[Stephy Beck]

I doubt it. I suspect we're in for a bit of a dry spell after all the information we've been given recently. If you're asking about an announcement, then the answer is almost certainly no. 99.99999999% no.

What information?

[Jessica Nash]

What prevents them from doing something like posting on their website "Hey guys, TES 5 comes out....next month". Because if anyone could get away with it, it would be them. And I know if I CEO, I would that that was funny and I would probably do it.

Their shareholders? And the publishing side of Bethesda (like Pete Hines).

Sure, we'd all rush to buy the game, but they'd sell a hell of a lot more copies with a well-planned and extensive marketing campaign, showing off the game at various game shows; providing interviews about it to various magazines and websites; creating adverts for billboards, magazine pages, internet sites, and tv commercials; and generally getting as much of the general gaming public to be aware of the game and hyped up for it in the 3-4 months leading up to its release. Especially considering how popular those extra-expensive collector's edition pre-orders are these days. I know I'll get svcked in... I once had an idea to buy up as many of the collector's edition septims that came packaged with Oblivion, to amass a fortune in an unrecognized currency. Thank god I didn't follow it through.

Although with just one more coin I could buy a pair of shoes... :unsure2:

[clelia vega]

Their shareholders? And the publishing side of Bethesda (like Pete Hines).

Sure, we'd all rush to buy the game, but they'd sell a hell of a lot more copies with a well-planned and extensive marketing campaign, showing off the game at various game shows; providing interviews about it to various magazines and websites; creating adverts for billboards, magazine pages, internet sites, and tv commercials; and generally getting as much of the general gaming public to be aware of the game and hyped up for it in the 3-4 months leading up to its release. Especially considering how popular those extra-expensive collector's edition pre-orders are these days.

Agreed. They can count on great sales from people already following the game in its pre-release, but they want so much more than that. With a carefully planned and executed PR schedule they have a chance to drum up interest and sales from the gaming public in general. From their perspective, it would be quite a problem to let slip the info early.

[Juan Cerda]

Do you think when they announce it (soon hopefully), they'll give us a solid release date (a month) or something like "Fall 2011"?

[Roisan Sweeney]

Do you think when they announce it (soon hopefully), they'll give us a solid release date (a month) or something like "Fall 2011"?

Most likely that "fall 2011" thingy, because the release date can always change by surprise. They might get hacked by someone (this happened when valve was creating HL2) or they might just lose some files for some reason.
And hopefully it would not take long to get those files back, so we wouldn't get "fall 6011" instead of "fall 2011".

[Andrew]

Werewolves and vampires! That was the main reason I bought the Elder Scrolls IV:Oblivion because of the vampires, then Morrowind(With Bloodmoon) because of the Werewolves, that and the create a character and free roam. Werewolves is a MUST.

[Multi Multi]

Werewolves and vampires! That was the main reason I bought the Elder Scrolls IV:Oblivion because of the vampires, then Morrowind(With Bloodmoon) because of the Werewolves, that and the create a character and free roam. Werewolves is a MUST.

I believe you're looking for http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1116332-tes-v-ideas-and-suggestions-180/ thread.

[Frank Firefly]

Their shareholders? And the publishing side of Bethesda (like Pete Hines).

Sure, we'd all rush to buy the game, but they'd sell a hell of a lot more copies with a well-planned and extensive marketing campaign, showing off the game at various game shows; providing interviews about it to various magazines and websites; creating adverts for billboards, magazine pages, internet sites, and tv commercials; and generally getting as much of the general gaming public to be aware of the game and hyped up for it in the 3-4 months leading up to its release. Especially considering how popular those extra-expensive collector's edition pre-orders are these days. I know I'll get svcked in... I once had an idea to buy up as many of the collector's edition septims that came packaged with Oblivion, to amass a fortune in an unrecognized currency. Thank god I didn't follow it through.

Although with just one more coin I could buy a pair of shoes... :unsure2:

Zenimax Media is a privately owned corporation. They don't have shareholders who are interested in stock prices, they have shareholders who are interested in the net value of the business.

[Aliish Sheldonn]

Zenimax Media is a privately owned corporation. They don't have shareholders who are interested in stock prices, they have shareholders who are interested in the net value of the business.

And dividends

[Jennie Skeletons]

How did we miss this: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2008/10/bethesda-wants/ ?

