Alright, as I've been reading the pocket guide to Tamriel I got with the collector's edition of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion a long while ago, I realized the probable and co0mpletely understandable however frustrating reasons for Bethesda not to make their series massively multiplayer or giant scale:
1. The World: Included in the guide was a map and the histories of the various regions of Tamriel. If anyone would be to see how expansive the world of Tamriel, not too mention the regions abroad, they would realize instantly that today's gaming and game making technologies would be incapable of producing a high quality game that included the details everyone expects out of the Elder Scroll Series as well as all of its areas.
2. The Lore: The Elder Scrolls series has to be one of, if not THE most lore-rich and detailed series of stories in the world, whether compared to games, books, or otherwise. To fit all of the detail of both lore, graphics, functionality, and other aspects of the game for ALL of Tamriel (and even its abroad regions included in its history), years, if not decades of developing would be necessary.
3. The Business: On the business side of the equation, this needs to make money. So, since Elder Scrolls seem to be a series of games that will continue on to earn money for many many years, I believe that its developers/publishers wouldn't dare to upset their journey now. What I believe will occur, if the ES series would be to continue to its conclusion of its history, the seperate histories of its seperate regions will be told, played, and made in its seperate games, until all or nearly all has been finished, and then an MMO will be released.

Of course noone is saying all of the history has to be told first, and if an MMO of ES was to be released before its history's conclusion their could be expansions and updates to expand and tell the rest, but until the story is near completion, this will likely not be seen, nor should it, lest it ruin a good story and business opportunity because face it TES fans, we will always buy the next TES game.

Feel free to make your own opinions or modify my own.

Dont need to it is perfectly logical I think. What you say makes alot ot cents.

You're on the right track. The lore indicates a strong emphasis on story. That's almost impossible to translate into an MMO. The Elder Scrolls is a more cinematic experience.

Bethesda game studios doesn't make MMO's and they've stated that they don't intend on making multi-player games. Zenimax would be the company to make it, so it wouldn't effect any actual Elder Scrolls development.

And I'm thinking this topic should probably be discussed http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1119156-official-tes-multiplayer-thread/

A TES MMOrpg would inevitably call comparison to the lumbering unstoppable force that is WOW. I would hate to see TES lose out against blizzard. Also, while I cannot speak for everyone here, I wouldn't be playing the MMO because I"m not going to pay to play forever. I wouldn't mind some kind of online portion of TES5 where you could throw down in the arena against someone else but if you have to start all that trading of weapons etc it would just end it for me.

There is one reason and one reason only that I do not want an Elder Scrolls MMO. We wouldn't be able to mod it.

Thanks, was just making sure I wasn't missing anything and that there truly is a good reason that this wasn't occuring. As for it being compared to WoW, there would be no comparison. Chances are, if TES's developers made a multiplayer copy of oblivion and sold it seperately, people would probably buy it a second time. In truth the Elder Scrolls series is genius in every aspect I've seen so far except for slight tendencies to be slower paced and not multiplayer. And trust me, alot of the gamers on WoW aren't really all that loyal to blizzard or even the community. I've been there, I'd know. The only reason no game has been able to blow WoW out of the water is because it truly is a better game as well as the roots people have already planted in the game. Given that TES is a goliath of a series, people would probably have absolutely no problem leaving their time in WoW behind to start anew in TES, given that its developing would be as polished and stunning as its previous games. I myself had come up with tons of feature ideas that would add great variety to gameplay rather then only having PvE, PvP, guilds, and farming, and most wouldn't take much to add in and test. But then again most people would have a huge list of features, so I won't bother rambling on about them.
In summary, what I'm saying is with this above paragraph, is if they were to do so, and they included the traditional aspects of MMO's, the aspects of the TES series, and then added some simple yet significantly altering ideas into the gameplay, how wouldn't it blow WoW out of the water?

I wish. "Include all of Tamriel" is easily one of the most commonly repeated requests in the suggestions thread, because people are terrible at realizing things.

At least if it was an MMO it would be getting upgraded every few weeks with new patches and cool stuff.


However the OP is right. For this to be an MMO they would have to make it take place in at least half of tamriel (and even thats a bit small). If they were to keep the graphics, the lore and everything that makes TES TES it would literally take more then a decade to do not to mention a bucket load of money.


I would LOVE to see an Elder scrolls MMO if done right.

Just because I'd like to point this out, while I do love the TES lore, it's not nearly as detailed or expansive as Warhammer or Warhammer 40,000.
40K alone has enough lore to generate a collection of about 100 books at my friend's house. AND that's just the Pen and Paper RPG.

Zenimax should try an MMO. As long as TESV is a better version of its predeccesors, i'm not fussed about an elder scrolls mmo. Go for it Zeni.

Zenimax is working on a MMO(RPG) alot of people who I know think it's a TES MMO, gamesas is also making a Secret game believed to be TES V

that is a better reason than any I can think of. Excellent point wyrdo

the minute they invent startrek holodecks the first game must be a full scale real time ES with the complete map

dear to dream and go where no one has gone before... bliviongate:

Personally, I think ZeniMax Online is working on a Brand New IP, if they really wish to stamp there foot on the ground and make there mark as a publisher a AAA MMO title in a potentially new and amazing fantasy world would be incredible...now back on topic. Your right, it won't be an MMO because Todd and Pete both said that Bethesda Softworks doesn't design MMO's, and Todd him self said that they don't even know what those guy's are working on.

I agree - use that topic please.



"gamesas" is the publishing arm of the company - single player games are made by Bethesda Game Studios.