''The Elder Scrolls'' is a series of
action role-playing
An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a subgenre of video games that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing genre.
Definition
The games emphasize real-time combat where the player h ...
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
s primarily developed by
Bethesda Game Studios
Bethesda Game Studios is an American video game developer and a studio of ZeniMax Media based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was established in 2001 as the spin-off of Bethesda Softworks' development unit, with Bethesda Softworks itself ...
and published by
Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks LLC is an American video game publisher based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was founded by Christopher Weaver in 1986 as a division of Media Technology Limited, and in 1999 became a subsidiary of ZeniMax Media. In its ...
. The series focuses on
free-form gameplay in an
open world. ''
Morrowind
''The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind'' is an open world, open-world action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the third installment in the ''The Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls'' ser ...
'', ''
Oblivion
Oblivion may refer to:
Film
* ''Oblivion'' (1994 film), an American space Western
* ''Oblivion'' (2013 film), an American post-apocalyptic science fiction film
Literature
* ''Oblivion'' (''Power of Five''), a 2012 novel by Anthony Horowitz
* ...
'' and ''
Skyrim
''The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim'' is an action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fifth main installment in ''The Elder Scrolls'' series, following 2006's '' The Elder Scrol ...
'' all won
Game of the Year
Game of the Year (GotY) is an award given by various award events and media publications to a video game that they feel represented the pinnacle of gaming that year.
Events and ceremonies
British Academy Games Awards (BAFTA Games Awards)
...
awards from multiple outlets. The series has sold more than 58 million copies worldwide.
[
* '' The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind'' - 4 million sold ()
* '' The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion'' - 9.5 million sold
* '' The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim'' - 30 million sold
* '']The Elder Scrolls Online
''The Elder Scrolls Online'', abbreviated ''ESO'', is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released for Microsoft Windows, Windows and OS X in Ap ...
'' - 15 million sold
Within the series'
fictional universe
A fictional universe, or fictional world, is a self-consistent setting with events, and often other elements, that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed, or fictional realm (or world). Fictional universes may ...
, each game takes place on the continent of Tamriel. The setting combines pre-medieval real-world elements, such as a powerful
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
-like Empire, with
high fantasy
High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot.Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, Pl ...
medieval themes, including limited technology, widespread magic use, and the existence of many mythological creatures. The continent is split into a number of provinces inhabited by humans and
humanoid fantasy races such as
elves
An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...
,
orc
An Orc (or Ork) is a fictional humanoid monster like a goblin. Orcs were brought into modern usage by the fantasy writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, especially ''The Lord of the Rings''. In Tolkien's works, Orcs are a brutish, aggressive, ugly, a ...
s and
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
animals. A common theme in the lore is that a chosen hero rises to defeat an incoming threat, usually a malevolent being or an antagonistic army.
Since debuting with ''
The Elder Scrolls: Arena'' in 1994, the series has produced a total of five main games (of which the last three have each featured two or three
expansions) as well as several
spin-offs
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...
.
[The evolution of The Elder Scrolls]
, ''PC Gamer'' In 2014, a
massively multiplayer online role-playing game
A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game.
As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...
, ''
The Elder Scrolls Online
''The Elder Scrolls Online'', abbreviated ''ESO'', is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released for Microsoft Windows, Windows and OS X in Ap ...
'', was released by Bethesda's affiliated
ZeniMax subsidiary
ZeniMax Online Studios
ZeniMax Online Studios LLC is an American video game developer and a subsidiary of ZeniMax Media, specializing in massively multiplayer online games. The company developed ''The Elder Scrolls Online'' and its downloadable content. ZeniMax Onli ...
.
Development history
Before ''The Elder Scrolls''
Prior to working on ''The Elder Scrolls'' series, Bethesda had worked predominantly with sports and action games. In the six years from its founding to ''Arena'' 1994 release, Bethesda had released ten games, six of them sports games,
with such titles as ''Hockey League Simulator'', ''NCAA Basketball: Road to the Final Four ('91/'92 Edition)'', and ''Wayne Gretzky Hockey'',
and the remaining four adaptations from other media,
primarily the ''Terminator'' series.
Bethesda's course changed abruptly when it began working on its first action role-playing game. Designer Ted Peterson recalls: "I remember talking to the guys at
Sir-Tech
Sir-Tech Software, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher based in the United States and Canada.