I remember see that when the article first came out. Knowing what we know now, I think it's pretty safe to assume two things. One: their next game is most likely Elder Scrolls 5 as they have all expressed a desire to make a new one. Two: if they plan on releasing 3 or 4 big games a year, they only have 2 slated for next year. Brink, and Rage. So it is plausible that they will release their next game next year, and if you look at the schedules for release:

Brink: spring (may-ish)
Rage: September

We can assume they're going to release the next game in a window that won't overlap with either of these. My best guess is the earliest would be March, latest would be November/ December. Since it'll be a shorter "wait" period between announcement and release, my money would be on November. Not to mention, their booths at E3, PAX and gamescom in that case would be swingin'. Rage and ESV!

[Lew.p]

I remember see that when the article first came out. Knowing what we know now, I think it's pretty safe to assume two things. One: their next game is most likely Elder Scrolls 5 as they have all expressed a desire to make a new one. Two: if they plan on releasing 3 or 4 big games a year, they only have 2 slated for next year. Brink, and Rage. So it is plausible that they will release their next game next year, and if you look at the schedules for release:

Brink: spring (may-ish)
Rage: September

We can assume they're going to release the next game in a window that won't overlap with either of these. My best guess is the earliest would be March, latest would be November/ December. Since it'll be a shorter "wait" period between announcement and release, my money would be on November. Not to mention, their booths at E3, PAX and gamescom in that case would be swingin'. Rage and ESV!

I still don't see how those games have anything to do with ES5.

[ShOrty]

I remember see that when the article first came out. Knowing what we know now, I think it's pretty safe to assume two things. One: their next game is most likely Elder Scrolls 5 as they have all expressed a desire to make a new one. Two: if they plan on releasing 3 or 4 big games a year, they only have 2 slated for next year. Brink, and Rage. So it is plausible that they will release their next game next year, and if you look at the schedules for release:

Brink: spring (may-ish)
Rage: September

We can assume they're going to release the next game in a window that won't overlap with either of these. My best guess is the earliest would be March, latest would be November/ December. Since it'll be a shorter "wait" period between announcement and release, my money would be on November. Not to mention, their booths at E3, PAX and gamescom in that case would be swingin'. Rage and ESV!

You forgot Hunted: The Demon's Forge... but it doesn't matter much, because the release dates of those games wont have any effect on the release date of TES V. They are all totally different games.

[Ella Loapaga]

You forgot Hunted: The Demon's Forge... but it doesn't matter much, because the release dates of those games wont have any effect on the release date of TES V. They are all totally different games.

That's true! Well we're still within the realm of logic! 4 games is do-able.

And in regards to Igloogreenhouse, it has everything to do with ESV. Using what we know to deduce what we don't. What we do know is information on their current releases and quotes about their target number of games a year and so on.

[Chris Cross Cabaret Man]

October is the sacred gamesas month... Would be funny if they announced the game on the 22nd again, it is both my b-day and the day Oblivion was announced XD

[Steve Bates]

Zenimax Media is a privately owned corporation. They don't have shareholders who are interested in stock prices, they have shareholders who are interested in the net value of the business.

As far as I know it is Robert Altman and Christopher Weaver who are the only stakeholders in the company, of course I don't know if they have a profit sharing model with their employees or whether they have a silent board of investors. Either way, it certainly isn't a non-profit organization so the ultimate goal of releasing games is to turn a profit, and the best way to do that is to create the inversely proportionate demand associated with an enduring sales lifecycle. To get this you need a marketing strategy that is calculating and thereby historically longer than a single month; and for the latter you need a great product. I hope for the continued success of BGS games we see no fewer than 6 months between announcement and release, and preferably 12 months (since you allow yourself a full year of expos and marketing events and won't miss a single one before release). Just my two pennies.

[Enie van Bied]

October is the sacred gamesas month... Would be funny if they announced the game on the 22nd again, it is both my b-day and the day Oblivion was announced XD

Whoa...my birthday too

[Pixie]

it seems more and more likely they will release in 2011.

[Marine x]

http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/fullstory.php?id=162212 Hey guys its been announced. Atleast, this article doesnt seem like a hoax. Feedback please.

You are kidding, right? Check the date please.

[Richard Dixon]

Alinor is the capital of Summerset Isle, which suggests the game will take place in the High Elven homeland. Gamespy has been told we can expect a full reveal when Armor Games is ready to show it.

California-based Armor Games was founded by Daniel McNeely, and develops a range of action, adventure, strategy, action, sports and puzzle games - of which the best known are Crush the Castle and Sushi Cat, both available now on the iphone. Bethesda has said it approached Armor Games regarding this project and an agreement was quickly reached.

Edit (29 July 2010): before you run off to the official forums to report on this unique nugget of information, please take another look at the date this was originally posted and reconsider...

Several points... Armor Games making a RPG? wtf... Read the edit please, read the article

[jessica sonny]

http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/fullstory.php?id=162212 Hey guys its been announced. Atleast, this article doesnt seem like a hoax. Feedback please.

