Rumorang: Elder Scrolls MMO three years into development

by Ben Gilbert on Jan 20th 2010 12:45PM

According to VG247's "very reliable" source, Bethesda Softworks is already three years deep into development on an Elder Scrolls MMO. Recent court documents in the ongoing Bethesda/Interplay lawsuit have allegedly revealed that Bethesda has "close to 100 people working on a secret World of Warcraft-type MMO" -- a tasty piece of info that it's said to be currently fighting to have redacted from a 218-page court transcript.

Furthermore, the unannounced MMO is said to be "very close" to being unveiled. We could even be seeing a release of the purported title later this year, as the transcript is said to also reveal a four-year development cycle (starting in late 2006 would put that either later this year or early 2011). Bethesda has commented in the past that it is currently not working on an MMO, though ZeniMax Online (another studio under Bethesda's parent company, ZeniMax Media) is working on a currently unannounced title. We contacted Bethesda for comment and were told, "We aren't talking about what that studio is working on and don't comment on rumors and speculation."

Source 1 - VG247
Source 2 - Duck and Cover Forums

Tags: bethesda, bethesda-softworks, elder-scrolls, elder-scrolls-5, elder-scrolls-mmo, mmo, rumor, rumorang, skyrim, the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim, zenimax, zenimax-media, zenimax-online-studios

Reader Comments (71)

Never played a MMO but I would break the tradition for this game

While I used to play Asheron's Call with my aunt many moons ago. This is one game that would bring me back into the fold of MMOs for sure.

I'm going to tell you guys right now...WoW fucking sucks. They were not first and they don't do it better. They make things easier and WoW players are generally not gamers. They want an easy way to feel powerful. There are plenty of better MMO's out there. But none of them make playing quite as easy to do.

I always equate bragging about being a good WoW player as the same as bragging about being good at algrebra. Once you're past the 8th grade that's really not that uncommon.

There's an entire pro scene to WoW PvP, which I admit is rather weird. But being really good at WoW probably isn't as easy as just grinding your ass up to max level.

And your comparison between algebra and WoW is a bit off. For one, algebra at 8th (for me it was Pre and 1, most students in my area didn't do 2 until 10th if they were ahead) is rather easy and foundational, and past that begins to become more complex, and it serves as foundational to things such as Calculus. Then there's Linear Algebra, which I doubt many people know like they know basic algebra.

People bragging about being good at WoW, or any MMORPG in my opinion, is a waste of time. I can understand bragging about FPS skill or fighting game skill, but RPG skill is just a bit arrogant; in the end you don't really use much skill, but instead let the numbers do the talking. I'm sure only the really hardcore worry about the numbers on a deep level.

@Bradwart

There isn't going to be a WoW 2, Blizzard will just keep updating WoW until nobody is paying for it anymore. Having an actual sequel doesn't make sense from any perspective.

Reply fail.. downvote it.

WoW killer confirmed.

Yeah, cause everyone that has about half their lives invested in WoW is just going to jump ship.. right.

If anyone could do it, it's Bethesda.

*Puts on Joker impression* And here. We. Go.

Seriously though, will the calls of WoW killer ever cease? What are we up to now? Let's see. Guildwars. Warhammer. Age of Conan. Aion. Darkfall. The Old Republic. Will it ever end?

To be fair, TOR hasn't launched yet, but it's not going to kill WoW either, period.

And if there's sarcasm, I apologize for completely failing to see it.

No one can do it. The game would have to launch so perfectly, and have so much to offer...it's unrealistic. WoW has a wealth of content, people who play through this new game and get bored because there hasn't been any expansion will just go to WoW.

Even if Bethesda has a good start with this one, it'll be impossible to keep.

Nothing is going to kill WoW.

They were there first, that's it. End of story. Unless you got a time machine or play to a massive weakness that people are yearning for. WoW doesn't have that kind of weakness.

People forget how rough the WoW launch was. There wasn't much content to the actual game (they added most end game raids through patches, which they still do), and as with all MMOs there were server problems and lag issues.

The difference was the only other MMO at the time was everquest, compared to now when people are spoiled with dozens of MMOs and then WoW itself. Most people (unrealistically) expect to go into a new MMO and have a shit-ton of content as well as have it run smooth as butter, because WoW does.

@MystileArmor
WoW killed/still killing Everquest. They offered something different that plenty of EQ players were dissatisfied with. Every MMO will have its weaknesses, so while the chances of a WoW killer look slim, all they got to do is play to the WoW critics and it could happen.

That said, by the time this comes out, it might be called a SWTOR killer. Haha, just kidding.

MMOs don't die as a result of other MMOs silly. They only go out if the developer fails to please their game's community. Some MMOs have been going for like a decade.

You got a valid point Monster, but Everquest didn't have the kind of following that WoW has.

I mean, look at the divorce rate. That just went up cause of WoW. That's massive!

Yeah, and WoW is aging. You're assuming Blizzard would be successful in launching WoW 2.

