PS3 & PSP Oblivion ports, rumored to be in the works
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Apr 25th 2006 at 3:15PM }
Modojo.com
reports that Bethesda is porting The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion to the PlayStation 3 and PSP. While the site
does not state the source of this information (read: consider it a rumor for now), Modojo does suggest that both
versions are tentatively set for a November 2006 release, making Oblivion a definite candidate for the PS3
launch lineup.As Modojo notes, several Elder Scrolls games have been produced for the mobile scene in the past, highlighted by The Elder Scrolls Travels: Shadowkey for N-Gage, but a PSP version of Oblivion would be the most significant, and perhaps most daunting task Bethesda has ever undertaken in the portable gaming market. If either of these Oblivion ports is in development, we'll know for sure when E3 rolls around.
[Thanks, Justin]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JodyAnthony @ Apr 25th 2006 3:21PM
I haven't played Oblivion (and honestly don't plan to) but it seems that the PSP really wouldn't handle it well, unless it was really dumbed down.
Scythe @ Apr 25th 2006 3:25PM
I don't really want 360 hand-me-downs.....I rather new and improved games.
spoo @ Apr 25th 2006 3:27PM
I can just imagine playing Oblivion on the PSP with only one analog stick it would play like Kings Field, (a good thing if it was 1996 but in 2006, ugh.)
Exo @ Apr 25th 2006 3:31PM
haha no way it will be on psp, by the time you loaded 1 area the battery would be dieing. not only that, but teh game would have to be on more then 1 umd, which wouldnt work to well on this sort of game. morrowind would even be a bit of a stretch for psp.
Eric @ Apr 25th 2006 3:33PM
I'm not one to throw around the word "impossible" much...but a good port (good should be emphasised) of Oblivion onto the PSP is, infact, IMPOSSIBLE. I don't own a 360 yet, nor have I even played Oblvion...but it doesn't take a genius to say that what makes Oblivion a great game is well over the capabilities of any handheld.
Gary @ Apr 25th 2006 3:34PM
Yeah, this has been going around a lot of message boards this morning. I think it all started from here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=96767
That's the first place I saw it from, then the info seemed to spread everywhere else.
No news seems legit yet, but we'll see.
Jouten Za @ Apr 25th 2006 3:35PM
The loading times are horrendous for this game on the 360 alone! Even with the little cheat to 'clear the cache'. So to see this on the PSP, well, I think you will have to use an AC or DC adapter. If you use just the battery, your battery will die before it ever finishes loading up a zone!
Josh Warner @ Apr 25th 2006 3:35PM
JodyAnthony, you are totally correct.
My laptop has a 1.73GHz Pentium M, Radeon X300 with 64MB of graphics RAM, and 1GB system RAM - and it just barely hobbles through Oblivion with all graphics options off at 640x480 resolution.
There is no way the PSP could come close to running Oblivion - it would require a top-down redesign of the basic game engine. Nevermind the fact that the voice acting files take up 750MB, or near to half of one UMD. Textures they could probably shrink, but the voice is already compressed. A PSP "port" would mean that Bethesda might as well just write an entirely new game.
The PS3 could probably run it, but the question is will MS allow it? How much money would they have to give Bethesda to ensure a PS3 port never happened (even if it was possible; the radical differences in the PS3 architecture make me skeptical that any PC games can be easily ported)?
jayntampa @ Apr 25th 2006 3:40PM
Isn't this a bit of a "eh ... big deal" thing. Like how GTA was released for the Xbox. By the time the PS3 is out, Oblivion would have been out for 7 or 8 months. At that point, the big RPG will be Mass Effect by BioWare.
As far as I'm concerned, whatever helps Bethesda stay profitable is fine by me. I'm not a big fan of console wars :P I have my 360 and I'm happy. I don't have any probs with sharing games lol
dan @ Apr 25th 2006 3:48PM
you are all wrong, there is already a version of Oblivion for mobile phones. so I imagine a psp version would be something along the lines of that with better graphics, not the 360/PC version with worse graphics.
