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The Elder Scrolls Online using HeroEngine 'as a whiteboard'

Jef Reahard — Sat, 26 May 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Elder Scrolls Online

Fan outcry over the announcement of The Elder Scrolls Online was long and loud, not just for the presumed MMOification of a beloved single-player franchise, but for the toolset chosen by ZeniMax Online Studios to bring the world of Tamriel to its new audience.

Game Informer confirms that ZeniMax is using the HeroEngine -- which also powers Star Wars: The Old Republic, and which has come under fire from some in the MMO fan community. Game director Matt Firor says that the firm isn't using the engine like you may expect, though.

"Think of HeroEngine as a whiteboard for us -- a great tool to get some ideas in the game and start looking at them while the production engine was in development," he explains.

[Thanks to Austin for the tip!]

The Elder Scrolls Online using HeroEngine 'as a whiteboard' originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Discussing the design of quests in The Elder Scrolls Online

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 23 May 2012 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game mechanics, Previews, News items, The Elder Scrolls Online

The Elder Scrolls Online has certain player expectations going in, such as an expectation of the sort of quest structure you usually find in the series. More specifically, it's the sort of structure in which you start off on some simple quest and wind up wandering off into some completely unrelated point of interest. A recent interview with creative director Paul Sage and lead content designer Rich Lambert reveals that the team is aiming for just that sort of model in the game.

As Lambert explains, the team wants to move away from the usual hub design in favor of several points of interest, each of which provides a little snippet of content and story. The points aren't meant to be structured as an A-to-B affair; instead, you have several points of interest in a given region which build into a large overarching story. Take a look at the full interview for more information about how quests will work in the game and how players will be guided through objectives as they play.

Discussing the design of quests in The Elder Scrolls Online originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 May 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Speaking Episode 202: Rubbernecking at the scene of an MMO accident

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, MMO industry, News items, Guild Wars 2, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous, Diablo III, The Elder Scrolls Online, Pirate101

Massively Speaking Episode 202 is hot at the scene of the 38 Studios disaster, and without hyperbole we can say that this is more tragic than Pompeii, the Titanic, and Showgirls combined. Will Curt Schilling's dream team survive this financial crisis? We brought expert analyst Eliot Lefebvre on the podcast to give us his opinion.

Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!

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Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 202: Rubbernecking at the scene of an MMO accident

Massively Speaking Episode 202: Rubbernecking at the scene of an MMO accident originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Elder Scrolls Online Ebonheart Pact faction profiled

Elisabeth Cardy — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, News items, Races, The Elder Scrolls Online

The flashlight of knowledge has already been directed at two of The Elder Scroll Online's three main political factions, and now the third is getting a little time in the light. We've already told you about the Daggerfall Covenant and the Aldmeri Dominion, and today Game Informer is closing out ouroboros with the third faction, the Ebonheart Pact.

The alliance that makes up the Ebonheart Pact was first forged after an Akaviri invasion, when the Nords and Dunmer banded together and then cut the Argonians in on the friendliness in order to find safety in numbers. While the Aldmeri Dominion is bent on conquering and ruling, the Ebonheart Pact is really just an attempt to stay alive in a world of invasions and power struggles.

The Dunmer, also called Dark Elves, call the familiar lands of Morrowind home. Skyrim, which a few folks may have heard of thanks to a rather underground game that came out last year, is home to the militant and cold-resistant Nords. The reptilian Argonians, or Saxhleel as they like to call themselves, come from the Black Marsh, also known (by way of total coincidence, I'm sure) as Argonia. They share the area with the Hist, a race of sentient trees, and all matter of poisonous and malicious critters and plants.

If you need help keeping all the names straight (the Nords are also referred to as children of the sky, by the way, although apparently that's an informal title), be sure to read the full profile.

The Elder Scrolls Online Ebonheart Pact faction profiled originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 May 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Matt Firor on The Elder Scrolls Online's '100% solo' personal story

Matt Daniel — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, New titles, News items, The Elder Scrolls Online

Games in the Elder Scrolls series have always been about giving players the opportunity to become the game's hero, and it looks like The Elder Scrolls Online will be no different. The title's game director, Matt Firor, has announced that each character's main storyline in the game will be "100% solo."

