» Tue Dec 13, 2011 8:58 am
Speculation time. I feel it's significant that there is one quite deliberately open archway (or are there two? I've been hearing there are two) leading towards Morrowind (does the other lead toward Cyrodiil?). If there are indeed two archways, I find it even more significant, because I seem to recall Bethesda stating they'll be developing two substantial DLCs.
Remember what Obsidian did with some of the new DLC areas in New Vegas? The passageways were there before any of the DLC was released — you just couldn't use them. As the DLCs were released, the passageways became functional. I personally feel this is what the open archway(s) signify in Skyrim. Bethesda isn't Obsidian, but I don't believe they failed to notice how Obsidian developed New Vegas.
Returning to Morrowind as DLC would make far more sense for Bethesda than visiting a province we've never seen before. For future TES games, they're probably better off not showing us any of Elsweyr/Summerset Isles/et cetera, saving them until the actual games set in those regions are developed and released.
Also, there is one song taken directly from Morrowind in the soundtrack. Another hint? Isn't there also one song taken from Oblivion in Skyrim? Perhaps we'll get one DLC in each of these areas. Makes sense — finish off the Imperials in Cyrodiil (or help them win), maybe the Thalmor move into Morrowind to do something nefarious and we can solve the Red Mountain mystery, something along those lines.
This speculation isn't PURELY a result of the extra landmasses that were discovered, but that's what started all the hubbub on the Internet. My money is on a revisiting of Morrowind (probably not Vvardenfell) and Cyrodiil (probably centered around the Imperial City). If we get to go back to Morrowind, I'll mail my wallet to Todd Howard.