Prof-KOS @ Apr 25th 2006 3:53PM
Great dan. That sounds awesome, a reworked mobile phone game for .... $30, just because it shares a name with a console game? You'd be walking funny for weeks if you got suckered into that purchase.
Tsunamipepper @ Apr 25th 2006 3:53PM
I don't know where to email tips anymore, since the link is gone, but, speaking of the PSP, version 2.70 is out! (In Japan, but still works on U.S. systems, with not a single difference.)
rockinrobbie @ Apr 25th 2006 3:53PM
I know I'm in flaming territory here but if they can put it on a PSP, why not a Rev? Wouldn't the control there be better suited (oh ya, I know I'm painting a target)? Plus the Rev *should* have a lot more Horsepower than the PSP
Alright, fire away..
Jason Cross @ Apr 25th 2006 3:56PM
Are we even CONSIDERING the possibility of Oblivion on the PSP? That one goes way beyond "grain of salt" and into "no way, no how" land.
If they were talking about a fall 2007 release, sure. That would give them enough time to basically make a whole new game that just carries the Oblivion name. Because to fit in that little RAM, with the optical storage, and that CPU, and that graphics processing, they would need to totally rework the whole freakin' game.
PS3, it could be done. Even by this fall.
How about the 'ol "let's call up Pete Hines at Bethesda and ASK HIM?" routine?
Prof-KOS @ Apr 25th 2006 4:02PM
rockinrobbie,
See, now that's how you go and start these things. This is a rumour, I expect it won't happen at all. The timing will just be way too late, as jayntampa mentioned.
By the way, if the Rev doesn't at least have more HP than the PSP I'm gonna find the nearest tall building to fall off of.
Stephen Carmichael @ Apr 25th 2006 4:06PM
Does it really matter if the PS3 gets Oblivion? By the time the PS3 is released, 360 will have considerably better games and people will be playing Mass Effect and/or Too Human.
Dt7 @ Apr 25th 2006 4:10PM
I really really really doubt this for a number of reasons, firstly being its from a source I've never heard of, secondly because I've never heard of the N-Gage version, never mind it being popular. I'm pretty sure Bethesda will want to concentrate on making one really good game, and not some crappy portable port of one of their previous titles.
jaemz @ Apr 25th 2006 4:13PM
Oblivion is a great game, I hope they port it to as many systems as can handle it. Even a stripped down PSP version should be a good game... just don't expect some of the great visuals you see in the X360 version.
With any luck, we will see a multiplayer version of this game down the road (or somthing like it).
As for the comment about the terrible load times, I don't buy it. It is no worse than any of the other games I used to play (like Neverwinter Nights, Baldurs Gate...).
Michael @ Apr 25th 2006 4:22PM
why do you guys keep talking about the psp version?
OBLIVION ON PS3!!!
boots (former bd (former b)) @ Apr 25th 2006 4:30PM
Wasn't Oblivion in the making for PS3 also, but was cancelled?
Mike Jones @ Apr 25th 2006 4:32PM
why do you guys keep talking about the psp version?
OBLIVION ON PS3!!!
Because 360 fanboys don't like to admit the 360 has nothing on the PS3 so they try to bash the PSP version instead.
Ninja Monkey Lover @ Apr 25th 2006 4:37PM
Michael- Maybe they keep talking about the PSP version because the same source that said it was coming to the PS3 also said it was coming to the PSP. Therefore, if the PSP part is blatantly false (at least in Oblivion's current form) then it is reasonable to suspect that the PS3 part of the rumor is also not correct.
Now, if the PSP is getting a game that is also set in the same world as Oblivion but not nearly so powerful, and requiring only one analog stick, then there is a chance Oblivion is coming to the PS3.
Personally, though, if I were to make a dumbed down version of Oblivion I'd release it on the super-popular PS2 before I tried to make an immersive graphically intensive RPG on the PSP. Considering it takes more time to complete some Oblivion quests than it takes for the PSP to run out of juice I find this whole idea rather unlikely.
Then again, Gamasutra reports that this rumor started from a rather authentic-looking release list which also mentioned some Star Trek games for PS2 and Xbox 360, so who knows.
