Bethesda Softworks knows how to make Elder Scrolls games. They've been doing it for years, and they are the indisputable masters of it, this I know without a doubt.

While I await the next TES installment with bated breath, I still have to look around and see what others are doing, and it seems like others are letting development studios other than themselves create titles based on their personal IP.

Think about it. Nintendo handed over Zelda to Capcom to create the Oracle series of Gameboy Zelda games. This games were fantastic, and critically acclaimed. Now, Nintendo has handed over their Metroid license to Team Ninja to create an all new Metroid game! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4581I_TDofo

Even Beth themselves handed over the Fallout license to Obsidian so they could create a Fallout game. Judging by Obsidian's track record, and that incredible teaser, I think we have another smash hit on our hands there.

It's hard to think of anyone but Bethesda making an Elder Scrolls game, but what if this turned out to be so? What if Bethesda handed out a license to another development studio to create A TES game? What studio would be a good choice? How would this studio interpret the TES license? What sort of game would they create? What if it were made by Obsidian, Bioware, EA, etc? Get those hypothetical gears churning!

'Tis an interesting thought. One I had not thought of till now. It really wouldn't feel right. Bethesda is part of the elderscrolls. I may still buy it if it looked amazing and I mean truly amazing. Other than that I would probably just look on until Bethesda saw their mistake and went back to what I expect of them.

I bet there would be some lore [censored] if that happened. The other studio should painstakingly try to learn everything from Nirn.

Bioware would make an interesting TES game story and character wise, but I doubt their 1st person and open world would work all that good. I don't like controlling a group from above, I dont get the feeling of being there. Totally different in 1st person.

In my opinion, New Vegas is just a game to occupy Fallout fans while Bethesda makes the next Elder Scrolls game. Bethesda has only made one Fallout game so far, and aren't as attached to it. Every game they've ever made besides Fallout 3 has been a TES game. I honestly don't think Bethesda would give their most precious series to someone else to develop.

However, if they ever did, I'd obviously want Bioware to do it. If anybody else could do TES justice it'd be Bioware.

if they had to have TES:V developed by a 3rd party, there is no large scale developer on the market I would trust with the elderscrolls.

Morrowind and Oblivion felt VERY different than Arena and Daggerfall.. almost as if they HAD switched developers. I don't think changing developers would necessarily hurt the series, especially after Oblivion's fiasco.

If they sold the Elder Scrolls IP I would literally cry.

And almost nothing makes me cry.

I think the OP meant let another developer make a game, not actually sell them the license.

Yes, and just a spin-off. Not a numbered sequel. For example, Fallout New Vegas is not Fallout 4.

Would really be interesting, but I think if Beth did that they'd still practically have to have their own team working on it unless the other company wanted to go through all of TES lore and learn every nook and cranny of the history to do the game justice. I just think it would be to much work to do something so big when they could just make it themselves. They haven't really announced much of anything lately so it could be the next Elder Scrolls. Only time will tell

I pray to the nine divines that this day never comes. But anyway, I will try to answer your hypothetical question.
In terms of quality there is no doubt that Bioware would be the ones to deliver the best product. However, their style is so different that I am not sure it would still be a TES game. A similar argument to what the old Fallout fans have been saying for a while now that even if Fallout 3 is a good game it is still not a Fallout game. Bioware would probably excel at writting a good story and characters but I doubt they would manage to recreate the realistic and atmospheric worlds the TES series is renowned for.
The same applies for Obsidian aka lesser Bioware for more or less the same reasons. However, I feel confident they will deliver a good product with Fallout: New Vegas because they are for the most part the same people who worked on the first two games and because Bethesda have provided them with an engine that is capable of supporting open world games.
The only other rpg developer in the current market that would have a chance to succeed would probably be CDPR who are the makers of the Witcher. Even though they are not Bioware themselves, because of their ambition and style, I think that they would probably be more appropriate to develop an Elder Scrolls like game.

I think the 2K studios that make Bioshock would do an awesome job with a TES action spin-off game. Really pump up the atmosphere and combat mechanics and interaction with the environment in clever ways.

I also think Eidos devs who did the Legacy of Kain series would do a cool job on a TES adventure game.

Liquid Entertainment, though, did really good dialog stuff for Rise of the Argonauts... I think I'd like to see them make a TES game, as long as they don't make a booger engine that crashes the game every hour on the PC. The atmosphere, character design, and gameplay mechanics are pretty darn nice in that game. Maybe not so much that character models themselves (kinda plastic), but everything else is right on the money.

Alternatively, Piranha Bytes, the makers of the Gothic Series, would probably be best suited for a TES-like TES game. Troika might be good, too, as long as they didn't develop the actual game engine and programming (buggy thing that Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines is).

Of course, for sheer giggles, I'd love to see what Tim Shafer would do. :hehe:

If Bethesda didn't made it, i am not sure i would really consider it a true TES game.

As for BioWare, i quess they wouldnt be the worst developer you could chose, and i do like Dragon Age: Origin but its a very different kind of RPG even through its in the same genre as TES. A TES game similar to Dragon Age just wouldn't really be a TES game. That said, i do think Bethesda could learn something from BioWare... but that goes the other way around aswell.

Oh ok, if it was just a spin-off and not the actual license I'd be fine with it.

I would rage with the fury of a thousand angry suns.

That is, unless it didn't interfere with Bethesda releasing their next TES game or gave them an excuse to not make a TES game until later.

Without a doubt, this.

If Bethesda ever did such a thing it would be a long ways down the line when they feel confident that they've squeezed everything they possibly could out of the series. The only other way I see them doing it would be if the game was a different genre. Like an RTS for example.

Well if they handed a spin-of to the original Daggerfall lead designers, like they did with New Vegas, I wouldn't mind at all.


Otherwise, it's a big no no.

Well... the first thing that came to my mind was Bioware. I was playing their RPG's before I had even heard of Morrowind.

You can't deny, Bioware would more than likely make a kick ass TES game. I would love to see the TES world through the character driven, story driven world that is Bioware

I wouldn't mind seeing what Bioware or Obsidian could do with the IP, though I don't think it would feel right without the first-person perspective I've gotten used to from Bethesda.

I'm sorry, but that's completely wrong:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethesda_Game_Studios#List_of_games_by_Bethesda_Softworks

As you can see, they're a sports game company really, like EA, they only do the RPG thing as a sideline.

The only company I'd want to make a TES game (except for Bethesda themselves) are Bioware. And that will, naturally, never happen.

Oh yeah, forgot about those. But to be fair, I don't think they even want to remember they made those games, considering there isn't a place on the forum for them, or even an "other games" area.

Whatever TES V is like, there will always be harsh critics like the ones who slagged off Oblivion. I will just enjoy it ;D

Indeed, Bethesda Softworks doesn't make Elder Scrolls games more, Bethesda Game Studios do.
And a number of TES games already created by non-Bethesda, but by sister company Vir2L. And - maybe - ZeniMax Online works now on TES game.