Todd Howard's comments at QuakeCon made it obvious that Bethesda is not currently working on the next installment of the Elder Scrolls. I know he came out and said that there will be one eventually, but Howard saying that Bethesda is "working on the next big game" and that we should not "expect another Elder Scrolls anytime soon" suggests that Bethesda is going to release something other than another Elder Scrolls game or Fallout.
Or they're just yanking your chain, what with all those non-disclosure agreements and what-not, and they are indeed working on an ES title. Besides, in Pete's http://bethblog.com/index.php/2009/08/17/clarifying-about-next-elder-scrolls-game-mmo-etc/, nowhere does he say that their current in-house title is NOT TES:V. And as for the Fallout or new IP possibilities... Some reading between the lines can bring about some decent speculative inferences. From the Cumulative Speculation topic:
Seriously, what have they been doing all this time if they don't have any plans for Elderscrolls V?
Well, potentially developing TES:V while having their marketing arm and executives busy fervently denying the existence of TES:V? :shrug:
...He does not say conclusively or indirectly that the game they're currently developing is not TES:V. What, then, would it be? Fallout 4? I would consider that highly unlikely, as Bethesda would then have 2 competing Fallout titles at the same time in FO4 and FO: New Vegas. Bethesda the Publisher naturally wants Obsidian to succeed in the sales of New Vegas, so why would they undercut the game's hype and both short- and long-term sales time by developing and eventually announcing a Fallout title of their own within the next 2- to 4-year cycle? And on the flip-side, Bethesda the Developer naturally want themselves to succeed financially with Fallout 4, so it wouldn't make much business sense again to have those conflicting sales, nor would it make much tactical business sense to overload your consumer with one intellectual property all at once without much of a break in between.
The only other intellectual property they currently have the rights to (that I am aware of) is TES, so the only other alternative for that title would be a whole brand-spanking-new game that we've never heard of before. But again, it doesn't make much marketing sense. A whole new intellectual property has neither an established hardcoe fanbase or a loose mainstream softcoe fanbase. A new IP is an experiment, and it's an experiment with far less guarantee of returns than a continuation of an established IP, such as a new Fallout or a new Elder Scrolls, would ever be. Bethesda, for all its developmental and artistic prowess, is still designed with bringing home the bacon in mind, and developing an experimental title has far more chances of going awry. And besides, Bethesda seems to have shown through its publishing arm that they fulfill their urge to put forth titles that don't already fit into their set categories by supporting and guiding other developers into making those titles with their name attached.
Is it possible that FO4 or some other hitherto-unheard-of title is their next game on the assembly line? Perhaps. But I have doubts. And there is only one other alternative (short of acquiring a whole new IP from another company, which couldn't be done without multiple press releases): TES.
Also, keep in mind Bethesda's track record for game releases.
Morrowind... XBOX
Oblivion... XBOX 360
Bethesda's release track record for the consoles means absolutely nothing in determining whether the game will be out for this generation or next generation. It entirely depends on the console manufacturers, particularly Microsoft, as the X360 is the platform with the weakest hardware. Considering they're all stoked to release Natal, they're planning on repackaging the X360 yet again in 2010 to resell and make even more money off the same system, and they've hinted that they believe Natal will extend the life of their current generation for several years to come, it's not an unlikely scenario to imagine that TES:V will be out on current hardware. Not that it's such a terrible thing; optimization and efficiency in hardware usage can improve a game's visuals just as much as getting new hardware. But again, Bethesda's track record is not the one that matters here.
There is no reason to think that Bethesda will pump out 2 huge RPG's for one system. Depressing for me, being a huge Bethesda fan. I really get tired of Bethesda's tight lip policy. It seems like somehow, someway, something would slip out. An ex-employee, someone that saw something they shouldn't have. Something. But we sit here, a year after Fallout 3's release and know nothing about what is going to come out.
The least thing they could do would be to give us the slightest inclination as far as what to expect.
I prefer the tight-lip policy. It lets them focus on what they need to do, without having to deal with and cater to insatiable fan hype. Besides, the happenings of the Oblivion announcement and the disappointment that stemmed from what we were told and what we got, is likely encouraging them to stay even more close-lipped. They're not going to say anything until all their proverbial ducks are in a row. And that's incredibly responsible for a company. Besides, a year from Fallout 3 isn't a big deal. Daggerfall fans went a little under 6 years before hearing about Morrowind. Morrowind fans went 3 or 4 years without hearing about Oblivion. True, Fallout 3 was a staggered development from Oblivion, meaning they should be fairly well along in whatever title they're currently churning out. But still; a year is hardly a disastrous wait time.
This whole thread could have easily taken place http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=1045189.
» Fri May 27, 2011 4:15 pm 