History
In fall 1979, Sirotech Software was founded by Norman Sirotek, Robert Sirotek and Robert Woodhead. Sirotech Software published ''Info ...
who were doing ''
Wizardry VII: Crusaders of the Dark Savant'' at the time, and them literally laughing at us for thinking we could do it."
Ted Peterson worked alongside Vijay Lakshman as one of the initial designers of what was called ''Arena'', a "medieval-style gladiator game."
"
''Arena''
Peterson and Lakshman were joined by
Julian Lefay
Julian Lefay is a programmer, video game designer and musician. Lefay was in an electropop band named Russia Heat, who charted with their single, "Tell Me Your Name". Early in his work, he worked on some PC, Amiga and NES projects, programming an ...
who, according to Peterson, "really spear-headed the initial development of the series".
Peterson, Lakshman, and LeFay were longtime aficionados of pen-and-paper role-playing games,
which greatly influenced the creation of the world of
Tamriel
''The Elder Scrolls'' is a series of Action role-playing game, action role-playing video games primarily developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The series focuses on Nonlinear gameplay, free-form gameplay in an ...
.
They were also fans of
Looking Glass Studios
Looking Glass Studios, Inc. (formerly Blue Sky Productions and LookingGlass Technologies, Inc.) was an American video game developer based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The company was founded by Paul Neurath with Ned Lerner as Blue Sky Product ...
' ''
Ultima Underworld
''Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss'' is a first-person role-playing video game developed by Blue Sky Productions (later Looking Glass Studios) and published by Origin Systems. Released in March 1992, the game is set in the fantasy world of ...
'' series, their main inspiration for ''Arena''.
Initially, ''Arena'' was not to be a role-playing game at all. The player, and a team of their fighters, would travel the world, fighting other teams in their arenas until the player became "grand champion" in the world's capital, the Imperial City.
Along the way, side quests of a more role-playing nature could be completed. As the process of development progressed, however, the tournaments became less important and the side quests more.
Role-playing game elements were added, as it expanded to include cities outside the arenas, and dungeons beyond the cities.
Eventually it was decided to drop the idea of tournaments altogether, and focus on quests and dungeons,
making the game a "full-blown
ole-playing game.
Although the team had dropped all arena combat from the game, all the material had already been printed up with the title, so the game went to market as ''The Elder Scrolls: Arena''. Lakshman, who then worked at Christopher Weaver's Bethesda Softworks, came up with the name of ''The Elder Scrolls''
and the words eventually came to mean "Tamriel's mystical tomes of knowledge that told of its past, present, and future".
The game's initial
voice-over
Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non-Diegetic#Film sound and music, diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, th ...
was changed in response, beginning: "It has been foretold in the Elder Scrolls ..."
Bethesda missed their Christmas 1993 deadline. The game was released in the first quarter of 1994, a "really serious
istakefor a small developer/publisher like Bethesda Softworks". The packaging included a scantily clad female warrior, which further contributed to distributor concern, leading to an initial distribution of only 20,000 units. Having missed the Christmas sales season, the development team was concerned that they "had screwed the company". Nevertheless, sales continued to grow, month after month, as news of the game was passed by word-of-mouth.
Despite some initial
software bug
A software bug is an error, flaw or fault in the design, development, or operation of computer software that causes it to produce an incorrect or unexpected result, or to behave in unintended ways. The process of finding and correcting bugs i ...
s,
and the formidable demands the game made on players' machines,
it became a cult hit.
Evaluations of the game's success varied from "modest"
to "wild".
Still, the game maintained traction with its audience. Game historian Matt Barton concluded that "the game set a new standard for this type of
role-playing video game
A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...
, and demonstrated just how much room was left for innovation."
''Daggerfall''
Work on ''The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall'' began after ''Arena'' release in March 1994.
Ted Peterson was assigned the role of lead game designer.
''Daggerfall'' plot was less clichéd than ''Arena'' and involved a "complex series of adventures leading to multiple resolutions."
With ''Daggerfall'', ''Arena'' experience-point-based system was replaced with one rewarding the player for actually role-playing their character.
''Daggerfall'' came equipped with an improved character generation engine, one that included a
GURPS
The ''Generic Universal RolePlaying System'', or ''GURPS'', is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting. It was created by Steve Jackson Games and first published in 1986 at a time when most such systems w ...
