The Elder Scrolls Online

[Shakermaker]

Bethesda's ongoing court case over Interplay's Fallout MMO has revealed that the Elder Scrolls house is working on an online game of its own.

According to transcripts from the court case - which Bethesda has allegedly filed to redact - the Fallout 3 developer is working on a "secret World of Warcraft type MMO".

Bethesda has allegedly dedicated "tens of tens of millions of dollars" and "close to a hundred people" to the secret online game, which it's been revealed to have been working on since late 2006.

(...)

According to testimony given by Bethesda, the development timetable for the MMO is 4 years, which would put it on track to late this year or early next year.

[Via CVG]

Exciting? If this game will be anything like The Elder Scrolls III in multiplayer, I'll be interested. If it will be more like Oblivion (which is very likely) less so. Bethesda has been mute about this news so far, but supposedly the game is "very close to reveal by now".

 

[Eejit]

"World of Warcraft type MMO" - that always ends well.

 

[the cow says moo]

I just started crying in anguish at the next Elder Scrolls being an MMO. Why must the world be so cruel?

 

[TheOneFreeMan]

Why bother trying to make a "World of Warcraft like MMO", when you're just going to end up making a product that will always be "like World of Warcraft, except not as good"?

 

[Naph]

Very bad turn.

 

[barbarbarbarbar]

You guys should be more open-minded.This just might be really good.

 

[Sedako]

You guys should be more open-minded

World of Warcraft type MMO

Any chance of this being a hit just got destroyed by the WoW comparison.

 

[the cow says moo]

I would be ok with some co-op or multiplayer but THIS? Not a chance.

 

[Krynn72]

Hopefully when they say "world of warcraft type" they are just saying that to explain it to non-gamers, and not that its just going to rip off WoW gameplay.

Either way, its a bad turn for the Elder Scrolls Series.

 

[Shakermaker]

Hopefully when they say "world of warcraft type" they are just saying that to explain it to non-gamers, and not that its just going to rip off WoW gameplay.

For one thing, the Elder Scrolls games have always been more direct action than WoW point 'n' click. I wonder how that will work out in an mmo setting. Conan did it iirc.

 

[Wanted Bob]

Goddammit, yet ANOTHER franchise that goes the route of the MMO (along with KoTOR and Warcraft, probably a few others). I have neither the time nor money to invest in an MMO, so unless they opt to make another non-MMO game (which I would be skeptical about), it marks the end of a series for me

 

[Quixoticism]

There are too many MMO's as it is. As much as I love Morrowind(holding off on Oblivion until I upgrade) I wouldn't want to play it in an MMO setting.

I would definitely love beyond all reason a new TES game that had a great co-op option for 2-5 players. That would be epic.

 

[Dalamari]

Because the strongest point of the Elder Scrolls series has always been the multiplayer and is clearly what was lacking from the previous game


owait.

 

[VictimOfScience]

No thanks. Focus on crafting a kick-ass single player RPG. Don't just try to copy the best MMO.

 

[Emporius]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoMgnJDXd3k&feature=related

 

[Letters]

The thought of Bethesda trying to run an MMO makes me laugh.

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

The thought of Bethesda trying to run an MMO makes me laugh.

Scares the shit out of me. Every time I approach a player/NPC my camera zooms WAY in and my interface looks like a bloated piece of unmanageable shit. If they can't even manage to put out stable games on release or come even slightly close to nailing the dynamic of human interaction in their single-player games how on earth could this be a good thing?

Get alienated by awkward NPCs and shoddy storytelling and clumsy interfaces: now with random disconnects! Why does every damn developer feel like they need an MMO? Sure, I secretly hope that ToR is competent so I can finally live out my childhood dream of being a Jedi Knight in a competent online game, but JEESH.

 

[VirusType2]

Yeah, I remember this surfacing not long after Oblivion launched. Do you guys remember that? The buzz was that the next Elder Scrolls would be a MMORPG. And as I recall, almost nobody wanted it.