Seroth @ Apr 25th 2006 4:42PM
I'd like a Revolution version that takes advantage of the Revolution controller for sword fights and aiming spells and stuff like that.
But PSP Oblivion? I think now. Maybe a PSP Morrowind or something, or a completely new Elder Scrolls game.
AC @ Apr 25th 2006 5:06PM
"Does it really matter if the PS3 gets Oblivion? By the time the PS3 is released, 360 will have considerably better games and people will be playing Mass Effect and/or Too Human." I highly doubt it, It doesnt matter I am not too interested in the 360/ps3 they dont seem to "innovative" just an xbox/ps2 on steroids (better gfx) VIVE LA REVOLUTION!!!!!!!!! :-D
anyways back to the topic... this seems very logical, ppl love oblivion and they'd like to take it anywhere so theres some reasoning behind the PSP port ... but I have to agree with the load times (NOW i dont play the 360 version and I dont wanna play it but PC load times for me are about .5-2 seconds max)
I have to vote for a rev port because if you wanted to swing the sword you could make the swing action with the nunchuks *but i dunno how the bow would work*
Elrando @ Apr 25th 2006 5:07PM
I could believe a PS3 version, but the mention of a PSP version makes the whole thing stink of BS.
I say ES4 will stay with MS for a while yet.
dsub @ Apr 25th 2006 5:19PM
based on what we know about morrowind (it was only on XBOX and PC) and what we know about porting games between 360 and PC versus porting games from 360 to PS3 or PC to PS3, i'd say this isn't true. Oblivion will remain on its current platforms. Porting this game to the PS3 would take forever and a day. The end result would be the same game, on PS3 that would in no way be ready for launch and wouldn't really warrant any financial benefit either.
I would be cool if it came to the PS3, but I just don't see bethesda putting all that work into porting the game over when there main focus right now is most likely an expansion to Oblivion.
Bloo @ Apr 25th 2006 5:22PM
"Because 360 fanboys don't like to admit the 360 has nothing on the PS3 so they try to bash the PSP version instead."
How can anyone know if the 360 has or does not have anything on the PS3 when nobody really knows what the PS3 has in the first place?
Dirk Dorkelson @ Apr 25th 2006 5:28PM
"Because 360 fanboys don't like to admit the 360 has nothing on the PS3 so they try to bash the PSP version instead."
Mike, you're totally missing something here. Even if the PS3 comes out and is better than the Xbox 360 in every way (which is unlikely b/c a lot of this stuff is subjective), 360 owners will have had a whole year of next-gen gaming while PS3 fanboys will have had a whole year of talking about how great the PS3 is gonna be. Now, I'm not a fanboy of any system. But I'd take a year of gameplay over a year of hope and hype any day.
Pretty Obvious @ Apr 25th 2006 5:38PM
The PSP will never handle this game and the Revolution is not even a next-gen system so who cares about releasing this game on that crap.
What will be more interesting is seeing just how much of a difference the PS3 and 360 are in terms of handling a game of this magnitude.
PickyPants @ Apr 25th 2006 5:47PM
Dirk Dorkelson FTW!
Seriously. I hate Microsoft's practices, but I would rather be playing games than trashing other people's game systems.
AC @ Apr 25th 2006 5:50PM
@ Pretty obvious ... that was like a beg for a flame war, ok first off the ps3 and 360 are only their predecessors on steroids, all they do is bring better gfx, same gameplay, same games with better gfx, nintendo brings the same gfx, new games, new gameplay .. thats what I truly consider "next - gen" i dont give a s**t about gfx aslong as its fun.
id prefer playing zelda a link to the past on my SNES than playing perfect dark zero or pgr3.
but thats just my opinion on next-gen :-)
PickyPants @ Apr 25th 2006 5:51PM
Ok now, Pretty Obvious, have you ever, EVER contributed something meaningful or worthwhile to a comment thread here on Joystiq? Ever?
