[Kelvin]

There is NO OFFICIAL information about a new TES game release.

This thread is for member speculation of when and if TES V will be released. This is where you post any new information about when it might be released, tidbits from interviews which mention it and such.

It is also where you post your theories of when you think it might come out based on guesses, number crunching, rumors or such.

This is about speculating on the next TES game and when -- or if -- it is going to be released. It is not a place for discussion of what is going to be in it, what type of graphics there will be, or any other subject of that type; they belong in the http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1090035-tes-v-ideas-and-suggestions-164/. If those kind of posts get raised they will be deleted and the poster warned for going off topic.


Please note that this thread is not a personal chat box and that one liners and posts of little substance will be considered as spam and thus the poster will be subject to warnings and suspensions.

No scans of copy righted material are allowed in this thread. All other forum rules apply. You agreed to them, so please read them.

More recent interviews of note:
April 27th, 2009: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/974/974529p1.html
June 25th, 2009: http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24211 (particularly this quoted part)August 14th, 2009: http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/08/14/quakecon-2009-todd-howard-keynote-highlights/
August 17th, 2009: Pete clarify many things of what happen in QuakeCon in this blog: http://bethblog.com/index.php/2009/08/17/clarifying-about-next-elder-scrolls-game-mmo-etc/
January 6th, 2010: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kotaku/2010/01/06/chatting-with-fallout-and-oblivions-todd-howard, at the 9:30-10:30 mark Todd Howard said: "[...] we spend a lot of time adding to the engine, [...] and we've sort of been doing that with the big new game [we've been] making since we finished Fallout 3. You know we finished Fallout 3 over a year ago so that whole time has been spent re-doing a large part of our basic technology[...]".
May 4th 2010: http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/04/interview-bethesdas-pete-hines/ about future games.

PLEASE NOTE: AS PER MODERATOR REQUESTS IN THE PREVIOUS THREAD, PLEASE CONFINE THIS DISCUSSION TO SPECULATION TO BETHESDA GAME STUDIOS / TES:V. DISCUSSION OF ZENIMAX ONLINE STUDIOS PROJECTS OR AN ES MMO SHOULD GO IN THE http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1085332-official-tes-multiplayer-thread/


http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1102894-official-tes-v-speculation-thread-49/
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1102744-official-tes-v-speculation-thread-48/
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1102619-official-tes-v-speculation-thread-47/
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1102423-official-tes-v-speculation-thread-46/
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1101929-official-tes-v-speculation-thread-45/
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1101692-official-tes-v-speculation-thread-44/
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1101362-official-tes-v-speculation-thread-43/
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1100625-tes-v-speculation-thread-42/
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1100100-tes-v-speculation-thread-41/
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1099526-official-tes-v-speculation-thread-40/
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1098899-official-tes-v-speculation-thread-39/
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1098448-official-tes-v-speculation-thread-38/
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1097723-official-tes-v-speculation-thread-37/
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1097314-official-tes-v-speculation-thread-36/
http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1096566-official-tes-v-speculation-thread-35/


Note that Bethesda Game Studios is NOT working on Fallout: New Vegas, Rage, Brink, or Hunted: The Demon's Forge -- Nor do they develop MMOs.

....................................................................................................................

After all the chaos of the last couple of threads it is now revealed that the cover of http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/07/08/7718298August_5F00_Cover_5F00_Revealed.aspx. Please do not make posts saying "I told you so" or "I was right", all that is over, the moderators had enough of that in the last few threads.
Now back to discussion of when the next Elder Scrolls game may be announced.

[Rachel Briere]

I urge everybody to be mature and restrained in the face of this news.

The lack of any indication (countdowns, etc) on gamesas sites was a negative indicator. Although the official threads where closed yesterday, if you followed the general gaming blogs (particularly Kotaku) the last minute indicators of it being DA2 were pretty strong. So this wasn't much of a shocker by the time it was revealed.

Don't embarrass yourself by whining or pouting. There are many other signs and indications to keep an eye on (trademark renewals, other pvssyr, time line projections, etc). We took a pretty good clue from the Andy McNamara tweet and the evidence did support TESV being the answer, but we were wrong in the end. Better luck to us next time.

TESV is almost certainly in the works - they haven't been paying the staff of BGS to watch Hulu in their cubical for the last two years plus. We will get confirmation some day, just not today. Sit tight, chill out. TESV is a thing that is happening, you can take that to the bank -- exactly when we will be told that in concrete terms is anyone's guess at this point.

Where do we stand on USPTO news? What does the release/announcement calendar look like for the next few months, are there any good gaps where a TES announcement could grab the news unchallenged?

[evelina c]

So - is my understanding of the situation correct?
Bethesda previously were tied down by the trademarks, but now that they have filed a new one, although it could be a pointer to an announcement (like with Oblivion), it means they can extend the deadline of their announcement? If so, I preferred the concrete timeframe we had before.
If it's a pointer to an announcement to come soon though, I guess we've got Quakecon coming up soon, and indeed Todd (or Peter, confused them again) said it would be a good place to announce things. Or there's the next issue of GI, but it's unlikely, and frankly I'd (and probably everyone else) rather not think about that avenue at the moment. :laugh: But if Quakecon comes by with no announcement, I give up on any hope of an announcement until next year. Hopefully it doesn't come to that though.