*Falls down on knees and cries*

...I emailed the writer of that article, and he was a great sport and added that edit, but still we get posts like this!?

:banghead:

[leni]

Several points... Armor Games making a RPG? wtf... Read the edit please, read the article

I love how people speculate about TESV by showing us the "announcement"... it only serves to display their inability to use logic which would dictate that if TESV was announced this thread would not exist. On topic though, I have been putting some things together and without going into inane detail, I did do some research with regards to publishing and electronic media. There are so many facets to it that I am in no way close to considering myself an authority, and I can see how people can actually have an intense collegiate experience with marketing as their major. It has been eye opening to say the least. One bit that gets me is the silence from Bethesda since most of the views I have seen play back to studies done where over exposure or super-saturation of product identity drives consumerism. It is like Coca-Cola and Ronald McDonald... whose recognition is driven by over-exposure. You can go anywhere on earth and find someone who knows about Coke and McDonalds. There have been several studies and case anolysis done where absence does NOT make the "heart grow fonder" in regards to consumerism. Nostalgic purchases require spans of 10 years or greater, and any intermittent spans of absence tend to exponentially reduce consumer confidence. Of course, this is a generalization because as we all know, video games are not french fries. Even if a drought occurs between sequels, all a game needs is to be amazing, and you recoup your sales with new people who want to play this awesome game. You don't actually lose interest with your market because they are already pre-occupied with other games. It is like the competition actually helps you survive the drought. TES has WOW and Dragon Age and Mass Effect and Two Worlds and all the other games they play to "tide" them over without actually changing their tastes. In the industry this is also studied when competition thrives by offering choices. I thought it was hilarious to learn that Dunkin Donuts actually suffered by offering too many different types of donuts and when they went back to a smaller choice list their donut sales increased. People like choices and are able to wait for sequels so long as they have alternatives. The best thing I got out of this whole research project was that BGS can take their time, because so long as the game is AWESOME, it doesn't matter how long it takes. What does matter is that they are a viable resource to the market, thus the publishing arm needs to pump out games in relative quick succession so that distributors will find this as a viable revenue source.

All that to say, I think we are in a place where Todd's team is going to have the freedom to make great games, and Softworks is going to do the business that supports them. It is perfect. I see Softworks future much more clearly than BGS, since it is clear we will see about a dozen additional publishing deals over the next 3 years. This is good news because that will allow BGS to grow and I don't think it will be too long before Todd appoints a lead Elder Scrolls and a lead Fallout person whose names will be tossed about these forums on a daily basis.

ZeniMax is really making some interesting moves on an international level as well, and the implications there are astounding. I cannot wait to see if my predictions for their business model holds true through 2011. If so, we could see some very interesting developments. This includes the Online business as well.

So for TESV to fit into all of this, it has to come after Fallout New Vegas and before the end of this year.

[Lloyd Muldowney]

Probably already mentioned but Todd said "We are ready to announce it" as well as "It'll be the shortest time from an announcement to a release."

Seems like they have a good portion of the game done.

[Kate Schofield]

What's weird to me is that Todd has said on a few occasions that the fans' reactions and anticipations are what fuel their development, especially when showing off the game.
They haven't mentioned anything about the game yet and it's already far into development.
Of course we can't always take what they say as 100% fact, but this is a completely logical thing that many developers have experience with. I'm sure Bethesda has a plan for all this but it's really strange to me.

Heck, maybe everyone on the team is already hyped working on it and they don't need the help.

[chirsty aggas]

What's weird to me is that Todd has said on a few occasions that the fans' reactions and anticipations are what fuel their development, especially when showing off the game.
They haven't mentioned anything about the game yet and it's already far into development.
Of course we can't always take what they say as 100% fact, but this is a completely logical thing that many developers have experience with. I'm sure Bethesda has a plan for all this but it's really strange to me.

Heck, maybe everyone on the team is already hyped working on it and they don't need the help.

True, but they are probably waiting for a specific date, perhaps after NV has already been on the market for some time and/or the next book.

[No Name]

I had a strange dream last night. I was on my computer and was on this forum, I clicked on a thread that said TES V announced and clicked on the video link in the description. Then video loaded, I saw Todd Howard on a stage, he said some stuff about unveiling what they had been making. Then a screen behind him lit up. There was a huge Title in gold saying Elder Scrolls 5, I don't remember the name after The Elder Scrolls bit. There was a voice saying some unrest in Tamriel and then there was loads of fire. Something about a secret ancient weapon would be unleashed and there was a Dragon came and the camera moved to show it was flying to a city that was already being attacked. That's all I really remember, it could be Deja Vu but it could just be my imagination I don't really know.