-influenced
class
Class or The Class may refer to:
Common uses not otherwise categorized
* Class (biology), a taxonomic rank
* Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects
* Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...
creation system, offering players the chance to create their own classes, and assign their own skills.
''Daggerfall'' was developed with an
XnGine
Bethesda Softworks LLC is an American video game publisher based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was founded by Christopher Weaver in 1986 as a division of Media Technology Limited, and in 1999 became a subsidiary of ZeniMax Media. In it ...
engine, one of the first truly
3D engines. ''Daggerfall'' realized a game world the size of Great Britain,
filled with 15,000 towns and a population of 750,000.
It was influenced by analog games and literature that Julian LeFay or Ted Peterson happened to be playing or reading at the time, such as
Dumas's ''
The Man in the Iron Mask'' and ''
Vampire: The Masquerade''.
It was released on August 31, 1996. Like ''Arena'', ''Daggerfall'' initial release suffered from some bugs, leaving consumers disgruntled.
These early anomalies were fixed in later versions. This experience led to a more prudent release schedule for future games.
''Battlespire'' and ''Redguard''
Following the release of ''Daggerfall'', work began on three separate projects at once: ''
An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire'', ''
The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard'', and ''Morrowind''. ''Battlespire'', originally titled ''Dungeon of Daggerfall: Battlespire'', was the first of the three to be released,
on November 30, 1997. Originally designed as an
expansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, supplement, or simply expansion is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game, video game or collectible card game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, characters, or an ...
for ''Daggerfall'', it was repackaged as a stand-alone game. ''Battlespire'' focused on dungeon romping and offered multiplayer gaming—
player versus player
Player versus player (PvP) is a type of multiplayer interactive conflict within a game between human players. This is often compared to player versus environment (PvE), in which the game itself controls its players' opponents. The terms are mos ...
deathmatch
Deathmatch, also known as free-for-all, is a gameplay mode integrated into many shooter games, including first-person shooter (FPS), and real-time strategy (RTS) video games, where the goal is to kill (or "frag") the other players' characters a ...
— the only series title to do so
before the release of ''The Elder Scrolls Online'' in 2014. ''Redguard'' was the second of the three titles to be released, on October 31, 1998. It was an
action-adventure game
The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres.
Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a story ...
inspired by ''
Tomb Raider
''Tomb Raider'', also known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series created by British gaming company Core Design. Formerly owned by Eidos Interactive, th ...
'', ''
Prince of Persia
''Prince of Persia'' is a video game franchise created by Jordan Mechner. It is built around a series of action-adventure games focused on various incarnations of the eponymous Prince, set in ancient and medieval Persia.
The first two games i ...
'', and the ''
Ultima'' series.
''Redguard'' did not offer the player the chance to create their own character. Instead, players would play the prefabricated "Cyrus the Redguard".
Both games did poorly with Bethesda's audience. Players used to the vast open spaces of ''Daggerfall'' did not take well to the reduced worlds of ''Redguard'' and ''Battlespire''. Based upon its customers' clear desire for massive role-playing game worlds, Bethesda redoubled its efforts to build the next major chapter.
''Morrowind''
The third title in ''The Elder Scrolls'' series was conceived during the development of ''
Daggerfall
''The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall'' is an open-world, action role-playing game published by Bethesda Softworks. The second video game in the ''Elder Scrolls'' series was released on September 20, 1996, for MS-DOS, following the success of 1 ...
''.
Initially designed to encompass the whole province of Morrowind and allow the player to join all five Dunmer Great Houses, it was decided that the scope of the game was too much for the technology available at the time.
At publication, it covered the isle of Vvardenfell and allowed the player to join three of the Great Houses. The XnGine was scrapped and replaced with Numerical Design Limited's
Gamebryo
Gamebryo (; ; formerly NetImmerse until 2003) is a game engine developed by Gamebase Co., Ltd. and Gamebase USA, that incorporates a set of tools and plugins including run-time libraries, supporting video game developers for numerous cross-pl ...
, a
Direct3D
Direct3D is a graphics application programming interface (API) for Microsoft Windows. Part of DirectX, Direct3D is used to render three-dimensional graphics in applications where performance is important, such as games. Direct3D uses hardware a ...
powered engine, with
transform, clipping, and lighting
Transform, clipping, and lighting (T&L or TCL) is a term used in computer graphics.
