[Thomas LEON]

I think we're good. Like they said, they have one game that has been in production for two years, and one in early production. We can safely assume one is TESV and one is Fallout 4. A good spread of a franchise would be that they let Fallout New Vegas keep the series on the brain for the public (much like the TES novels) while the Fallout fans wait, they release TESV, then work on Fallout.

That's why I'm reasonably sure we'll probably get TESV before Christmas 2011, and Fallout 4 by Christmas 2012.

Wooooah there, I agree about TES V, but Fallout 4 before Christmas 2012 quite a stretch. Fallout 4 is still in pre-production, and will likely be until TES V is closer to release. Even if they started developing it right this second, which would be silly but, if they started right now, if we go by TES V's likely release schedule, it wont be released for 3 years, maybe more. Frankly I don't expect to see Fallout 4 until 2014, based on the information we have right now.

[KU Fint]

Still, abczby has a point, it would be smarted to announce it after Christmas, but before games like Dragon Age 2, Star wars Knights of the old republic, rage (even though Bethesda publishes it) and other games.

You mean "Star War The Old Republic".

[Monique Cameron]

Wooooah there, I agree about TES V, but Fallout 4 before Christmas 2012 quite a stretch. Fallout 4 is still in pre-production, and will likely be until TES V is closer to release. Even if they started developing it right this second, which would be silly but, if they started right now, if we go by TES V's likely release schedule, it wont be released for 3 years, maybe more. Frankly I don't expect to see Fallout 4 until 2014, based on the information we have right now.

If the 2nd game is in preproduction then the 2 yr-inproduction game is probably more than half way completed. Obviously thier team is doubled right now and they've gotten far with everyone working on the game. To me since they're far along, Todd probably felt comfortable to split the team up a little to have them start preproduction on the 2nd game while a good majority is working the presumed ESV. Im pretty sure it'll be released in less than 3 yrs.

[Monique Cameron]

If the 2nd game is in preproduction then the 2 yr-inproduction game is probably more than half way completed. Obviously thier team is doubled right now and they've gotten far with everyone working on the game. To me since they're far along, Todd probably felt comfortable to split the team up a little to have them start preproduction on the 2nd game while a good majority is working the presumed ESV. Im pretty sure it'll be released in less than 3 yrs.

Would it not make more sense for some of their concept artists, writers and such to be in the pre-production team, and the rest to be working on the game in full development?

P.S. this is my 1000th post, giving me a 2nd star

[Farrah Lee]

If the 2nd game is in preproduction then the 2 yr-inproduction game is probably more than half way completed. Obviously thier team is doubled right now and they've gotten far with everyone working on the game. To me since they're far along, Todd probably felt comfortable to split the team up a little to have them start preproduction on the 2nd game while a good majority is working the presumed ESV. Im pretty sure it'll be released in less than 3 yrs.

Pre-production is not full production. Todd himself said that they game they've been developing for 2 years was also in pre-production during Fallout 3's development. They're 2 different stages of game development. They aren't far along with the actual development of Fallout 4, and currently development hasn't even begun. They're still in the planning and preparing stage.

[Poetic Vice]

Wooooah there, I agree about TES V, but Fallout 4 before Christmas 2012 quite a stretch. Fallout 4 is still in pre-production, and will likely be until TES V is closer to release. Even if they started developing it right this second, which would be silly but, if they started right now, if we go by TES V's likely release schedule, it wont be released for 3 years, maybe more. Frankly I don't expect to see Fallout 4 until 2014, based on the information we have right now.

Yeah, you're probably right. But I'll leave that kind of speculation to the Fallout fans.

[Dona BlackHeart]

Antibody is definatly the leader here.

[Jordan Moreno]

Oh hey, could someone tell me exactly when they copyrighted "Skyrim?" My brother asked me and I don't remember when they did it. He's trying to come up with some grand unified theory.

[Naomi Ward]

Yeah, you're probably right. But I'll leave that kind of speculation to the Fallout fans.

*raises hand*

:P

The speculation and suggestion thread over in the Fallout forums is never about when it will come out. Nobody seems concerned about that. All anyone wants to do is suggest a idea or suggest a location. Plus, the New Vegas forum makes me ashamed to say I'm a Fallout fan, when I see fellow Fallout fans act the way they do in there. I prefer speculating with and just in general being around Elder Scrolls fans much more. :foodndrink:

But I guess it is off-topic. Meh, we don't have to worry about speculating on Fallout 4 until after TESV is released, and even then, I'll just hang out in the TES VI Speculation Thread instead. :whistling:

Antibody is definatly the leader here.

Haha, thanks but I think the better word is "the person who has the most time to spend here and participate in our circular discussions while somehow not going insane"

[Scotties Hottie]

C'mon guys - It would be stupid marketing if they were to announce the game even before Fallout: New Vegas has hit the shelves! Think about it, it would pretty much draw way too much attention towards TESV (if we are to assume that's in the making), and therefore probably making some people forget about New Vegas.... Just saying

I think that they will announce the game once Christmas has passed and all of the holiday season excitement is over, giving gamers something huge to look forward to in 2011.

Exactly, that time would be fitting.

[Dustin Brown]

Oh hey, could someone tell me exactly when they copyrighted "Skyrim?" My brother asked me and I don't remember when they did it. He's trying to come up with some grand unified theory.

