It's nigh on impossible to create a fantasy universe that doesn't in some way owe credit to J.R.R. Tolkien's work. No doubt the newfound popularity of high fantasy this past decade has not only provided inspiration for the Elder Scrolls, but an influx of new players dazzled by the movie adaption of the Lord of the Rings. But when it comes down to it, I believe the Elder Scrolls has proven itself to be a distinct and notable universe of its own. Whereas the Lord of the Rings tells a story of pure good versus pure evil, the Elder Scrolls floats in the middle, where the good guys aren't necessarily all that good, and the enemy isn't necessarily all that evil. Still, I think Oblivion drew more from typical fantasy archetypes than Morrowind, and Skyrim is following suite. The trailer, for example, is an uninspired introduction dripping with cheese, serious, guttural narrator, background chanting and all.
But that doesn't make it
bad, by any means. And it certainly has less to do with J.R.R. Tolkien, and more to do with Hollywood.