Firor points back to the previous entries in the series, stating that "in The Elder Scrolls games, you're always the hero... The last thing you want to do is have the final confrontation with Mehrunes Dagon as he's stomping across the Imperial City, and you see like 15 guys behind you waiting to kill him." While it's a good point, we can't help but wonder what kind of an impact this design will have on the social aspect of the MMO, but at this point all we can do is wait and see. Firor's full interview over on Game Informer has plenty of extra information as well, so if you're jonesing for more details, just head on over and check it out for yourself.

Matt Firor on The Elder Scrolls Online's '100% solo' personal story originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Elder Scrolls Online factions profiled

Elisabeth Cardy — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, News items, Races, The Elder Scrolls Online

Three alliances control the political scene in The Elder Scrolls Online's Tamriel, and Game Informer is taking a closer look at all of them, starting with the Daggerfall Covenant and the Aldmeri Dominion.

The Daggerfell Covenant is made up of the Orcs (also called Orsimer), Bretons, and Redguards -- although the latter two are coming out of something of a love-hate relationship, with a history of as much internal conflict as external. Apparently time does heal all wounds, though, because the three races have worked out a democratic system of mutual love and respect. The Orcs and Bretons call the beautiful land of High Rock home, while the Redguard are based in Hammerfell.

The Aldmeri Dominion is a more hostile power composed of the Altmer, the Bosmer, and Khajiit and intent on total domination. Also known as Wood Elves, the Bosmer call Valenwood home (surprise: It's a heavily wooded area) and enjoy tramping through forests, living in harmony with nature, and building cities in migratory trees. The Altmer, or High Elves, can be found in the little-known Summerset Isles. The Khajiit, who missed out on the alternative name lottery, live in Elsweyr, whose climate is ideal for the cultivation of Moon Sugar.

Got all that? Study up, there'll be a test. Feel free to read the full profiles, and keep an eye out for Ebonheart Pact information on Friday.

The Elder Scrolls Online factions profiled originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 May 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Soapbox: Translating Elder Scrolls Online dev speak

Jef Reahard — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, The Soapbox, Sandbox, The Elder Scrolls Online

Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Language is a pretty fascinating thing, and studying a second one is something I've long intended to do. Aside from entertaining thoughts of learning Korean to play ArcheAge, though (seriously, I looked into it), I haven't gotten around to much beyond college-level Deutsch.

But as I watched last week's interview with The Elder Scrolls Online creative director Paul Sage, I realized that I already have some pretty good second-language skills. I'm fluent in both English and MMO dev-speak, so as a public service, I'm going to translate some of what Sage said into the former.

Continue reading The Soapbox: Translating Elder Scrolls Online dev speak

The Soapbox: Translating Elder Scrolls Online dev speak originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Analyst predicts The Elder Scrolls Online will launch with a subscription fee

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Previews, News items, Opinion, The Elder Scrolls Online

Are you hoping that The Elder Scrolls Online will be part of the classic subscription model rather than go the free-to-play route? According to analyst Nicholas Lovell, founder of Gamesbrief, the odds are good that you'll get your wish. Lovell notes that since the game began development in 2007, when subscription games were at their apex, Bethesda is likely to launch using the more familiar business model. Whether or not it will remain as a subscription game is another matter.

Of course, the price of play is far from the minds of most fans -- the real question is what the game will look like when it's actually playable. Director Matt Firor recently sat down to discuss the game's earliest stages of development, the relationship between ZeniMax Online Studios and Bethesda, and working within the lore of the established IP. It's an interesting look behind the scenes of development, and if you're interested in the game, watching the video is certain to be six minutes well spent.

Analyst predicts The Elder Scrolls Online will launch with a subscription fee originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Speaking Episode 200: Bicentennial!

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, News items, Opinion, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous, The Elder Scrolls Online

Massively Speaking Episode 200 is a nice round number, and people are supposed to celebrate those, right? Join us for a Very Special Episode, during which Shawn joins Justin and Bree to reminisce about the past, talk about the behind-the-scenes activities on the site, and drop a Tabula Rasa reference or two.

Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!

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Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 200: Bicentennial!