Dude, seriously... wtf? Who are you even talking to?

With 0 sarcasm involved, if anything in the near future has a shot at bringing down the WoW beast, it's not this, it's Lego Universe....seriously...

@Bradwart

There isn't going to be a WoW 2, Blizzard will just keep updating WoW until nobody is paying for it anymore. Having an actual sequel doesn't make sense from any perspective.

If they do make another Elder scrolls, please remove whatever it is that caused me to lose over 300 hours logged in Oblivion >:(

And you think that they'll do this for an MMO?

You want them to remove the awesome? Are you mad?

First Bioware goes MMO with their KOTOR series, and now Bethesda goes MMO with The Elder Scrolls?

As someone that has sworn off MMO's for life, this is awful news.

All they needed to do to make this game Epic from the last one was have 4 player co-op. Instead they made it into an MMO?!?

What's a word beyond epic to describe what this game will be?

Shit?

No, Pirate, that's what you eat.

Agree, I really don't want another MMO, there seems to be too many as it is. Up to 4 player co-op would be perfect. I want an Elder Scrolls game that I can finish, not one that lasts forever.

I couldn't agree more. I don't want an MMO as much as I want a co-op Elder Scrolls or Fallout 3 style experience.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I'm happy about a new elderscrolls game but I was hoping for TES5, not an mmo that I'll probably have to pay every month for.

If you're starting a new MMO, then you're already losing. I play WoW, and that games has already been around for five years; more than enough time for it to prove and earn its dominance. I love The Elder Scrolls, and I'd possibly be willing to give it a try, but why join up with a new. shaky MMO when one can just jump right onto an already stable ship?

Do not want. Give me a regular Elder Scrolls V instead.

Agreed! We shall have an internet Protest! Oh wait........

I totally agree. I have no interest in MMOs, and the Elder Scrolls series is known for its huge questline and single player experience. Seems like they are courting the Elder Scrolls fans who play WoW for their MMO fix. An Elder Scrolls MMO seems to make as much sense to me as a WoW single player only effort.

This. A thousand times this.

Not a good idea unless they plan to make a business model that isn't a carbon copy of WoW's $15 a month subscription plan.

I'd rather have Elder Scrolls V

I'd rather optional Co-Op in the new Elder Scrolls then an MMO.

Yeah me too, MMO's are only good if you can invest a lot of time into them and I'm a lazy person.

There are mods you can download that enable that. They're not perfectly stable, but experienced it crash a couple times during the 100+ times I've used it.

The mods I know of are incomplete and barely functional. Sure, they may not crash much perhaps, but they don't look like they're worth using either.

Please tell me this is complimentary to a single player Elder Scrolls that is in the works?I just don't have time in my life to play an MMO, in fact I would love to keep my marriage going. Don't mess this up Bethesda.

I'll just chime in unison with everyone else. I already have WoW. I want Elder Scrolls V

@tmacairjordan87 - What are you talking about, there were tons of MMOs out before WoW, many of which I played. Let's see: Ultima Online, Everquest, Asherons Call, City of Heroes, Dark Age of Camelot, Star Wars Galaxies, Priston Tale, Planet Side, Final Fantasy XI, Eve Online, Ragnarok Online, Runescape, and that's just off the top of my head.

But where are they now?

He said "at the time", also, none of whatever you named has been as succesful as Everquest, maybe Ultimate Online back in the day, I'm not sure.

Also, all those MMO's combined probably don't have as many players as WoW today.

Oh and another thing, learn to reply it helps.

RuneScape is still going strong.

More people play farmville then WoW.

Only Blizzard can kill WoW, like the EQ=>EQ2 transition killed that franchise...As for the other possible "killers"- Star Trek Online I'm pessimistic about, it has potential to attract enormous numbers of players who never played MMO's or even PC games in general. The Old Republic- the continuation of a great franchise and BioWare have a track record with RPGs that is probably unsurpassed (bar SquareEnix and Bethesda itself now that I think about it), so it will be very interesting to see how their first attempt at a MMOg would fare.
I don't think Bethesda would compromise the quality of "The Elder Scrolls". An inordinate amount of work has gone into those games (havent played the first one, but Daggerfall to Oblivion via Morrowind I've toured more than once)- I still re-play Morrowind and Oblivion I'm always updating, which is a testament to the fine developers at Bethesda. My guess is to expect the unimaginable- Bethesda don't usually mess around with secrecy surrounding the announcement of their games, so be this TES:MMO or be it TES V, the game is going to be groundbreaking, there is almost no doubt in my mind about that! Well, a little doubt...A tiny piece of doubt....

and this is why i hate this industry sometimes, its full of people who love to spoil surprises. Im not a fan of the game series, but it sure would have been cool to have a megaton announcement at E3, but noooo, some kid with no life had to go digging in court documents to see what he could find.

What are you doing reading a video game blog?

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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Rumorang: Elder Scrolls MMO three years into development

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