about the factions, except each is represented by one of three animals: A lion, a dragon, and a bird of prey (either a phoenix or an eagle, we aren't sure).

A May 2012 announcement would likely be followed by some sort of presence at E3, the annual Los Angeles video game convention. The game would also be shown at Quakecon 2012 in August, along with id Software's Doom 4 and several other titles.

Now, if this is all fabricated for some reason, I have to hand it to whoever dreamed this all up: it's very convincing, and sounds exactly like the sort of thing Bethesda would do if it had created an MMO based on the Elder Scrolls universe.

So now I guess we wait for official confirmation to find out how legit this all is. In the mean time, how about you guys take to the comments and leave an opinion or three? Do you want an Elder Scrolls MMO? Was Skyrim a bit too lonely for you? Are you suddenly concerned with how bug-ridden this game might be?

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

Source: Tom's Guide [http://www.tomsguide.com/us/ZeniMax-Bethesda-Elder-Scrolls-Online-MMO,news-14481.html]

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[Harbinger_]

I think it's questionable that it will topple the already toppling World of Warcraft as it is. Their previous attempts to wrangle new players hasn't really worked out well and if game news reports are to be believed they are losing more and more users.

I'll be looking forward to playing this after hearing from people that worked in the beta and find out exactly how glitched it is and how it holds up to other MMOs.

 

[Paragon Fury]

Not sure if I want other people interfering in my Elder Scrolls experience.......

 

[Stormz]

If an MMO is released the likely hood they make another singleplayer Elder Scrolls again is greatly diminished. Not every bloody franchise needs an MMO for crying out loud. I'm happy with the singleplayer and wouldn't want to see such a great series go to waste.

 

[Fasckira]

If its a console MMO then theres a small chance it could take off.

Otherwise, its a dreadful idea. Wouldn't mind a co-op so I can play with friends, but not fancying booting about with adventurers called "GoldenSword1212" and "xXArzerthXx". Kind of spoils the atmosphere you know?

 

[ZeroMachine]

... Eh... Having a multiplayer option in an Elder Scrolls game would be awesome. Having it an MMO... I don't know. I definitely WON'T play it if the combat is typical MMO fair. If it's Skyrim-like, maybe. But still. I don't know.

At the very least, considering the Dragon Break concept, it won't fuck up the universe.

 

[Bloodtrozorx]

I was immediately reminded of the Nord puzzle doors with 3 animals in Skyrim when it mentioned the 3 animal related factions.

OT: I'm likewise interested to see if this is console or PC...So many questions.

 

[Rad Party God]

Hmmm... I've already seen this rumor pop-up somewhere else, but not as detailed.

I'm an Elder Scrolls nut and sometimes I've kept wondering what it would be like if it was an MMO.
Not to be confused with me wanting it to be an MMO.

I don't know what to think about it, but until Bethesda says anything official, I'm very skeptical about it.

 

[Azuaron]

I disbelieve this claim. I just don't see Bethesda trying to make an MMO Elder Scrolls. The most we can probably hope for is a multiplayer Elder Scrolls.

Not that I'd want either one. When I Scroll, I Scroll alone. Yeah. With nobody else. You know when I Scroll alone, I prefer to be by myself.

 

[LorienvArden]

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

Because WoW will be nearly extinct once a proper MMO in the Elder Scrolls worlds would be finished if they started development after Skyrim.
They aren't keeping up with the industry, the game is stagnant and even hardcore players are jumping ship one after another. It's time is past. There is no such thing as a WoW-Killer, but WoW is dying of old age well enough on it's own.

A title like this takes a lot of time - not only because it's an MMO, but because TES players will expect more freedom then players of other franchises.
I'ld really hope for a polished game that would let players change the world they inhabit by ruling guilds, building outposts etc. but I suppose that will remain a pipedream.

TES Games are all about modding, tweaking and playing out specific scenarios for me. Most of my entertainment comes from my own imagination about the implications of my actions. That won't be possible in a MMO, unless it provides a very good sandbox system.

In conclusion, propably not my game of choice, but I'm mildly curious.

 

[Chubbs99]

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

although bugs aside I give a slight shoulder shrug. everything is being turned into an mmo... aside from the setting whats going to make it unique and hook me for a long life?

 

[fractured_sanity]

This stinks of ZeniMax trying to milk the success of Skyrim.

 

[ResonanceGames]

If it's essentially just another Elder Scrolls game with tons of other players in a huge world, I'm interested. If it's an MMO that's been plopped down into Tamriel, I couldn't care less. I really hope they don't go that direction.

 

[Doubler]

Oh yes, when looking out over the vast tundra or imposing mountain vistas in Skyrim I always thought 'this would be perfect if only there were 200 people running around slaying wolves'.

I can't even begin to imagine how badly an MMO might mess up TES lore and continuity, so forgive me if I hope this just stays a rumour forever. I'm pretty fed up with MMO's ruining beloved franchises and genres.

 

[Charli]

Mmmm I'd play it, I'd follow the development with curiosity, if they can finally nab the console crowd into a solid MMO then they've won, WoW has been toppled, no questions asked.

But they need to do an utterly tight as all feesable comprehension job, and overlooking glitches isn't going to fly in the MMO world. Something Bethesda aren't 100% on.

If they can iron out, sew it up right and balance it enough, this could be the one.
But I am a skeptic. Go ahead Bethesda, I liked your game enough, make me believe.


But yeah this has a boat of potential riding around after it, will that potential be used/reached? Far too early to know.

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

I don't really believe the rumor, but I would welcome it (with a qualification). I don't know about killing WoW, but one thing that helped WoW become outrageously successful was the built in Warcraft fan base. The Elder Scrolls now has a substantial fan base as well, and I think that could be enough to propel a competent MMOs success.

I just don't want anything, not rain nor snow nor the fury of the gods themselves to slow the release of additions to the core series.