Overview
Transformation is the task of producing a two-dimensional view of a three-dimensional scene. Clipping means only drawing the parts of the scene that w ...
capacity,
32-bit textures and skeletal animation.
It was decided that the game world would be populated using the methods the team had developed in ''Redguard''; with the game objects crafted by hand, rather than generated using the random algorithmic methods.
The project took "close to 100-man-years to create". Bethesda tripled their staff and spent the first year developing ''
The Elder Scrolls Construction Set
''The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind'' is an open world, open-world action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the third installment in the ''The Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls'' ser ...
''. This allowed the game staff to easily balance the game and to modify it in small increments rather than large.
Ted Peterson, who had left following the release of ''Daggerfall'', returned to work as an author of in-game material, and as a general consultant on the lore-based aspects of the work. The PC version of ''Morrowind'' had
gone gold
A software release life cycle is the sum of the stages of development and maturity for a piece of computer software ranging from its initial development to its eventual release, and including updated versions of the released version to help impro ...
by April 23, 2002, and was released on May 1 in North America,
with the Xbox release set at June 7. On January 3, Bethesda announced that game publisher
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Assassin's Creed'', ''Far Cry'', '' ...
would take control of ''Morrowind'' European distribution, in addition to those of eight other Bethesda games.
The
expansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, supplement, or simply expansion is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game, video game or collectible card game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, characters, or an ...
''The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal'' went gold on November 1
and was released, with little fanfare, on November 6. ''Tribunal'' puts the player in the self-contained, walled city of Mournhold, which can be teleported to and from Morrowind's land mass.
Development on the
expansion
Expansion may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''L'Expansion'', a French monthly business magazine
* ''Expansion'' (album), by American jazz pianist Dave Burrell, released in 2004
* ''Expansions'' (McCoy Tyner album), 1970
* ''Expansio ...
began after ''Morrowind'' shipped, giving the developers a mere five-month development cycle to release the game. The prior existence of the ''Construction Set'', however, meant that the team "already had the tools in place to add content and features very quickly."
Interface improvements, and specifically an overhaul of ''Morrowind'' journal system, were among the key goals.
''Morrowind'' second expansion, ''The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon'', went gold by May 23, and was released on June 6. It had been worked on since the release of ''Tribunal''.
In the expansion, the player travels to the frozen island of Solstheim and is asked to investigate the uneasiness of the soldiers stationed there.
''Oblivion''
Work on ''The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion'' began in 2002, after ''Morrowind'' publication.
''Oblivion'' was developed by
Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks LLC is an American video game publisher based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was founded by Christopher Weaver in 1986 as a division of Media Technology Limited, and in 1999 became a subsidiary of ZeniMax Media. In its ...
, and the initial
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
and PC releases were co-published by Bethesda and
Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an American video game holding company based in New York City and founded by Ryan Brant in September 1993.
The company owns two major publishing labels, Rockstar Games and 2K, which operate internal g ...
subsidiary
2K Games
2K is an American video game publisher based in Novato, California. 2K was founded under Take-Two Interactive in January 2005 through the 2K Games and 2K Sports labels, following Take-Two Interactive's acquisition of Visual Concepts that same m ...
.
''Oblivion'' was released on March 21, 2006.
The game centers around an event referred to as "The Oblivion Crisis", where portals to the planes of Oblivion open and release hordes of Daedra upon Tamriel. Developers working on ''Oblivion'' focused on providing a tighter storyline, more developed characters,
and to make information in the game world more accessible to players.
''Oblivion'' features improved
AI,
improved physics,
and improved
graphics
Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of data, as in design and manufacture ...
.
Bethesda developed and implemented procedural content creation tools in the creation of ''Oblivion'' terrain, leading to landscapes that are more complex and realistic than those of past titles, but had less of a drain on Bethesda's staff.
Two downloadable expansion packs, ''
Knights of the Nine'' and ''
The Shivering Isles'' were released in 2006 and 2007, respectively. ''Knights of the Nine'' added a questline surrounding the search for a set of Crusader relics, while ''The Shivering Isles'' added the eponymous plane to the game.
