Sleekit:
pvp based fantasy mmorpg ? /yawn

it'll die a death.

calling it right here and now.

and if extra credits were still around they would tell you exactly why.

the market for the (fantasy mmorpg) genre is utterly saturated and the future of mmos does not lie in trying replicate old style wow like mmos and i don't care what franchise it is.

i mean comon sw:tor just spent 2-300 mill (depending on who you ask) trying to break into it with a fully voiced "AAA" mmo based on what can quite easily be called a cultural phenomena or modern myth rather than a mere "game franchise" (ie Star Wars) and came out the other side with under 2 mill subs ffs...

and it took them six years to get there...in six years half the people this game will be aimed at won't even know what Skyrim is.

besides which pvp focused mmos always have low, repeat low, numbers after initial release as the PK seeking locusts move on once they collectively come to the conclusion that there must be something wrong with the game as they, being uber awesome, still somehow die (there isn't a pvp focused mmo in existence with more than 400k of a western playerbase...and that includes the doyens of the genre like EvE)

...that and the elder scrolls series lasting popularity between lengthy periodic releases is primarily built on being able to mod the games which is something that simply wont exist if it becomes an mmorpg.

Extra Credits is still around. They're on Penny Arcade.

Also, I think this will be a divisive game. It'll either be stupendous, or horrendous, with no middle ground.

Apparently
-The game has a hubless quest system

-Three factions
--Ebonheart pact: Nords, Dunmer, Argoanion
--Aldmeri dominion: Altmer, Bosmer, Khajiit
--Daggerfall Covenant: Orcs, Redguards, Bretons

-the Imperials are "badguys" work with the Tharn family and Manimmarco, Manimmaro is selling everyone out to Molag ball

-120 hours to reach level cap

-Werewolf plauge

-Your Character has had his soul taken by Molag ball, which is why you can come back to life if you "die"

-They take some of Gw2 mechanics were your weapons determine some of your skills, there is also doddging, skill combos, and other GW2isy things.

Slightly off-topic:

M'aiq the Liar(Morrowind): "Multiplayer: 'M'aiq does not know this word. You wish others to help you in your quest? Coward! If you must, search for the Argonian Im-Leet, or perhaps the big Nord, Rolf the Uber. They will certainly wish to join you.'"

M'aiq the Liar(Oblivion): "M'aiq prefers to adventure alone. Others just get in the way. And they talk, talk, talk."

M'aiq the Liar(Skyrim): "Some like taking friends on adventures. M'aiq thinks being alone is better. Less arguing about splitting treasure."

M'aiq the Liar(TES Online): "Why do people not listen to M'aiq? Now look what they've done. M'aiq cannot end the arguing and stupid. M'aiq met a High Elf named Ex-KnifeEar-Ex...;stupid, stupid people.

On topic: I can imagine this being good, but at the same time, I feel a bit betrayed. TES has always been a single-player franchise even to the point of self-referential mockery. This, while it might actually be good, is a bit of a misstep, in my honest-to-heart opinion. Cooperative play should have at least been a first step before going all-out MMO. I have a "bad juju" feeling from this...

Sleekit:
and it took them six years to get there...in six years half the people this game will be aimed at won't even know what Skyrim is.

ZOS was founded in 2007, by the time TESO is released Skyrim will still be fresh in many RPGers' memories.

Multiplayer Elderscrolls yes please, Massively Multiplayer Online Elderscrols.... uhhhh pass!

I expect to get paid to play this game.

Hmm interesting... I'll def be checking this out when it comes around. But I've been wary of trying new MMOs after the god awful Warhammer one. This will be quite odd though if they keep it first person AND say Skyrim combat. Quite awkward if you ask me but we'll just have to see how this goes.

kyosai7:
Extra Credits is still around. They're on Penny Arcade.