I have neither the time nor money to invest in an MMO, so unless they opt to make another non-MMO game (which I would be skeptical about), it marks the end of a series for me

This.

No thanks. Focus on crafting a kick-ass single player RPG.

Yeah, this too.

It's too late if they've been working on it for 4 years, but hopefully they will get back to improving the single player RPG after this.

 

[Naph]

Have the announced which game it is?

 

[Warped]

Oblivion with 3 of your best friends would be one thing but adding 10,000 people would be a giant cluster fucck

 

[Homless Snark]

That sucks, the best thing about both games are the mod communities, and I seriously doubt an MMO will have a good, if any at all, method of modding it.

 

[Danimal]

For one thing, the Elder Scrolls games have always been more direct action than WoW point 'n' click. I wonder how that will work out in an mmo setting. Conan did it iirc.

Yeah, and look what happened to Conan.

 

[lame-o]

Bethesda is the George Lucas of RPG's. Morrowind was amazing, but it was a total ****ing accident. Don't expect anything truly good from them.

 

[VirusType2]

The difference between Morrowind and Oblivion was what? Essentially, just vastly improved combat and graphics at the expense of the sometimes cringe-worthy voice overs and what else?

It's the same style of world and graphics.

Personally, I prefer the fighting in Oblivion by a huge margin. You can also mod the crap out of it to remove all the voices and just use the subtitles, if it bothers you.

What made Morrowind better? I seemed to have liked Morrowind better as well, I have trouble remembering why.

I've been playing Oblivion a lot lately. I reinstalled it the other day and installed like 100 of my favorite mods.

 

[Eejit]

No thanks. Focus on crafting a kick-ass single player RPG. Don't just try to copy the most popular MMO.

Fixt

Yeah, and look what happened to Conan.

The combat system was one of the best things about Conan and had relatively little to do with its failure.

 

[Gargantou]

I hope the MMO market eventually crashes due to an oversaturation of average game titles..

Does that make me a bad man?

 

[Shadow-warrior]

Bethesda ****ed up their prized franchise with Oblivion anyway, it was only tons of mods which saved that one, so I don't really give a shit what they do next. The real Elder Scrolls only lives on in the minds of the fans who mod.

And when oh when will these companies stop trying to take on Blizzard at their own game by churning out Wow clones? Why would I want to play a WoW clone when WoW can give me everything that type of game has?

Make something like Eve online but on the ground and then I'll have a look but we all know that's never going to happen with Todd 'ME WANT COOL SHINY SWORD' Howard running wild at Bethsoft.

Ahh screw 'em! Bunch of pricks!

 

[Shadow-warrior]

Bethesda is the George Lucas of RPG's. Morrowind was amazing, but it was a total ****ing accident. Don't expect anything truly good from them.

Ain't that the truth!

 

[Paulaner]

I hope the MMO market eventually crashes due to an oversaturation of average game titles..

This is already happening, in my opinion. A lot of MMO games have risen and died in recent times. In my humble opinion, if you are not WoW it's very hard to be successful. Call me a pessimist, but I foresee a short life for The Old Republic, Star Trek Online, and so on.

 

[Sedako]

This is already happening, in my opinion. A lot of MMO games has risen and died in recent times. In my humble opinion, if you are not WoW it's very hard to be successful. Call me a pessimist, but I foresee a short life for The Old Republic, Star Trek Online, and so on.

Star Trek online yes, simply because it wasn't executed very well based on the beta. ToR has a huge amount of potential just in the sheer number of Star Wars fans wanting a well made MMO, after getting burned by SWG. Bioware knows what they're doing, as they have for a long time now.

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

Star Trek online yes, simply because it wasn't executed very well based on the beta. ToR has a huge amount of potential just in the sheer number of Star Wars fans wanting a well made MMO, after getting burned by SWG. Bioware knows what they're doing, as they have for a long time now.

The only thing is, Bioware games haven't been notorious for their stellar QA or splendorous interfaces. Blizzard seemed like a natural transition given how streamlined their business practices, QA and ease of use track record was concerned, EA, the Ex-Mythic crew and those at Bioware allotted to ToR really have something to prove.