''Skyrim''
In August 2010,
Todd Howard
Todd Andrew Howard (born 1970) is an American video game designer, director, and producer. He serves as director and executive producer at Bethesda Game Studios, where he has led the development of the ''Fallout'' and ''The Elder Scrolls'' s ...
revealed Bethesda was working on a game that had been in development since the release of ''Oblivion'', and that progress was very far along. While the game was conceptualized after ''Oblivion''s release, main development was restricted until after ''
Fallout 3
''Fallout 3'' is a 2008 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The third major installment in the ''Fallout'' series, it is the first game to be developed by Bethesda after acquiring ...
'' was released.
In November, Kristian West, then the
editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
of
Eurogamer
''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson.
Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EGX ...
's Danish outlet, reported overhearing a developer on a plane talking about the project; a new ''The Elder Scrolls'' game, although Bethesda did not comment on the report. At the
Spike Video Game Awards
The Spike Video Game Awards (in short VGAs, known as the VGX for the final show) was an annual award show hosted by American television network Spike from 2003 to 2013 that recognized the best computer and video games of the year. Produced by ...
in December, Howard appeared on stage to unveil a teaser trailer and announce the title of the game.
''The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim'' was released on November 11, 2011 to widespread critical acclaim. It was awarded 'Game of the Year' by IGN, Spike and others. The game is set after the events of ''Oblivion'', when the great dragon Alduin the World Eater returns to Skyrim; a beast whose existence threatens all life in Tamriel. The setting is heavily based on Scandinavia, as seen in the climate and creatures the character encounters. Three pieces of add-ons were released on PC and
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
in 2012 – ''
Dawnguard'', ''
Hearthfire'' and ''
Dragonborn'', with a
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
release in February 2013. ''Dawnguard'' added two joinable factions and an associated questline revolving around Vampires and the Dawnguard, a group of vampire hunters, while ''Hearthfire'' added more home customisation options including a house creation kit and the ability to adopt children. ''Dragonborn'' added the island of Solstheim to the northeast. On October 28, 2016, ''Skyrim – Special Edition'' was released. In 2016, on the fifth anniversary of ''Skyrim''s release,
Zen Studios
Zen Studios is a Hungarian video game developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software with headquarters in Budapest, Hungary and offices in the United States. It is known for its game franchises, ''Pinball FX'' and ''Zen Pinball'', a ...
developed and released a
virtual pinball
Pinball games are a family of games in which a ball is propelled into a specially designed table where it bounces off various obstacles, scoring points either en route or when it comes to rest. Historically the board was studded with nails call ...
adaptation of the game as part of the ''Bethesda Pinball'' collection, which became available as part of ''
Zen Pinball 2
''Zen Pinball 2'' is a pinball video game developed by Zen Studios for the Wii U, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Android, and PlayStation Vita. The game was announced on April 9, 2012. The first PlayStation versions were released on September 4, 20 ...
'', ''
Pinball FX 2
''Pinball FX 2'' (stylized as ''Pinball FX2'') is a pinball video game for Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows ( XP and higher) and is the sequel to '' Pinball FX''. It was developed by Zen Studios and published by Microsoft Studios. It was ...
'' and ''
Pinball FX 3
Pinball games are a family of games in which a ball is propelled into a specially designed table where it bounces off various obstacles, scoring points either en route or when it comes to rest. Historically the board was studded with nails call ...
'', as well as a separate
free-to-play
Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...
app for
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
and
Android mobile devices. On November 17, 2017, ''Skyrim VR'' was released for
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
. On June 10, 2018, ''Skyrim: Very Special Edition'', a voice-activated text adventure game poking fun at the game's many releases, was released for
Amazon Alexa
Amazon Alexa, also known simply as Alexa, is a virtual assistant technology largely based on a Polish speech synthesiser named Ivona, bought by Amazon in 2013. It was first used in the Amazon Echo smart speaker and the Echo Dot, Echo Studio and ...
devices. The player character, Dragonborn, is a downloadable Mii fighter costume in the Nintendo crossover fighting game ''
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is a 2018 crossover fighting video game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth installment in the '' Super Smash Bros.'' series, succeed ...
''.
''The Elder Scrolls Online'' and ''Legends''
On May 3, 2012, ''
The Elder Scrolls Online
''The Elder Scrolls Online'', abbreviated ''ESO'', is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released for Microsoft Windows, Windows and OS X in Ap ...