Also, I think this will be a divisive game. It'll either be stupendous, or horrendous, with no middle ground.

i meant around here :P

just looking at the companies wikipedia page gleans some interesting info.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZeniMax_Online_Studios

the games been in development since maybe 2007ish and apparently uses the same engine as SW:TOR ie the HeroEngine and the HeroEngines page has also been updated to reflect this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HeroEngine

anyone who has played SW:TOR knows that doesn't necessarily mean "woot!".
it's almost a given the game certainly won't have the graphical fidelity of Skyrim.

this also makes me wonder about a console release because an elder scrolls mmo on console might do some business but i can see nothing that indicates that the HeroEngine is a suitable development platform for that task.

then again a console release means no f2p (MS for one simply don't allow it) and the future of mmos is "F2p"...i could also see a possibility as to how elder scrolls modding and a "f2p" mmo might be somewhat reconciled in the form of player designed items being put through an approval process then offered for sale...

perhaps the best news is who the head of the studio is...and i quote:

"Matt Firor is a well known game producer/designer of Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG's). Matt is best known for his involvement (as producer) in the critically acclaimed game Dark Age of Camelot for Mythic Entertainment."

Dark Age of Camelot is, if you don't know, a very highly rated MMO often mentioned in a reverential manner.
Ten Ton Hammer voted it "Best PvP Game of the Decade" in 2010 for example.

its also where "QQ" came from :P

...its still dead tho.

Ahh, MMO's. Where franchises go to die.

tobi the good boy:
Ahh, MMO's. Where franchises go to die.

oh i dunno. i'm in the Firefall beta :P

bliebblob.exe has encountered an unexpected error and must be shut down...

*6 hours later*

Ok after some thought I'm pretty sure I want this to happen. After all, if it turns out poorly I can just you know... Not play it.
That said, please dont release it for at least 3 more years pretty please? And don't start dripfeeding info every few months either. Because with the current batch of new mmo's (tor, tera, gw2, secret world) I'm getting a kind of promising-info fatigue. I'd really like to just stop getting info and start playing one :S And whichever one I settle down with, I'd like to be "my mmo" for a good while. Not just something to do while I wait for this even more amazing game.

/first world problems

Oroboros:
This is the worst possibel thing that could happen to the Elder Scrolls. I definately will not be buying any further Elder Scrolls games

LMAO!

Wow...

Its gonna be for Mac?

Preacher zer0:

Oroboros:
This is the worst possibel thing that could happen to the Elder Scrolls. I definately will not be buying any further Elder Scrolls games

LMAO!

Wow...

I don't know what's so shocking about someone being upset about a singleplayer rpg series established in 1994 suddenly switching genres to go after the MMO crowd. Seems perfectly reasonable to me.

The7Sins:

rolfwesselius:

The7Sins:
Really? Well damn. Guess I'm not buying another Elder Scrolls game ever again. Shame they didn't announce this before I got Skyrim. Well @ least now I won't feel the need to spend money for its DLCs as this announcement has ruined the series and every game in it for me.

How the fuck does that work?
Bethesda is not even making the game!
Their still busy with their next game.

Point to where I even said Bethesda in my post. I know its technically another studio making it but there owned by the same parent company and this game s part of the Elder Scrolls series. as such now that an MMO is part of the series I'll no longer buy any of its games no matter who makes it.

Why? Do you have something against the existence of MMO's? Any studio who partakes is some kind of instant sellout? Please explain to me why this matters.

I probably won't be playing it for a long time. Meanwhile they'll continue to have great single player sandboxes for me to play in. What does it matter that there's an MMO?

*Scratches Elder Scrolls off the list of franchises that haven't been fucked up by multiplayer* Such a shame.

Why is everyone assuming that because ZENIMAX ONLINE is making a MMORPG, that BETHESDA will somehow fuck up future ES games.

Zydrate:

The7Sins:

rolfwesselius:

How the fuck does that work?
Bethesda is not even making the game!
Their still busy with their next game.

Point to where I even said Bethesda in my post. I know its technically another studio making it but there owned by the same parent company and this game s part of the Elder Scrolls series. as such now that an MMO is part of the series I'll no longer buy any of its games no matter who makes it.

