[^_^]

GI's covers are always games, not game systems.

Actually, no they aren't... go take a look at the cover gallery... and besides, who's to say it couldn't be a 3DS game? :shrug:

[Michelle Smith]

Can I get a link to some of those twitters?

Yes, I agree which devs are you following? I'd like a link as well.

This...http://twitter.com/elderscrolls5 has a list of some of the bethesda staff.

[Sammykins]

Can a game be announced while the trademark is being published for opposition?


Oblivion was already announced before it was published for opposition. Which I suppose answers my question.

Yup, you did answer your own question! Though I will say this, after this point the stages of a mark are much more regular (as far as being mapped out on a calendar). You still have a slew of "extensions" to go through but the next stages are fairly easy to map. It isn't at all likely that Oblivion and Skyrim will have exact patterns, in fact it is more likely that they won't. I just wanted to add an interesting tid bit to the "announcement soon" - "release sooner than others".

[Hussnein Amin]

Well actually it is a stage in the trademark process, what happens from here is that there is an opposition period (a couple of months from now) where a company can oppose the mark.

The only parallels that I find are that:

Oblivion had marks that died and they filed for new ones, and the new ones became the game TESIV

Skyrim had marks that died and they filed for new ones, and the new ones... haven't become anything yet.

If you just assume that they are going to follow along in the same timeline then you can see with the Oblivion marks, 1yr and 3 months from the date of Pub for Opposition we had the game in our hands, and also that on 9/28 the Skryim mark reached this stage-- it is easy to see that if an announcement came anytime now, it would still be within Todd's statement of "shortest time between announcement and release".

Tis all!

Tis all, but quite a bit! Good find my friend, and true that does make sense. Though wasn't the Sky Rim Trade Mark filed in 2006? Wouldn't that mean it had been in pre-production for 2 years before they even started working on it? In theory they had two teams working on both fall out 3 and TESV so as soon as the finished production of fall out 3 they could roll over into TESV to finish full production and work on marketing.

[Shelby Huffman]

skyrim !!!

I wanted summerset Isles :brokencomputer: :brokencomputer: :brokencomputer:

[barbara belmonte]

skyrim !!!

I wanted summerset Isles :brokencomputer: :brokencomputer: :brokencomputer:

*grabs, tosses him into bliviongate: Laughs! :celebration: 8



Lol Todd did say about wanting to work on culture a lot!

[Lauren Dale]

Did I miss something? Did they announce the setting as Skyrim in the last few hours? :confused:

[Lexy Dick]

Did I miss something? Did they announce the setting as Skyrim in the last few hours? :confused:

Nope, but it was just optioned! Which is a pretty damn good indicator :celebration: .

[Amie Mccubbing]

Nope, but it was just optioned! Which is a pretty damn good indicator :celebration: .

I feel like such an idiot right now lol, but what exactly does "optioned" mean? And where are you guys getting this info from?

[Laura Wilson]

I feel like such an idiot right now lol, but what exactly does "optioned" mean? And where are you guys getting this info from?

Trade Mark sites and such, it basically means they are going to officially claim the skyrim trade mark as there own more or less.

[Maya Maya]

Trade Mark sites and such, it basically means they are going to officially claim the skyrim trade mark as there own more or less.

Ah I see.. and they just did this today? So maybe this means they're claiming the trademark today so they can officially announce it within the next few days?

[Ben sutton]

Ah I see.. and they just did this today? So maybe this means they're claiming the trademark today so they can officially announce it within the next few days?

Well, claims can take time, though it's a possibility...November would be a good guess.

[sam]

Well, claims can take time, though it's a possibility...November would be a good guess.

Whoa guys, I was waiting for Stain or Antibody to chime in, but the we have know that Bethesda has filed for the Skyrim trademark for over a year, it was just that it recently reached a certain stage that I wanted to share it.

[Alisha Clarke]

Ah I see.. and they just did this today? So maybe this means they're claiming the trademark today so they can officially announce it within the next few days?

They trademarked a few Skyrim trademarks back in 2006.

So, I guess we'll have the Bethesda podcast tomorrow then?

[Rachie Stout]

Yeah, looks like we won't be getting a podcast today. I am sad. Bethesda better announce TES V twice... no, three times tomorrow to make up for it!

Whoa guys, I was waiting for Stain or Antibody to chime in, but the we have know that Bethesda has filed for the Skyrim trademark for over a year, it was just that it recently reached a certain stage that I wanted to share it.

I thought it was an interesting bit of info, yes, but no more than that. But you're well aware of that. Everyone else should know that the trademark reaching this stage isn't important in regards to speculation of an announcement. It's just a fun fact.

[STEVI INQUE]

They trademarked a few Skyrim trademarks back in 2006.

So, I guess we'll have the Bethesda podcast tomorrow then?

Yeah the weather got to a lot of people, and we are getting flooding up here in mountain country... go figure. They probably had to shut down and go home. I would hope they post it tomorrow, even though they may still not say anything TES, I find them interesting.

[Lew.p]

I doubt that they would announce it on the podcast tommorrow. The soonest that we will find out is after New Vegas comes out so I'm guessing around mid Feb 2011 we should hear an announcement about TES V.

I'm not surprised they cancelled the podcast on thursday the weather in that area was terrible. Oh well gives more time for questions to be asked and answers to those questions.

[Betsy Humpledink]

Whoa guys, I was waiting for Stain or Antibody to chime in, but the we have know that Bethesda has filed for the Skyrim trademark for over a year, it was just that it recently reached a certain stage that I wanted to share it.