'' was revealed. ''The Elder Scrolls Online'' was released for Windows and macOS on April 4, 2014, with the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions initially slated to follow in June 2014 but later delayed until June 9, 2015. The game originally required a subscription to play, but this requirement was dropped on March 17, 2015. There is however a subscription service entitled "ESO Plus" which grants access to all current and future downloadable content (DLC). The DLC is otherwise available for individual purchase in the Crown Store. Additionally, the optional subscription grants various perks that allow players to progress slightly faster than a free player, and grants them a payment of 1650 crowns per month. On June 14, 2015, ''
The Elder Scrolls: Legends'', a collectible card game, was announced by
Bethesda during the
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2015
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2015 (E3 2015) was the 21st E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. It took place from June 16 to June 18, 2015, with 52,200 total attendees.
Major exhibit ...
. It was released on March 9, 2017 for
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
and is in beta for
Android,
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
, and
macOS
macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...
.
''Blades''
At Bethesda's E3 2018 press conference, Todd Howard announced ''The Elder Scrolls: Blades'', originally planned for release in Q3 2018, and it was originally expected to be released for Apple and Android phones first, followed by PC and console, including
VR. The player is able to play as a member of the faction called the Blades, who has returned home to their town to find it destroyed. There are survival, arena, and town-building modes, with multiplayer support through its arena and town-building mode, as well as cross-platform. The game is also able to be played in portrait mode, unusual for a role-playing game. The early access of ''Blades'' began March 27, 2019 for those who pre-ordered the game. ''Blades'' was expected to fully release some time in early 2019, before being released for
Android,
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
and
Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
in May 2020.
''The Elder Scrolls VI''
In 2021,
Phil Spencer said that the ''Elder Scrolls VI'' would be coming out after Playground Games' ''
Fable
Fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a particular mo ...
'' title. It is set to be released on PC and Xbox. Howard confirmed in a June 2022 interview that the game is still in pre-production.
Gameplay
''The Elder Scrolls'' games are
action role-playing game
An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a subgenre of video games that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing genre.
Definition
The games emphasize real-time combat where the player h ...
s and include elements taken from action and adventure games. In ''Arena'', players advance by killing monsters (and thereby gaining
experience point
An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experi ...
s) until a preset value is met, whereupon they level-up. However, in ''Daggerfall'', ''Morrowind'', and ''Oblivion'', the series took a skill-based approach to character advancement. Players develop their characters' skills by applying them and only level-up when a certain set of skills have been developed. ''Skyrim'' took a new approach, where the more a skill is leveled, the more it helps to level the character. This shifted the focus away from character creation and more onto character development. The flexibility of the games' engines has facilitated the release of game extensions (or
mods) through ''
The Elder Scrolls Construction Set
''The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind'' is an open world, open-world action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the third installment in the ''The Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls'' ser ...
''.
''The Elder Scrolls'' main series of games emphasizes different aspects of the gaming experience than most role-playing games. A brief article by Joystiq in early November 2006 compared
BioWare
BioWare is a Canadian video game developer based in Edmonton, Alberta. It was founded in 1995 by newly graduated Doctor of Medicine, medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk and Augustine Yip, alongside Trent Oster, Brent Oster, and Marcel Zes ...
's creations to Bethesda's by noting a difference in emphasis. Bethesda's creations focused on "aesthetic presentation and open-ended adventuring"; BioWare's on a combat system and modular architecture. This overarching aim has been noted by their designers as well. Bethesda has described their motivations in creating the first series game, ''Arena'', as those of any good pen-and-paper role-playing games: creating an environment in which the player could be what the player wants and do what the player wants. ''Daggerfall'' manual begins with a design manifesto, declaring the developers' intention to "create a book with blank pages," and "a game designed to encourage exploration and reward curiosity." Choices, in the form of paths taken by the player, to do good, to chase after evil, are left open to the player, "just like in real life." This design trend continued with ''Morrowind'', following the hiatus of similarly epic games in the interim, though Joystiq's previously noted insistence on graphics came again to the fore. During the development of ''Morrowind'', Bethesda tripled its staff, so as to perfectly color its newly hand-made world. In their own words, "We knew we had to exceed the visual polish of the other games on the market, and we made it our goal to put ''The Elder Scrolls'' back into the forefront of game innovation."
Series overview
Setting
''The Elder Scrolls'' takes place in a
high fantasy
High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot.Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, Pl ...
world with influences from real world cultures.