[Chloe Mayo]

I urge everybody to be mature and restrained in the face of this news.

I concur. In fact, I will return to these threads in a little while once the debris has settled. Though the GI article has sold us short, I still very confidently believe a TES:V announcement is near (just not quite so near as before) and that our hope is not completely displaced. Hold the line gentlemen...an artillery mortar may have struck close but our defenses have not collapsed; we still have very good reason to believe TES:V is indeed in development.

[nath]

I wish I knew more about Doom 4's development. How likely is it to dominate Quakecon? Does Doom 4 being at QC make TES news unlikely at that show in itself?

[Lou]

What does the release/announcement calendar look like for the next few months, are there any good gaps where a TES announcement could grab the news unchallenged?

Gamescom 2010, Cologne, Germany, August 18-22 is certainly a potential place for an announcement.

Bethesda is listed as an exhibitor, with "Action / Adventure, Jump and Run, Role-playing games" as their details so far. Could just be New Vegas as the RPG, but TES games are insanely popular in Germany, as are all open-world RPGs. It's where Beth's main competition for the genre comes from. If you can call most, or any of it, competition.

http://www.ausstellerdaten.de/index.php#sr_d895c410af3a11b380920b20a674b773

[Cat]

I thought Bethesda had to announce Elder Scrolls V by July 31st to prevent their trademark from expiring? QuakeCon is in August. I'm not sure why people keep thinking it'll be announced there, unless it's announced at the end of July and more is revealed at QuakeCon.

Also, I'm pretty angry the cover is Dragon Age II. Not only because it's not TESV, but because Dragon Age: Origins came out less than a year ago. I guess Bioware is turning into a cash cow after all. How disappointing.

[OTTO]

I think Doom 4 will be presented at Quakecon this year, and probably Bethesda help to develop Doom 4 and a new engine, so don't expect TES5 soon. Maybe it will be announced next year or so.

[Emma-Jane Merrin]

The one thing I am glad about is that this isn't something we were blindsided with. The general conclusion of previous discussions was that TESV was the most likely contender, with Dragon Age 2 being a close second. The only reason we ruled out Dragon Age 2 was that it was too soon after the first, when in fact, Elder Scrolls V had a lot going against it as well that we just turned a blind eye to or convinced ourselves that it didn't matter.

What I am a little upset with is that they did not deny the speculation and just let it carry on until we found out the hard way that we were wrong. I suppose it might have ruined the surprise Bioware had planned (because if it wasn't Elder Scrolls then it must be Dragon Age). But do you think we could get a little heads up next time?

They will reveal Elder Scrolls V when it is ready to be shown. Just don't read that as the fans suggesting to take the development as slowly as possible. By all means, show it when it's ready, but I hope it will be ready sometime soon.

Anyways, I suppose this means I'll just grab Dragon Age 2 while I wait for Elder Scrolls V. Dragon Age seems to be my waiting game, just as it was for Mass Effect 2.

[helliehexx]

Gamescom 2010, Cologne, Germany, August 18-22 is certainly a potential place for an announcement.

Bethesda is listed as an exhibitor, with "Action / Adventure, Jump and Run, Role-playing games" as their details so far. Could just be New Vegas as the RPG, but TES games are insanely popular in Germany, as are all open-world RPGs. It's where Beth's main competition for the genre comes from. If you can call most, or any of it, competition.

http://www.ausstellerdaten.de/index.php#sr_d895c410af3a11b380920b20a674b773

It is pretty far afield from their domestic market - but as you say the Germans love them some TES, this is known.

They would certainly stand a chance of being a giant fish in a relatively small pond at Gamescon - with a sympathetic audience (perhaps more so than the BYOC LAN-fraggers at Quakecon), and international coverage, it isn't out of the realm of possibility. And the date falls in line with some of the time lines that have been speculated - how the new trademark factors in could be a spanner in the works though.

[Heather Kush]

I thought Bethesda had to announce Elder Scrolls V by July 31st to prevent their trademark from expiring?

For their trademark application dealing with game manuals and magazines they still do need to file a Statement of Use by July 31st, which requires a Use in Commerce and thus an announcement. However, this trademark is less crucial than the trademark application for the game itself; however a new application for the game itself has been filed with the full benefit of extensions.

[Liv Staff]

I think Doom 4 will be presented at Quakecon this year, and probably Bethesda help to develop Doom 4 and a new engine, so don't expect TES5 soon. Maybe it will be announced next year or so.

No, I strongly doubt that http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_D._Carmack needs anybody's help with his engine. Bethseda's publishing side will bankroll Doom 4 dev, but all the work will be Carmack's team at Id, it has no effect on the BGS team in those terms.

(edit: butchered the spelling of his name)

[Verity Hurding]

For their trademark application dealing with game manuals and magazines they still do need to file a Statement of Use by July 31st, which requires a Use in Commerce and thus an announcement. However, this trademark is less crucial than the trademark application for the game itself; however a new application for the game itself has been filed with the full benefit of extensions.