Sometime in 2006. Just google "USTPO trademark search" and search for Skyrim if you want to know the exact date. But if you want to be a good brother I'd not even tell him as they don't really matter. Instead remind him what we already talk about here, you know, that it's only been in development for 2 years, that it will be released less than 1 1/2 years after the announcement, that it's for current gen consoles, etc. Or if you want to be a really good brother tell him not to bother at all.

[Angus Poole]

That was actually much longer ago than he thought. Well, whatever. Thanks.

[Lil Miss]

I really feel we'll have an announcement around Christmas, followed shortly by a magazine cover with an Elder Scrolls theme. That way Fallout:NV will have been fully hyped, and have hit the shelves for a month or so. My total speculative guess would be a release between August and November 2011, 8 to 11 months between announcement and release.

I doubt that it would be any longer than 8 to 11 months, otherwise why would Todd Howard go out of his way to say this will definitely be the shortest time between announcement and release if it was going to be only a little less wait time. Most people would probably not even notice. I think he said that because he wants people to get hyped up for a pretty imminent game release as soon as it's announced.

[john palmer]

Anyone remember what Beth's magic months were? The months when Beth did all their stuff.

[Crystal Clarke]

Anyone remember what Beth's magic months were? The months when Beth did all their stuff.

March, May-July, September-November

http://i25.tinypic.com/5c0jtg.jpg (Made by Antibody)

[Angela]

Anyone remember what Beth's magic months were? The months when Beth did all their stuff.

Here's my post:

I know i usually say that finding patterns in Bethesda's past is futile... and for the most part, it is... but I just realized something. http://i25.tinypic.com/5c0jtg.jpg Since Morrowind was announced, not once has Bethesda done anything major on any months except those highlighted. No announcement of a game, no release of a game, and no release of an expansion, happened on a month other than those highlighted. Hell, all of the Skyrim trademarks were filed on those months, but I just decided not to add them to the list. I really doubt that's all a coincidence. My theory is that May, June and July are because of E3 and the hype surrounding that time. September, October and November are because of the holiday season. And March, well, I have no idea. It's the end of the 2nd quarter of the fiscal year in the U.S. but I doubt that's the reason. Maybe they just like March? I don't know.

Point is, I'm thinking that if Bethesda hasn't diverged from this pattern for 10 years, they wont start doing it any time soon. So while we still can't accurately predict when it will be announced, we can use this to control our hype. Based on this, we shouldn't expect anything to happen in August. If they don't announce it by the end of July we might as well forget about it until September. And if, come November, if nothing has been announced, we should forget about it until March. As so on and so forth.

The only break in the pattern I found, and after I made that post, was the announcement of The Infernal City, which happened in April. But I don't think that counts.

Edit: Aaah ninja'd

[adam holden]

Havent posted here in a while so im a little behind in the news. No news at all?

[Tamika Jett]

Haha, thanks but I think the better word is "the person who has the most time to spend here and participate in our circular discussions while somehow not going insane"

I'll second that!

C'mon guys - It would be stupid marketing if they were to announce the game even before Fallout: New Vegas has hit the shelves! Think about it, it would pretty much draw way too much attention towards TESV (if we are to assume that's in the making), and therefore probably making some people forget about New Vegas.... Just saying

:rolleyes: Rather than waste my time refuting, I will attempt a new tactic: How, pray tell, would announcing TES:V draw attention (and sales) away from FO:NV?

Havent posted here in a while so im a little behind in the news. No news at all?

Other than the two new interviews from Todd, nothing much. Reading the first post is a great way to get up to speed.

[My blood]

I know you all have talked about it to death, but seeing that I've been missing for a few weeks, I'd just like to say I really liked the interview with Todd Howard, especially when he said "One thing I can say is that from when you first hear about it to when it's out will be the shortest it's been for us."

Time between announcement and release
Morrowind: 2 years, 2 months
Oblivion: 1 year, 6 months
Fallout 3: 4 years, 3 months

So if TES:V is announced this year, I would shoot for a early 2012 release, hopefully...

Basically, what I got out of that interview was that they could announce TESV whenever. Todd said that he could announce the game as soon as Pete Hines tells him to.

Sorry if I'm repeating everything, but again, I've been gone a while, but it's good to see reassuring news.

[IsAiah AkA figgy]

Time between announcement and release
Morrowind: 2 years, 2 months
Oblivion: 1 year, 6 months
Fallout 3: 4 years, 3 months

Morrowind was initially announced before Redguard or Battlespire. There were about two years between the official unveiling and release but Bethesda had a very different marketing and information campaign.

Fallout 3 was announced early but it wasn't unveiled until much later. There were about 18 months between unveiling and release for it as well.

[Gemma Archer]

March, May-July, September-November

http://i25.tinypic.com/5c0jtg.jpg (Made by Antibody)

Fingers Crossed for September.

But if March comes and they don't annouce it, I'll commit explodicide.

Fallout 3 was annouced before Oblivion? What the heck...?

[Angel Torres]

I'm hoping some more information will be released during/after PAX

[Jason King]

I'm hoping some more information will be released during/after PAX

During PAX, I wouldn't hold my breath.

[Jason Rice]

I don't care as long as it is released at the latest Spring 2012 because I will leave for college that Fall and I don't want it to come out then haha. Plus, we are all dying that winter too.

[MARLON JOHNSON]

I don't care as long as it is released at the latest Spring 2012 because I will leave for college that Fall and I don't want it to come out then haha. Plus, we are all dying that winter too.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think this new game is an entirely new game. With three major games (Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and the unnanounced game), Bethesda will have developed a cycle that will allow them to release one game from each series on each generation of systems.