Like most works of high fantasy, ''The Elder Scrolls'' games are typically serious in tone and epic in scope, dealing with themes of a grand struggle against a supernatural or evil force. Many races exist in the world of ''The Elder Scrolls'', some typical of high fantasy works, such as humans, orcs and elves; some atypical, such as the lizard-like Argonians and cat-like Khajiit; and some subversions, such as the extinct Dwemer, known colloquially as "dwarves", who follow the high fantasy stereotype of being subterranean, skilled
metallurgists
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys.
Metallurgy encompasses both the sc ...
and masons, but are actually classified as a variety of elf who are highly technologically advanced, possessing
steampunk
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or ...
machinery. As is also typical in high fantasy works, magic and sorcery, mythical creatures, factions with their own political agendas, walled medieval cities and strongholds, and plot elements driven by prophecies and legends are common.
''The Elder Scrolls'' is known for its attention to detail, including extensive lore, scenery and back story. There is no omniscient narrator. Instead, the lore is presented in-universe, as written by the fictional scholars who inhabit the world, and it is subject to their biases and speculation. Players are encouraged to form their own interpretations of the lore and have developed extensive fan works. The developers avoid invalidating or overruling fan theories through
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western can ...
. Internal inconsistencies are explained as errors in scholarship. Some inconsistencies, such as incorporating mutually exclusive endings to earlier games, are intentionally introduced and explained as magical paradoxes. Other elements of the lore are intentionally contradictory or made ambiguous to allow players to decide for themselves what is true. Players can, for example, deny being a prophesied hero or accept the role.
The first game in the series, ''Arena'', featured little in the way of lore and lacked many elements that would come to define the series. An elaborate system of gods and myths were introduced in the second game, ''Daggerfall''.
[ The lore's complexity came from a desire to improve on the writing in ''Arena'', which had been criticized as lackluster.
After ''Daggerfall'', the designers focused on further expanding the lore once they realized they still did not know much about the world's fictional history or religions.][ The series' fictional cosmology is inspired by ]Gnosticism
Gnosticism (from grc, γνωστικός, gnōstikós, , 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems which coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people ...
. There are contradictory creation myth
A creation myth (or cosmogonic myth) is a symbolic narrative of how the world began and how people first came to inhabit it., "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the universe and its inhabitants came to be. Creation myths develop ...
s, one of which claims that some of the gods were tricked into creating the mortal world, surrendering a portion of their power. These became the Nine Divines (also known as Aedra), who are worshipped as benevolent deities. A separate pantheon of more demonic deities known as the Daedra retain their full power and reside in Oblivion, a separate dimension. Individual Daedra are not necessarily evil, though they are often depicted as lacking empathy.
''The Elder Scrolls'' games primarily take place on the continent of Tamriel, located on the planet of Nirn. The exceptions are '' An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire'', which is set in a different dimension; portions of '' The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion'' and the entirety of its expansion, ''Shivering Isles'', which take place in Oblivion; quests in Oblivion during the ''Dawnguard'' and ''Dragonborn'' add-ons of '' The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim''; and further quests in Oblivion from ''The Elder Scrolls Online
''The Elder Scrolls Online'', abbreviated ''ESO'', is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released for Microsoft Windows, Windows and OS X in Ap ...
''. Other continents exist on Nirn aside from Tamriel, such as Akavir, Yokuda, and Atmora, but the people of Tamriel have little to no contact with these other continents and therefore do not possess much verifiable knowledge about them.
Tamriel comprises nine provinces, each of which is dominated by a distinct race: Black Marsh is home to the Argonians; Cyrodiil is home to the Imperials; Elsweyr is home to the Khajiit; Hammerfell is home to the Redguards; High Rock is home to the Bretons; Morrowind is home to the Dunmer, or Dark Elves; Skyrim is home to the Nords; Summerset Isle is home to the Altmer, or High Elves; and Valenwood is home to the Bosmer, or Wood Elves. A tenth race, the Orsimer, or Orcs, reside in settlements scattered across Tamriel and, at some points in history, a kingdom inside High Rock known as Orsinium.