I thought the new trademark didn't cover manuals and magazines?

[JUDY FIGHTS]

I thought the new trademark didn't cover manuals and magazines?

Correct; it doesn't. It only covers the game itself. The application expiring July31st is for the manuals and magazines.

[Ells]

Correct; it doesn't. It only covers the game itself. The application expiring July31st is for the manuals and magazines.

Makes you wonder why they would file a new trademark for the game if their announcement schedule is still bound by the manuals trademark. Or maybe they've found a way around it? Confusing business.

[ashleigh bryden]

Makes you wonder why they would file a new trademark for the game if their announcement schedule is still bound by the manuals trademark. Or maybe they've found a way around it? Confusing business.

It is very confusing; and I don't have an answer. My guess is that they'll either file a new trademark application with some minor changes to make it different or else just let it expire. I'm tending to expect they'll just let it expire.

[Alexander Horton]

Makes you wonder why they would file a new trademark for the game if their announcement schedule is still bound by the manuals trademark. Or maybe they've found a way around it? Confusing business.

Perhaps the manuals thing isn't as big a deal, or maybe the paperwork for extensions/new TMs for the manuals is still chugging through the system? Maybe they're going paperless (I strongly doubt it though).

I mean, is there a business in selling bootleg manuals for games or something? Does it need to be trademarked? I don't know.

Maybe 'manuals' in this sense means 'cruddy player's guides that are full of inaccuracies by the time the game is released' like that Fallout 3 tome my friend got. Was that Bradygames? Did they do one for Oblivion back in the day? If thats all the TM is for, hah, I think we will live without it.

[Nicola]

Worst case scenario, I'm sure Bethesda knows their stuff about how to use trademarks. That's what they have legal services for. I think it's best to assume that they always have a backup or contingency plan. That's why I don't trust any of the deadlines based in trademarks, because they probably have a way around it anyways.

[Darlene DIllow]

I am sooooooo depressed right now. Bethesda is really starting to piss me off. Four years is just cruel...

[Benjamin Holz]

For those who haven't seen the http://kotaku.com/5582189/dragon-age-2-is-an-all+new-game yet: it's Dragon Age 2. My pants remain oddly clean.

[Natalie Harvey]

It is very confusing; and I don't have an answer. My guess is that they'll either file a new trademark application with some minor changes to make it different or else just let it expire. I'm tending to expect they'll just let it expire.

I would say they do not because Todd (was it?) replied to an e-mail from SyltStryder (was it?) saying that they do this trademark buisiness to protect their IP as much as posible. I'm still a bit confused though:

• They have a trademark on manuals & magazines and other stuff NOT the actual game, this expires July 31st
  
• At the moment they do NOT have the game trademark
  
• They have to file a new trademark before July 31st if they do not announce anything beforehand
  
• There is no new expiration date known for any newely filed trademark

Does this recap the trademark situation at the moment or did I miss something in the last 25 threads?

[Helen Quill]

Y'know Stain, I just went over your list o' reasons TES V will be announced this summer, and I don't know how much water your observations hold anymore (that being said, they were absolutely brilliant at the time you wrote them ).

At this point, do we even have any clues to a general release date or announcement other than past development cycles?

[Cassie Boyle]

I am sooooooo depressed right now. Bethesda is really starting to piss me off. Four years is just cruel...

Let's just try to keep this related to speculation. If the mods have issues with "I told you so comments", they probably share a similar view on upset ones.

Maybe you should word it like "I'm so depressed right now. I'll go put bread in the toaster, and when it pops out, I speculate that we have come even closer to an announcement regarding Elder Scrolls V than when I put it in."
I'm not entirely sure about what I just said, but I believe it's along the lines of Elder Scrolls = Toast and Butter
Because forward movement through time is AWESOME.

[James Wilson]

For those who haven't seen the http://kotaku.com/5582189/dragon-age-2-is-an-all+new-game yet: it's Dragon Age 2. My pants remain oddly clean.

I don't know, I'd say it is pretty boss. If I find a higher res copy I'd add it to my desktop rotation. I hope they make serious improvements to DA2. I enjoyed DA a good amount, but visually the game was sorely lacking - especially in comparison with Mass Effect 2 - after playing ME2, I couldn't gin up the desire to launch a third play-through of DA.

Pant-soiling is hyperbole, but thats what twitter and games journalism excel at. Perhaps artists at BGS (or on commission to them) will put them to shame someday soon, if we are very lucky

[Olga Xx]

Y'know Stain, I just went over your list o' reasons TES V will be announced this summer, and I don't know how much water your observations hold anymore (that being said, they were absolutely brilliant at the time you wrote them ).

At this point, do we even have any clues to a general release date or announcement other than past development cycles?

Bethesda says that they have big plans for QuakeCon in August. But if they don't announce TESV, mention TESV, or provide some sort of information on the game I feel we'll be waiting another year. Unless they plan to announce the game later this year or early next year in a GI.