Massively Speaking Episode 200: Bicentennial! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elder Scrolls creative director: We want to make a good game first

Jef Reahard — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Elder Scrolls Online

The recently announced Elder Scrolls MMO has a lot to live up to. If the initial fan reaction is any indication, it's not doing as well as you might expect in the court of public opinion. Creative director Paul Sage recently stepped in front of the camera to talk at length about the project, and some of what he has to say probably isn't going to sit well with fans who are concerned that ZeniMax is making a generic themepark MMO out of the much-loved single-player sandbox series.

"We have to make our own game," he tells Game Informer. "We want to make a good game first. Not a good MMO, not a good Elder Scrolls game, we want to make a good game first, a great experience for the player."

Elder Scrolls creative director: We want to make a good game first originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 May 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elder Scrolls Online leaks flood the web

Jef Reahard — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Elder Scrolls Online

The internet and rabid fandom being what they are, it's next to impossible for gaming press outlets to keep their exclusive information exclusive for very long. So it went with Game Informer's The Elder Scrolls Online reveal, which is slated to appear in its June print edition. Posters at NeoGAF, as well as pretty much every gaming news site around the web, subsequently got a hold of the article and leaked a bunch of screenshots as well as a few rumored gameplay details.

Said details include traditional hotbar combat, a third-person perspective, and around 120 hours' worth of leveling content for the average player.

Elder Scrolls Online leaks flood the web originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZeniMax reveals Elder Scrolls Online teaser trailer

Jef Reahard — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Elder Scrolls Online

ZeniMax has unveiled the first trailer for its newly announced The Elder Scrolls Online MMORPG. There's no gameplay on offer at this early stage, and the clip itself is rather short. It's long on subtle bits of awesomeness, though, including a brief tease of the familiar Elder Scrolls melody and a glimpse of the game's logo (which features a telling three-part design to go along with the game's announced three-faction PvP).

At this point, we're still in the dark about almost everything TESO-related. Will it be a sandbox? A themepark? A marriage of the two? How's the crafting, the character customization, and the questing? Your guess is as good as ours, so take a look at the clip after the break and let us know what you think in the comments.

[Source: ZeniMax press release]

Continue reading ZeniMax reveals Elder Scrolls Online teaser trailer

ZeniMax reveals Elder Scrolls Online teaser trailer originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 May 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elder Scrolls Online announcement generates fan backlash

Jef Reahard — Fri, 04 May 2012 09:20:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Elder Scrolls Online

We've yet to see even a hint of gameplay for the newly announced Elder Scrolls Online, but a good portion of the fan reaction to the news has been negative, according to a report at GamesIndustry.biz.

The site says that many of the comments on Bethesda's blog were filled with despair at the prospect of an online title gobbling up development resources or otherwise impacting one of gaming's most beloved single-player franchises. A Bethesda moderator even chimed in to calm down the angst-ridden faithful. "The teams working on these games are separate. Todd Howard's team at BGS will keep doing the type of games they like making, and the ZeniMax Online team will focus on MMO games like this newly announced title," the spokesman said.

ZeniMax is scheduled to release the game's first trailer at some point this morning.

Elder Scrolls Online announcement generates fan backlash originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 May 2012 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bethesda confirms Elder Scrolls MMO, three-faction PvP

Jef Reahard — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:27:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Elder Scrolls Online

Well, one of the industry's worst-kept secrets has been officially put to rest courtesy of Game Informer. There is in fact an Elder Scrolls MMO in the works, and ZeniMax Online has chosen the print magazine for its initial reveal.

Despite a professed lack of interest in MMOs from Elder Scrolls notable Todd Howard, the project has been ongoing for a number of years now, according to the game's first press release. The dev team is headed up by Matt Firor, known primarily to gamers for his work on Dark Age of Camelot. Like DAoC, the new Elder Scrolls title will feature three-faction PvP. We'll keep you updated as Bethesda releases additional details.

Bethesda confirms Elder Scrolls MMO, three-faction PvP originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 May 2012 12:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Elder Scrolls MMO to be announced in May

Jef Reahard — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:15:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items, Rumors, Sandbox

You know, that pesky Elder Scrolls MMO rumor just won't die. We've been hearing scuttlebutt of a Tamriel-themed massively multiplayer title for years now, and even though Bethesda has debunked such gossip in the past, Tom's Hardware is citing an "industry source" who says the title is a reality.

