I'd like to start a discussion on Bethesda's secrecy. Title haha. Well....I don't understand why they would keep EVERYTHING secret. Only a handful of major things are confirmed, like dual wielding weapons, dragons, release dates, etc. Us fans are stuck waiting for months at a time before a little bit of information is released. Wouldn't it be wiser to release a bit more information? I don't mean "complete spoilers" of everything, like in some other games, but they could release just a tad bit more, right? Even when they talk about something, they're sure to say "it isn't confirmed" or "maybe". It's frustrating. Dragons/release date/duel wielding/12 skills or whatever it was/ amount of races are confirmed. [There's a bit more, but you get my point]

I just want moar! :\

Because thats what Game developers do.

http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1195060-anybody-sad-about-being-told-they-were-the-dovahkiin/page__view__findpost__p__17759128

Yea, I think the only dev that spoils their entire game is Lionhead.

To paraphrase what Todd Howard has already said on this subject, they don't like to reveal too much because they will be changing things pretty much right up until release date, so they don't want to promise some features that they later decide don't work and end up removing. They don't want to misrepresent their product (especially after the backlash from the Oblivion launch, I would imagine)

As I read your post I was just thinking about Oblivion and the over-ambitious goals they set for themselves. That was quite a disappointment, and it's wise for them not to run into that problem again.

Because of E3 and other events like it. You don't show all your cards ahead of time.

they dont wanna promise something that still has like 6 months to go and its all about building up excitement

Oh crap...I just realized they've let the biggest spoiler out. We're dovahkiin...[censored]. When I get in the game, I'm gonna know that there will be tons of dragons, and I'll be destined to be the dragon guy who shouts dragon words and saves the world from dragons.

Darn.

Skyrim launches in 5 months, so I do expect the floodgates to open up more pretty soon. Especially with E3 in 12 days.

True. But I was referring more to the fact that people would complain about it, more than it actually being something that ruins my day.

While I'd like some more info and pics too, I can understand why they're keeping much if it under wraps. Look up the E3 Oblivion gameplay trailers, it is somewhat depressing how it was so less impressive in the release. Maybe we'll see a bit more of the game's races and other confirmed dynamics after E3 this year.

You answered your own question.

So it will be a big surprise.

Todd Howard =/= Peter Molynuex

Especially after hyping up radiant AI in Oblivion and then having to scale it down at release to avoid conflicts.

Honestly, they've proven to be way less secretive than they were with Morrowind and Oblivion and also far more liberal in their press releases than most oldschool game developers are. If anything it probably would've been better if they told us as little as possible, because from all of the disjointed bits of information we've cobbled together there's lots inconsistencies and loose ends (such as birthsigns and spell mixing) that everybody on the forums is freakking out over.

I'm hoping they don't reveal much more than they have already. I'd rather install the game and find out for myself what is in there. I don't get why people complain and get all fidgety over there being a lack of info.

Back to Oblivion modding...

Theyve built up an initial big buzz. Theyve been holding off to show alot at E3 I think. Then more and more information will gradually come out clsoer to the release. Very very common marketing strategy done by many developers.

it would be a gaming disaster if they didn't

Too many times burnt. They've learned the hard way, to keep everything under wraps until its finalized.

Exactly this.

If they just dumped all the Skyrim details, it would quickly become yesterday's news.

By releasing a steady trickle, they are able to keep on the front pages of blogs and gaming magazines.

check your email spam box. bethesda has been sending me pics and videos galore including lots of gameplay footage. i have to say that im pleased with the changes to the argonians. and as for the khajit feet.........well im sure everyone knows about that already. there is even a quest involving a midget, a unicorn and some butter.

Cool story, bro :stupid:

I don't want to know a single thing about the story until I play it. But would like as much info as possible regarding mechanics.

This, it's just marketing. If they told you everything, it'd be no fun anyway.
Also, they don't want to release info if it's not certain. I was actually pleasantly pleased with Todd's straight forward answer about horses.
Also, saying "pleasantly pleased" is redundantly redundant.

Funny enough, in my spam box contained an add for butter.