Well, sure I've know about the trade mark too though Aren't trade marks and opposition different?

[Ownie Zuliana]

I wonder who would oppose Bethesda getting the trademark for Skyrim.

TES V probably won't even be called Skyrim just like TES IV wasn't called Cyrodill it was called Oblivion.

[Stephani Silva]

TES V probably won't even be called Skyrim just like TES IV wasn't called Cyrodill it was called Oblivion.

I don't believe Cyrodiil was ever trademarked, though...Was it?

[Trevor Bostwick]

TES V probably won't even be called Skyrim just like TES IV wasn't called Cyrodill it was called Oblivion.

"Skyrim" has trademarks. "Oblivion" has trademarks. "Cyrodiil" does not.

Look at "Daggerfall" and "Morrowind". Those titles are locations, like Skyrim.

[Genevieve]

I thought it was an interesting bit of info, yes, but no more than that. But you're well aware of that. Everyone else should know that the trademark reaching this stage isn't important in regards to speculation of an announcement. It's just a fun fact.

Bingo. While interesting, this status update doesn't really offer us any useful information in regard to announcement speculation. It's just another step in the trademark process.

Well, sure I've know about the trade mark too though Aren't trade marks and opposition different?

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking, but I'll try to understand and offer an acceptable answer. One of the first steps in obtaining a trademark, once the initial application has been filed, is called Published for Opposition. Don't let the word 'published' mislead you. All this is is a window of opportunity for existing trademark holders to challenge the new trademark should it overlap too closely with theirs. I cannot remember the precise timeframe but once the trademark application clears this hurdle, the trademark applicant will then be sent a Notice of Allowance (NoA), which allows them to use the trademark in commerce should the applicant be ready to do so. From the point of the NoA, with extensions, the trademark must be used in commerce within 36 months or else the application will be considered abandoned and the applicant will have to start all over again (such as what is happening now with Skyrim).

Keep in mind that through all of the previous this is just an application, not an actual trademark. Not until the applicant proves the mark's use in commerce will it be registered as a trademark.

[Lil'.KiiDD]

I know that there is sufficient evidence to warrant the belief that the game will be announced soon, but this does at least allow us to say with some degree of certainty that the game will be announced within the time frame of Published for Opposition (I came up with a month after a very cursory search) + the 36 months, right?

It's silly to think that it'll even take that long, I know, but evidence is evidence.

[Izzy Coleman]

I know that there is sufficient evidence to warrant the belief that the game will be announced soon, but this does at least allow us to say with some degree of certainty that the game will be announced within the time frame of Published for Opposition (I came up with a month after a very cursory search) + the 36 months, right?

It's silly to think that it'll even take that long, I know, but evidence is evidence.

You are correct that the 36 months starts after the NoA has been issued. However, I disagree to an extent with your implication. If my interpretation is correct, then I don't think they can use the mark until after the application has cleared the Opposition hurdle and Zenimax has been issued a Notice of Allowance.

I have a tentative theory on a reasonable timeframe for an announcement based on the trademark status. Now before you rush to the nearest receptacle into which to empty your nauseated stomach at the thought of another reckless trademark theory, let me make it quite clear that THIS IS TENUOUS AT BEST. We've been wrong before with the trademarks, so I could be yet again...and likely am. However, I am going to approach it from a negative approach. Rather than use trademark information to predict when an announcement will come, I am attempting to use it to determine when an announcement cannot come. Here are my thoughts below:

I have checked the trademark status for a while but as I look now I am not seeing anything that indicates the new trademark for the game itself (#85067861) has been published for opposition. In fact, it appears that the application is currently hung up on a conflict with the previous application (#77022291). Once this is cleared up (which I have no estimate of time other than an arbitrary guess of less than a month) THEN the Publication for Opposition will occur. It is not until 30 days after that date of Publication for Opposition will Zenimax be issued a Notice of Allowance, after which they may use the mark in commerce. In other words, an announcement may not be possible until after the NoA has been issued.

Looking at their other trademark, for merchandise and apparel (#85094021), it appears it is on the verge of Publication for Opposition (if not already). However, the website says to check back two months from 9-28 for the exact date of publication. It may well be that October will be when the mark undergoes Publication for Opposition, which means November is when the NoA is issued and an announcement is able to be made.

So what does this all mean? Probably nothing...but perhaps something. The admitted weakness of this presentation is the requirement of assumptions in the midst of ignorance. But here is how I put the pieces together (for what it's worth): ASSUMING that they can announce from the soonest trademark application (merchandise & apparel #85094021), and ASSUMING the merchandise trademark application will be published for opposition in October, and ASSUMING that they cannot announce until a NoA is issued after the 30 days for opposition, THEN it stands to reason that an announcement cannot happen until November.

This does not prove a November announcement by any means, but suggests that November is the soonest we can currently expect it. I believe the arguments for why the announcement won't happen until after the new year are more compelling, but this at least makes the November/December arguments credible. I am curious as to how the game trademark (#85067861) hangup may or may not factor into the timeframe within which an announcement cannot occur.

This may shed some light into the apparent discrepancy between Todd and Pete's readiness for an announcement; why Todd is ready but Pete is not.

Anyway...those are my thoughts!

EDIT: which is all pretty much meaningless. *Curses trademarks once again*

[Kat Ives]

I guess that fits with my Feb 2011 Announcement theory.