I hope the proper amount has been allocated to get the game enough testing and thoroughly fun content to make it a true competitor to you-know-what that I still play an hour each week. Here's to hoping the game makes it into one of the most difficult development/market entry terrains out there.

 

[bodhi]

surely this relates to a Fallout, rather than Oblivion, MMO?

im pretty sure the only reason WoW is mentioned is its all the people in the court case this information comes from would be vaguely aware of as a comparison - and not nessecarily that the MMO is developing is a fantasy goblins and magic world. afterall, the court case is about whether Interplay area allowed to do anything new that is Fallout based.

edit: if it really is a Elder Scrolls MMO, then i dont know why they would bother - weve got WoW already

 

[Shakermaker]

surely this relates to a Fallout, rather than Oblivion, MMO?

No. Read articles linked in the OP and you'll understand.

 

[bodhi]

yeah i have, theres nothing concrete, just speculation that its oblivion online from 'reliable' sources.

whats to say its not just the next Elder Scrolls (but not an MMO), given that Obsidian are doing F:NV. I dont see what relevance Elder Scrolls Online has in a court case about Interplay producing a Fallout MMO.

 

[nurizeko]

[Via CVG]

Exciting? If this game will be anything like The Elder Scrolls III in multiplayer, I'll be interested. If it will be more like Oblivion (which is very likely) less so. Bethesda has been mute about this news so far, but supposedly the game is "very close to reveal by now".

Never seriously played any of the Elder Scrolls games but I have noticed an ever so slight tinge of interest in the MMO genre again and since Planetside 2 doesn't exist this could be worth keeping an eye on.

 

[Bad^Hat]

Hopefully when they say "world of warcraft type" they are just saying that to explain it to non-gamers, and not that its just going to rip off WoW gameplay.

Came here to post this. This is a statement lifted from a court document, not an announcement targeted at gamers. The fact they compare it to WoW means exactly zip.

There are too many MMO's as it is.

Name five than aren't WoW, Everquest or effectively dead.

I hope the MMO market eventually crashes due to an oversaturation of average game titles..

This will never happen. When people get fed up with paying monthly fees, the trend will simply shift to free-to-play MMOs with microtransactions. It's already happening, just look at The Old Republic. I firmly believe (assuming it's half as good as it looks) that game will cultivate a pretty big shift towards F2P in the west (eastern MMOs have already largely gone that way), and it might have some help not too far behind if my prediction is right.

Remember that unnamed MMO Blizzard are working on? I'll bet you anything it's going to be F2P. Seriously, just wait.

 

[Absinthe]

I thought Kotick pretty much confirmed Blizzard's next MMO would be based on microtransactions.

 

[VirusType2]

This will never happen. When people get fed up with paying monthly fees, the trend will simply shift to free-to-play MMOs with microtransactions. It's already happening, just look at The Old Republic. I firmly believe (assuming it's half as good as it looks) that game will cultivate a pretty big shift towards F2P in the west (eastern MMOs have already largely gone that way), and it might have some help not too far behind if my prediction is right.

Remember that unnamed MMO Blizzard are working on? I'll bet you anything it's going to be F2P. Seriously, just wait.

The only MMORPG I'm interested in is Guild Wars 2, and Bethesda doesn't seem like they will be able to compete with free online play.

Exhibit A: Horse Armor DLC

I also agree with what you and Krynn said about the 'WoW-like' comment.

 

[Absinthe]

The horse armor was ****ing embarrassing, but I think Bethesda learned their lessons from it, especially when it came to Fallout 3's DLC offerings.

 

[VirusType2]

Side note: I noticed some Oblivion mods (specifically character models) have made their way to Fallout 3, so I suppose it's relatively easy to make the port. May even be almost as simple as dropping the right files in the right folders (model and texture replacers). Yeah, I'm going to have to get Fallout 3.

The mod-ability (and Construction Set) is one thing Bethesda has done so well, and the community is massive.