The latest rumbling posits that the game will feature three factions and will take place several hundred years prior to the events of Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim. Also, some sort of official announcement is supposedly scheduled for May. Following that, the source claims, the Elder Scrolls MMO will have a "presence at E3" in June.

Bethesda has yet to comment, but we'll bring you the latest info as it happens.

[Thanks to Matt for the tip!]

Rumor: Elder Scrolls MMO to be announced in May originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Creating a new world: 38 Studios discusses the formation of Amalur's IP

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, MMO industry

As MMO fans, we're keeping a close eye on 38 Studios for its development of Project Copernicus, the MMO that will serve as the follow-up to next month's Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. The risk factor of not only developing two major intertwined projects in parallel but to have the additional task of creating a brand-new IP in which to put them must be a pressing one, which is why CVG sat down with Reckoning Lead Designer Ian Frazier to talk about challenges the studio has been tackling.

Frazier outlines the balance the studio's struck between its three big-name creators -- Todd McFarlane (art), R.A. Salvatore (story), and Ken Rolston (design) -- not to mention the ideas that pour in from founder Curt Schilling. Fortunately, Frazier says that these larger-than-life personalities mesh well together: "The nice thing that's worked out is, I think if we'd got three famous game designers, it would have been a disaster: big egos, they're all on the same plane, it wouldn't have worked out. What makes this work is they're all different."

Even though Rolston previously worked on The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, Frazier said the designer wanted to try his hand at something fresh with a better combat system. "They're all great games," Frazier said of the Elder Scrolls series, "and I think they're progressively better, but they're all the same game. It's not like they're radically changing with time."

Frazier said Reckoning has been compared to a "single-player WoW" as well as Dragon Age and Fable, but he insists that the world and ideas the team's been creating will take it far past those basic comparisons.

You can take your first peek into the world of Amalur with the Reckoning demo -- and let us know what you think in the comments!

Creating a new world: 38 Studios discusses the formation of Amalur's IP originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skyrim Online mod aims to take the game, er, online

Jef Reahard — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game mechanics, News items, Miscellaneous

OK, stop me if you've heard this one before. "The Elder Scrolls is awesome, but I wish it was an MMO." Apparently some enterprising modders have similar designs, and if a full-blown massively multiplayer conversion seems unlikely, a small-scale online version of Skyrim looks very possible.

GameFront is reporting on a new mod for the PC version of the game (you did buy the PC version, didn't you?) that takes the celebrated series into the online realm. According to the mod's author, it will allow you to "play with your friends, chat with people worldwide, [and] trade with other players." No word yet on lootstealing or ganking noobs.

FPSWin has some early video footage of the Skyrim Online experiment which we've embedded for you after the cut. It's definitely not polished (the animations are poor and the player characters are glitchy), but there is a functioning chatbox. If nothing else, it's a start, amirite?

Continue reading Skyrim Online mod aims to take the game, er, online

Skyrim Online mod aims to take the game, er, online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZeniMax Online Studios builds new MMO customer support facility

Jef Reahard — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous

The folks at ZeniMax Online Studios have founded a new support facility in Galway, Ireland with the intent to provide customer service for "players of future massively multiplayer online games." While some of you are probably wondering just who in the heck ZeniMax is, others have no doubt seen the parent company name scrolling by on the startup screens for Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

ZeniMax Media owns not only ZeniMax Online but also Bethesda Softworks and id Software (the brains behind the Doom franchise). ZeniMax Online is headed by Mythic co-founder Matt Firor, and ex-World of Warcraft dev Rich Barham is serving as the director of customer support. Though the studio has yet to make an official game-related announcement, it's clearly laying the foundation for something big.

ZeniMax Online Studios builds new MMO customer support facility originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Elder Scrolls MMO in the works?

Jef Reahard — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Rumors

Just about every MMO player has an IP he'd like to see undergo the MMO treatment. For some of us here at Massively, that IP is Bethesda's long-running Elder Scrolls series. Due to a deep reservoir of lore and the fact that earlier games in the series (notably Morrowind and Daggerfall) were more MMO-like than many modern MMOs, we'd love to see what Bethesda would do with such a beast.