Do you have an objective bone in your body? Have you ever considered reading the more informative posts on this site? I am sorry for going off topic, but every time I see your name in a thread, I know baseless ridiculous flaming will follow.
Please, for the good of the community, if you don't have anything constructive to say, shut your Dorito choking mouth.
kk thx!
Gareth @ Apr 25th 2006 6:05PM
FFS guys, I don't think anyone is pretending that the PSP is going to get a direct port of the 360 version. What's with all of you wetting yourselves over whether or not the PSP will be able to handle it or not? Of course it won't.
Thoughout the entire history of video games, handhelds of the same generation have always had technically less demanding versions of popular games, whether the step-down is detail (less scrolling layers, less colour, smaller sprites etc.) or dimensions (3D console games were often ported to 2D handhelds a few years ago) the game still features the same characters, the same story and the same name.
Get a grip.
ozymandias @ Apr 25th 2006 6:38PM
Good, Oblivion is a great game that everyone should have the chance to enjoy(even if until now sony fanboys have bashed its "crappy" animation). However, you should note that when the game was first announced, it was slated for the 360 and ps3. The rumor is that the ps3 had trouble with the non scripted npc actions. however this is a rumor and no one from betheseda has comfirmed or denied this. And just my opinion but I really do think that any problems that would keep this title off the ps3 could be worked out.
Darth Pixel @ Apr 25th 2006 6:45PM
Translation: The best game released for Xbox 360 to date will also be available on PS3.
Brandon @ Apr 25th 2006 6:48PM
It will play the same on the ps3, and the load times aren't horrible, i have the game and it loads in less then 6 seconds, unless that's horrible to some idiot. The ps3 wont get oblivion because it will be a year old by the time it comes out. The psp game would obviously be completely different, not the same which some people are thinking, since thats impossible and stupid, they didnt feel the need to actually state it.
ozymandias @ Apr 25th 2006 7:00PM
And just a question for nintendo fans. nintendo introduces a new controller every time it makes a new console. is a gyromouse in a nes controller shell really going to shatter the industry? btw this is a real question.
Michael @ Apr 25th 2006 7:35PM
OBLIVION ON PS3!!!
also, you oblivion/psp bashers simply have no imagination.
For all you know it's a side scroller. Or some other small quests to build your PS3 counterpart. Thank god you guys aren't game developers. It'd all be OMG THATS IMPOSSIBLE!!!!
anyway...
I personally would assume Bethesda wants to make money over a PSP Oblivion being impossible.
Lee @ Apr 25th 2006 7:40PM
ozymandias, more than just Sony fanboys have criticised the "crappy" animation. And Brandon, a year old and you're ruling out ports? Have you even been paying attention for the past gajillion years?
Anyways, PS3 I can see happening, PSP I can see receiving a dumbed down port (if it's a port and not a different game with the same name) barely worth playing.
CyberVortex @ Apr 25th 2006 7:45PM
You people are freaken ignorent, no one said it has to be a direct 100% looking port, it could just have the TES3 graphics and gameplay and the Oblivion story. =/ Also the whole thing could of just been mis-interpreted and they really said that a psp version of The Elder Scrolls is in works, so maybe they’re just doing Shadowkey 2 or a whole new game.
Zsavior @ Apr 25th 2006 8:11PM
Now maybe you xbox 360 fans will get the point, of what nintendo is trying to do. As much as we all want to ignore it somebody here summed up a very good point in a small senstence.
"Translation: The best game released for Xbox 360 to date will also be available on PS3." -Darth Pixel.
This is the tactic of the Mega powerful companies, not to ask for a new game. But just port over, the competing systems most influential game, and sell it business as usual. Innovation is more than just a new way to play games it is also about making developers think beyond the same games, and creating new ideas so constent porting isn't an issue. Basically yes if you bought a xbox360, you have been playing A new system while your friend waiting for PS3 has been hoping. The problem is your next-gen experience has no difference from your friends, because he can now anticipate the same top games from the system you chose on the one he is waiting for. The question becomes what is the incentive for all the people waiting with hope and hype to sign on with MS, when they can get the same game play and fun with all of their favorites if they just wait?