Why? Do you have something against the existence of MMO's? Any studio who partakes is some kind of instant sellout? Please explain to me why this matters.

I probably won't be playing it for a long time. Meanwhile they'll continue to have great single player sandboxes for me to play in. What does it matter that there's an MMO?

It matters because MMOs have a great way of stalling the development of further non-MMO games down the road indefinately-see TOR or WoW. The goal of the MMO is to keep folks coming back as long as possible for the monthly subscription fee, as a result, a lot of resources go into making plot development etc for the MMO that otherwise could go into a singleplayer sequel.

MMOs have historically been a way to potentially make a massive amount of money (at considerable investment). Elder Scrolls has historically been a single palyer rpgs sicne its creation almost two decades ago (with the exception of Redguard), therefore it would stand to reason that they are going after a different audience. Focus on a lucrative audience at the expense of the old=sellout.

Oroboros:

It matters because MMOs have a great way of stalling the development of further non-MMO games down the road indefinately-see TOR or WoW. The goal of the MMO is to keep folks coming back as long as possible for the monthly subscription fee, as a result, a lot of resources go into making plot development etc for the MMO that otherwise could go into a singleplayer sequel.

MMOs have historically been a way to potentially make a massive amount of money (at considerable investment). Elder Scrolls has historically been a single palyer rpgs sicne its creation almost two decades ago (with the exception of Redguard), therefore it would stand to reason that they are going after a different audience. Focus on a lucrative audience at the expense of the old=sellout.

The thing is though that Blizzard is one company who worked on a MMO stalling their other games because they were focused on the MMO.

BETHESDA AND ZENIMAX ARE TWO DIFFERENT COMPANIES, what one does isn't taking time or people away from the other.

It is a different situation entirely.

Damnit. And I thought I'd be able to save money on videogames over the next couple of years...

The amount of times I've wanted to play a TES game co-op is just about equal to the times I've played a TES game.

but in my completely uninformed and horribly biased opinion, every change they need to make to turn it into a good MMO, would be a change that takes away one of the best features of the TES universe.

what happened to the wonderful world of lan games?

SajuukKhar:

Oroboros:

It matters because MMOs have a great way of stalling the development of further non-MMO games down the road indefinately-see TOR or WoW. The goal of the MMO is to keep folks coming back as long as possible for the monthly subscription fee, as a result, a lot of resources go into making plot development etc for the MMO that otherwise could go into a singleplayer sequel.

MMOs have historically been a way to potentially make a massive amount of money (at considerable investment). Elder Scrolls has historically been a single palyer rpgs sicne its creation almost two decades ago (with the exception of Redguard), therefore it would stand to reason that they are going after a different audience. Focus on a lucrative audience at the expense of the old=sellout.

The thing is though that Blizzard is one company who worked on a MMO stalling their other games because they were focused on the MMO.

BETHESDA AND ZENIMAX ARE TWO DIFFERENT COMPANIES, what one does isn't taking time or people away from the other.

It is a different situation entirely.

Bethesda is a subsidiary of Zenimax, it's not really that different. The leaked article has Tod Howard overseeing the lore. Even if they are beign done by the same teams, Elder Scrolls online does not exist in a vacuum from the rest of the Elder Scrolls series, and there is definately at least a degree of collaboration. Plots, locations, retcons etc will almost certainly carry over to any new games made by Zenimax or bethesda using the ES IP.

I can't really see it succeeding, though I really wish it would.

The thing is: without modding, half the people that play The Elder Scrolls nowadays won't get what they like the most, be it being able to watch super HD grass, or a their army of half-naked argonian maids...

Oroboros:

Bethesda is a subsidiary of Zenimax, it's not really that different. The leaked article has Tod Howard overseeing the lore. Even if they are beign done by the same teams, Elder Scrolls online does not exist in a vacuum from the rest of the Elder Scrolls series, and there is definately at least a degree of collaboration. Plots, locations, retcons etc will almost certainly carry over to any new games made by Zenimax or bethesda using the ES IP.