Apparently we're not the only ones, as SystemLink has posted a bit of speculation on a possible The Elder Scrolls V, highlighting a few job postings as evidence in support of its theory. While we're not completely sold on the author's conclusions -- mainly due to Bethesda's plainly articulated stance on the massive genre -- we suspect this won't be the last we hear of an Elder Scrolls MMORPG..

Rumor: Elder Scrolls MMO in the works? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars Nightfall larger than Azeroth?

Jef Reahard — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Lord of the Rings Online, News items, Opinion

We here at Massively love to lurk on gaming forums. Aside from the occasional breaking news bit or entertaining discussion, we sometimes stumble across something so interesting that we can't help but share. In this case, a discussion concerning game world size over at GuildWars2Guru.com piqued our interest.

The thread, originally started to discuss a preview article on ArenaNet's forthcoming Guild Wars sequel, quickly veered into new territory, namely the sizes of various worlds both online and off. A user by the name of IceD'Bear even produced a couple of images showing direct map comparisons of games as diverse as the Elder Scrolls series, Grand Theft Auto III, Lord of the Rings Online, and of course Guild Wars.

Now, we know what you're thinking. A game's map size doesn't automatically translate into playable area, and therein lies the rub with these types of comparisons. That said, it makes for a nifty trek down memory lane with regard to old games, and it might add a few onto the list of titles to check out if you're of the explorer persuasion. You can view the map comparisons here and here, and be sure to let us know what you think about the largest game world to date, as well as any games you'd like to see measured against those listed.

Guild Wars Nightfall larger than Azeroth? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unraveling the mystery of John Deere Online

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Opinion, Academic, MMORTS, Rumors

Scott "Lum the Mad" Jennings, well-known blogosphere participant and game designer, has recently been working on a game that is now sadly canceled. This is bad both for the natural sadness of a game having been canceled and the voyeuristic MMO fan impulse to ask, "Well, what was it going to be?" We don't know. The only reference made was to the cryptic in-joke name of John Deere Online. In his own words: "As a condition of my severance I can't discuss a great deal, and anything I say here will most likely be picked up by the MMO news sites (wave, wave!)."

Well, he's right about that last part. But neither waiting for him to change his mind nor camping outside his front door has yielded any new information, so perhaps we can take a look at more pieces of information and speculate? After all, we know of at least two of his co-workers. From them and from the little which Scott Jennings himself has said, we can derive the following bits of information: that they were working for 2K Games, developing an MMO based on an existing franchise, that the game would have been strategy-based, and that it might possibly have had something to do with tractors.

Considering that Jon Jones mentions on his LinkedIn page that he "created a series of low polygon highly optimized building models with a small set of textures that can be reused across that nation's entire series of buildings appropriate to that age," it's difficult to argue with the conclusion that the team was working on a Civilization MMO. But 2K Games also could mean Elder Scrolls projects... which might be pertinent, as both Jon Jones and Matthew Weigel have been working on Dungeon Runners. It's all idle speculation, sadly, and for all we know the game really would have been a massively multiplayer tractor simulator. (In which case it might even be for the best - lawnmowers would probably have been totally overpowered against seeders in PvP.)

Unraveling the mystery of John Deere Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZeniMax Media hiring for MMO division

James Egan — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, New titles, News items

ZeniMax Media Inc., is currently seeking out MMO development talent for its online game division, GamesIndustry.biz reports. Why is this significant? ZeniMax is the owner of Bethesda Softworks, and thus both Fallout and Elder Scrolls. A Fallout MMO is entirely possible, but the business side of producing this title is somewhat complex. Daedren over at r1ft Gaming dissected the issue as it stood in November:

Bethesda Softworks owns the rights to the the Fallout IP, while Interplay retains rights to a Fallout MMO. However, those rights are forfeit provided Interplay is unable to raise $30 million and begin development of the Fallout MMO by April of 2009. (This is presumably Interplay's "Project V13" which involves other original Fallout team members.)

