I'll likely wait a few weeks and see what the buzz is on the forum from those who's opinions I trust. I could care less what sources like Gamespot and other "review" sites say.
I know what kept me playing Morrowind for as long as I did. If the same features aren't available in Skyrim, I doubt I'll want to spend the money.
Same here, although I can often read between the lines on review sites and ignore the "scores". It would also be in my interest to play the Fallout entries since it's stated that much of Skyrim's RPG/leveling mechanics have evolved from those titles.
I'm on PC, I need to be very critical of what I buy - no rentals, no refunds. Even though it could eventually get modded to my desire, there are other ways I'd rather spend my limited gaming time.