Basically I don't see this as a problem for the xbox360 right now. OF course they have a huge head start on sony, second by the time sony releases their will be other games xbox360 will have. The problem is future games, after this initial christmas how will MS stop developers from just porting over Xbox360 successful games to the PS3 to reach their gaming marekt. The fact is Xbox 360 needs to differentiate itself from the PS3 or risk losing alot of business.
shaka @ Apr 25th 2006 9:43PM
i bought oblivion at launch and had to returned beacuase my pc couldnt handle the game, if this games comes out for ps3 ,good news for the future ps3 owners like me.
shaka.
OyoyoY123 @ Apr 26th 2006 3:50AM
a revolution port would be beyond sweet.
But i dont think Rev can handle the 360ish graphic
Karl Rove @ Apr 26th 2006 4:28AM
The PSP version will not be a port. It will probably use the same engine as the mobile version. Creating a port for the PSP or PS2 would be impossible.
A revolution port isn't happening either since the rev is basically an xbox 1.5. Oblivion doesn't even run silky smooth on the 360 so there is no way it is going to the rev.
I had to upgrade my 6800GS that I bought in January to a 7600GT just to get a decent framerate. However because the XFX 7600GT currently comes with GRAW I won't be losing any money.
narius @ Apr 26th 2006 10:04AM
PS3 is obviously powerful enough to handle Oblivion. It has a different archectiture but there is plenty of time to port it. It also make sense. Oblivion is popular and Sony probably will be more than happy to pay to get it on the PS3 launch line-up.
As for PSP, they can port the game with downgraded graphics but with the level design, gameplay and story intact, somewhat like Tomb Raider Legends. Storage can easily be solved with MULTIPLE UMDs. While the PSP cannot handle the levels of Xbox 360 graphics, it has more than enough power to handle similar gameplay as long as they can work out a reasonable control scheme.
Glen Mcadam @ Apr 27th 2006 7:59PM
I for one am psyched about a psp port of oblivion.
but it will suck if its still in fps form.
chris @ May 1st 2006 11:05PM
first of all, all you people are complaining about oblivion being downgraded for psp and it being bad. are you guys retarded? seriously? if the game really ends up being a dimmed down port of oblivion why wouldnt you be happy? have any of you ever played an mmo? so what if they graphics arent as nice. an mmo on a handheld... wireless internet... how is that bad?
what i would want to know is if the psp version will be able to play on the same servers as the 360 and pc versions. if it could no matter the graphics i would buy that in a second. imagine being able to play it all fancy and nice graphics on your 360 or pc, and then grab your psp and get in the car and go somewhere and still be able to play the whole time. its an mmo players dream.
as to how they would get in onto psp, multiple umds as someone else said would be perfectly reasonable, switching at major loading points seems doable.
other than that, stop complaining about which is better ps3 or 360. look at gaming on the ps2 generation. technically gamecube has the most powerfull graphics processor and technecally xbox has a more powerfull core processor. but if i took a screen shot of soul calibur two playing on each system and didnt tell you which one was which you wouldnt know. my point is that most games for the next generation are going to be basically the same. they arent going to recreate entire engines for ps3 and 360 just so one will look better than the other. they are going to be basically the same and not notticably diffrernt. and dont tell me you can tell the difference from the same game on xbox and gamecube or ps2 cause you cant.
and about wii, again it might have to be dimmed down but with the freehand controller it would bring oblivion to the next level. expessially with the first person view. it would make the game completely amasing and i hope that they do have it for wii. but i dought they will.
and lastly about next gen systems again, how can you possibly compair them... ps3 isnt out yet and they havent even released screen shots of wii games. at this point any one how is seriously saying one system is better than the other is just a stupid fan boy and prolly doesnt know what theyre talking about anyway, just reciting big numbers off of websists they read.
and some people siad that it would come out on ps3 because it would be old by then... ffxi just came out on 360 thats old. its been on ps2 for years. and it still sells good on 360.
i really do hope that oblivion comes out on psp and that i will be able to play with friends who have it for 360 and pc.