Continue reading ZeniMax Media hiring for MMO division

ZeniMax Media hiring for MMO division originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Black Ops MMOs: Games in development under the radar

Samuel Axon — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, New titles, Rumors

Our colleagues over at Big Download have listed several PC games in development that they call "Black Ops" projects. The idea is that these games are operating out of sight, under the radar; nobody knows what's going on. It's all very hush hush and mysterious. The game industry and secrecy go hand in hand, after all.

We're bringing this up because there are a bunch of MMOs in the list. In fact, they pretty much dominate it. Titles mentioned include the KotOR MMO, the Red 5 Studios project, 38 Studios' Copernicus, ZeniMax Online Studios' MMO (which is possibly Elder Scrolls-based), and of course Blizzard's mysterious "Next-Gen MMO." Interesting stuff. Head over to Big Download to find out what's up on the down low.

Black Ops MMOs: Games in development under the radar originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Player vs. Everything: Should MMOGs allow modding?

Cameron Sorden — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, Player vs. Everything

When Diablo first came out, I was a huge fan of it. It was pretty much all I played for months. Then, after a while, I got bored. Even with randomly generated dungeons and enemies, there are only so many loot runs you can do. When Hellfire was released I got back into it again. But with time, the newness of that wore off too. I put Diablo on the shelf, satisfied that I had done everything interesting there was to do with the game. A few months later, I was bored and looking for something to play. That was when I stumbled onto a random website and discovered my first Diablo mod.

Someone had taken the game I knew and loved, and changed it -- it was like playing a whole new game while keeping everything I loved about my favorite game intact. This experience spurred a long-standing fascination with the modding scene for me, and I've since downloaded and enjoyed mods for most of my favorite single-player games. It's amazing what people can do when developers hand them the keys! In fact, I would argue that it dramatically improves both the value and shelf life of your computer game if you make it easy for the modding community to get their hands on your game. Case in point: Morrowind is still an amazing game that looks great and has tons of content, despite being almost six years old at this point. That wouldn't have happened without the support of modders. Given all of the cool things that you can do with modding, shouldn't developers let us tweak their MMOGs, too?

Continue reading Player vs. Everything: Should MMOGs allow modding?

Player vs. Everything: Should MMOGs allow modding? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 May 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zenimax Online kickstarting development with new digs

Chris Chester — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry

We haven't heard terribly much from Zenimax Online over the past few months. The company, the online off-shoot of Zenimax Media and corporate cousin of highly-lauded development house Bethesda Softworks, has been tight-lipped since they told the media to get off their lawn back in November. Of course, that didn't stop us from including the purely speculative Elder Scrolls MMO as #5 in our Top 10 MIA MMOs of 2007.

But times, they are a-changing. Word has it that Zenimax Online will be moving to a new 40,000 square foot facility in Huntsville, MD in anticipation of scaling up the development process on their as-yet-unnamed MMO project. Naturally, they're also going to need some new blood to make use of all that office space, so they've posted a bunch of positions for hire. East coast development houses are pretty rare these days, so if you're in the area you might want to get on that ASAP.

Zenimax Online kickstarting development with new digs originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bethesda on new MMO: keep waiting!

Chris Chester — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Interviews, New titles

Sometimes, as bloggers, we feel bad for game developers. They try so hard to give us straight-forward interviews on their pet projects, and all we do in return is try and get them to slip us information on another, even bigger pet project. A Blizzard producer being interviewed about Wrath of the Lich King? I'll bet you ten bucks he gets asked about their "next-gen" MMO. Cryptic employee trying to discuss the terms of their separation with NCsoft? So, how's that Marvel Universe Online going? And in the case of a recent interview with CVG, Bethesda's Peter Hines came in to talk about Fallout 3 and the first question he's asked?

So is there any progression down that avenue with the franchise at the moment, with the MMO?

Oy vey! Well, in case you were wondering, Mr. Hines didn't have much to say on the subject of Zenimax Online, their new online studio, beyond that because they are a start-up, it's unlikely that we're going to hear any announcements for quite some time. Well shoot, it was worth trying, right? In the mean time, we're going to be left to sit and ponder on this cool Sunday evening about what kind of game they could make if NOT an Elder Scrolls MMO.

Bethesda on new MMO: keep waiting! originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 Nov 2007 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An Elder Scrolls MMO: should they or shouldn't they?