Zenimax online =/= Zenimax

Zenimax online is a subsidiary of Zenimix like Bethesda, also they said todd "checks in" every now and then , he isnt there constantly spending a good deal of time making it.

Also Es has a nice little thing called a dragonbreak, were time become nonlinear causing countless parallel timelines to spawn and others to be destroyed entirely. Bethesda could dragon-break the entire game out of lore in a snap.

MorganL4:
Well I guess thats it.... TES will go the way of Warcraft.

You mean really, really successful?

rolfwesselius:

Clive Howlitzer:
*Scratches Elder Scrolls off the list of franchises that haven't been fucked up by multiplayer* Such a shame.

HOW IS IT FUCKED UP WHEN ITS A SPINOFF BY ANOTHER STUDIO AND THE MAKERS OF THE SINGLE PLAYER GAMES ARE STILL BUSY HOW IS EVERYBODY THIS FUCKING RETARDES!
Sorry the amount of idiots here is making be angry.

Why am I an idiot because I don't care for multiplayer? It doesn't matter what studio this is. I don't expect it to slow single player releases. I just hate every franchise giving into the money lure of forced multiplayer. A favorite franchise of mine is now going in the opposite direction of what I'd care to see, so I am expressing my distaste of this. That makes me a retard?
Also, something to add in. Zenimax Online is a subsidiary of Zenimax. If it bombs horribly, this can affect all the other studios under Zenimax, which includes Bethesda Softworks.

SajuukKhar:

Oroboros:

Bethesda is a subsidiary of Zenimax, it's not really that different. The leaked article has Tod Howard overseeing the lore. Even if they are beign done by the same teams, Elder Scrolls online does not exist in a vacuum from the rest of the Elder Scrolls series, and there is definately at least a degree of collaboration. Plots, locations, retcons etc will almost certainly carry over to any new games made by Zenimax or bethesda using the ES IP.

Zenimax online =/= Zenimax

Znimax online is a subsidiary of Zenimix like Bethesda, also they said todd "checks in" every now and then , he isnt there constantly spending a good deal of time making it.

They are both under the same parent company. Zennimax online is gettign funds to make the MMO (which are expensive) that could otherwise have been given to Bethesda to make more ES games. So it is a funds sink no matter how you look at it-resources are going to the MMO, which will develop its own version of ES lore, culture, locations etc, and will do so for quite some time as MMOs are intended to keep people paying for as long as possible. These will more likely then not be incorporated into othe ES canon. Therefore, the MMO will be setting what defines the ES for years to come, not Bethesda. The degree to which Tod checks in or not is msotly irrelevent, the important thing to note is that they Have bethesdas consent to do what they will to the series, whcih indicates that whatever they do, it will be in line with whatever Bethesda chooses to do or not do with the IP in the future.

As for Dragon breaks, when was the last tiem we had one? It's obvious that Bethesda is no longer interested in entertaining the idea of using dragon breaks to explain branching storylines.

If it's F2P I will try it out.

That's all I can say until more details emerge.

SajuukKhar:
Apparently
-The game has a hubless quest system

-Three factions
--Ebonheart pact: Nords, Dunmer, Argoanion
--Aldmeri dominion: Altmer, Bosmer, Khajiit
--Daggerfall Covenant: Orcs, Redguards, Bretons

-the Imperials are "badguys" work with the Tharn family and Manimmarco, Manimmaro is selling everyone out to Molag ball

-120 hours to reach level cap

-Werewolf plauge

-Your Character has had his soul taken by Molag ball, which is why you can come back to life if you "die"

-They take some of Gw2 mechanics were your weapons determine some of your skills, there is also doddging, skill combos, and other GW2isy things.

Care to share a source, mate?

If it's closer to GW2 than WoW then those are points in its favor, I suppose.