Chris Chester — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:31:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion

The MMO world was knocked on its butt last week, when rumors began percolating through media outlets that Zenimax Online, a new MMO studio created to be the online cousin of the renowned Bethesda Softworks, was working on an MMORPG based in the Elder Scrolls universe. Evidence seeming to support these claims followed not far behind. Zenimax Studios, the parent company of which both Bethesda and Zenimax Online are a part, received seed funding from Providence Equity Partners in mid-October to, "fund future growth, ramp up publishing and development, facilitate acquisitions, and finance MMOGs." And, as if the writing on the wall wasn't quite clear enough, sharp-eyed domain watchers spotted the acquisition of the URL elderscrollsonline.com, registered by Zenimax Studios on August 15. At this point it seems all but certain.

Until Zenimax decides the time is right to let the cat out of the bag, all we're left to do is sit back, palm our copies of Oblivion and Morrowind, and play armchair quarterback. And probably the biggest question on our minds is whether it is in fact the right move for Bethesda to bring their beloved RPG franchise into the rough and tumble world of the massively multiplayer. Is it the right fit for the IP or is it a big mistake? There are strong arguments in either direction, and they're all worth exploring.

Join me after the jump, won't you?

Continue reading An Elder Scrolls MMO: should they or shouldn't they?

An Elder Scrolls MMO: should they or shouldn't they? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tobold looks back at WoW, wonders what's next

Samuel Axon — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 20:28:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Culture, MMO industry, New titles

Tobold's MMORPG Blog is one of the most popular online gaming blogs in the series of tubes, but Tobold suggesting that he and a lot of other online gamers are in a "gaming slump." World of Warcraft transformed the industry and expanded the market by leaps and bounds, but its appeal might be winding down, Tobold said. He could be right. Blizzard has been reporting active player numbers as high as ever, but a big chunk of the numbers comes from the enormous Asian player base. North American and European players might be ready to move on.

But what's next? Most games these days are WoW clones, and many of them haven't done as well as expected. Does the genre need a Battlestar Galactica-esque total reboot? If so, what will do it? The new Blizzard MMO, as Tobold suggests? The fabled KotoR MMO? The Elder Scrolls Online? What are your thoughts, dear readers?

Tobold looks back at WoW, wonders what's next originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Nov 2007 20:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An Elder Scrolls MMO in the works?

Tateru Nino — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, New titles, News items

The domain name elderscrollsonline.com was registered on 15 August this year by ZeniMax Media Inc, parent company of Bethesda Softworks - the lovely people who make all those wonderful Elder Scrolls games.

Adding fuel to the speculation, ZeniMax Media obtained 15 million US dollars in funding from Providence Equity Partners Inc in late October, which will be used "to fund future growth, increase game development and publishing, facilitate acquisitions, and finance massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs)." [our emphasis]

Bethesda, the Elder Scrolls, and MMO development. These things potentially add up to Massively Tasty Online Games.

An Elder Scrolls MMO in the works? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bethesda MMO studio sees substantial investment

Chris Chester — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 08:03:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, New titles

An Elder Scrolls MMO may be closer to conception than we were previously aware, as Gamasutra reports that Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media has gotten a massive buff in cash from Providence Equity Partners to, and here we quote, "Fund future growth, ramp up publishing and development, facilitate acquisitions, and finance MMOGs."

This comes on the heels of the formation of ZeniMax Online Studios, an MMOG studio formed by estranged Mythic Entertainment founder Matt Firor in Hunt Valley, MD. While our knee-jerk reaction is to assume they'll be working on an Elder Scrolls MMOG, just given the success of Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, it's also worth remembering that Bethesda owns the rights to the Fallout franchise. We normally wouldn't stoop to this kind of scandalous rumor-mongering, but the announcement specifically mentions "MMOGs" in the plural. Assuming Elder Scrolls is numero uno, what else besides Fallout could they bring to the MMO genre? We know Interplay technically owns the rights to a Fallout MMO, but Bethesda just got quite a bit richer...

More corporate back-patting after the jump.

Continue reading Bethesda MMO studio sees substantial investment

Bethesda MMO studio sees substantial investment originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Oct 2007 08:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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