Although various empires have controlled Tamriel over its several thousand years of recorded history, most games in the series have taken place during the Third Cyrodiilic Empire, which initially unites the entire continent under the reign of the Septim dynasty. In ''Arena'', players are tasked with freeing the Emperor Uriel Septim VII from a magical prison engineered by his court wizard, who has usurped the throne and magically disguised himself as the Emperor. In ''Daggerfall'', Uriel VII tasks the player with finding a powerful artifact. The player can give it to any of several factions, which will use it to reshape the regional power structure. In ''Morrowind'', the player is prophesied to be the reincarnation of a great elven hero. Taking advantage of this, the Empire tasks the player with stabilizing the province of Morrowind by putting down a rebellion by a would-be god. In ''Oblivion'', a religious cult opens a dimensional gate to a Hell-like realm and throws the Empire into chaos by killing Uriel VII and all of his known heirs. Although the player assists an illegitimate royal heir in closing the dimensional gate, the heir's heroic sacrifice brings an abrupt end to the Septim bloodline, causing a succession crisis that devastates the Empire and reduces it to a rump state
A rump state is the remnant of a once much larger state, left with a reduced territory in the wake of secession, annexation, occupation, decolonization, or a successful coup d'état or revolution on part of its former territory. In the last case, ...
. In ''Skyrim'', the Empire (now ruled by the Mede dynasty) is recovering from a horrific war against an elven ethnostate which covers most of southwest Tamriel, and whose terms of surrender have weakened the Empire even further and ultimately led to an ongoing civil war in the province of Skyrim. Amid these mounting tensions, Tamriel has to face the return of a legendary dragon known as "the World-Eater", long after dragons were thought to have gone extinct.
''The Elder Scrolls Online'' serves as a prequel
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term " ...
to the Third Empire storyline, taking place in the middle of a 600-year interregnum
An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next (coming from Latin '' ...
between the Second and Third Cyrodiilic Empires. The initial game follows the player, who has been sacrificed by followers of the Daedric prince Molag Bal, as they manage to return to the mortal plane with the help of a former Emperor masquerading as a prophet. The player must join one of the three different military alliances that are vying for control of Tamriel in the Three Banners War, but is ultimately tasked with uniting all three factions against Molag Bal's attempt to assimilate the entirety of the planet Nirn into his realm of Coldharbour.
The Elder Scrolls themselves play a very limited role in the storyline of the series, usually only as a framing plot device (i.e. "he events in this game
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
were foretold in the Elder Scrolls..."). The Elder Scrolls are rarely referenced in the games. ''The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion'' marks the first appearance of the Scrolls in the final quest of the Thieves Guild quest-line.[ The Scroll appears as an incomprehensible chart containing luminous ]glyph
A glyph () is any kind of purposeful mark. In typography, a glyph is "the specific shape, design, or representation of a character". It is a particular graphical representation, in a particular typeface, of an element of written language. A g ...
s. ''Oblivion'' further introduces monks who dedicate their lives to the study the scrolls. In ''The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim'', the Scrolls are integrated into the series' creation myth and are portrayed as potentially causing insanity when deciphered. The Scrolls are used in the main quest to travel back in time and learn how to defeat the antagonist, an immortal dragon. ''Skyrim''s ''Dawnguard'' expansion adds a quest to acquire the Scrolls to either assist or stop a vampire from blotting out the sun.
Future
At E3 2016
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2016 (E3 2016) was the 22nd E3, during which several hardware manufacturers and software developers and publishers from the video game industry presented new and upcoming products to the attendees, primarily re ...
, Bethesda Game Studios
Bethesda Game Studios is an American video game developer and a studio of ZeniMax Media based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was established in 2001 as the spin-off of Bethesda Softworks' development unit, with Bethesda Softworks itself ...
director Todd Howard
Todd Andrew Howard (born 1970) is an American video game designer, director, and producer. He serves as director and executive producer at Bethesda Game Studios, where he has led the development of the ''Fallout'' and ''The Elder Scrolls'' s ...
reported that the studio was already working on a sixth installment in ''The Elder Scrolls'' franchise, although it would still be "a very long way off" and at E3 2017
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2017 (E3 2017) was the 23rd E3, during which hardware manufacturers and software developers and publishers from the video game industry presented new and upcoming products to the attendees, primarily retailers a ...
, Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks LLC is an American video game publisher based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was founded by Christopher Weaver in 1986 as a division of Media Technology Limited, and in 1999 became a subsidiary of ZeniMax Media. In its ...
vice president of public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...
stated that no new title was in active development, and that they have "at least two major titles" to complete before this would change.
At E3 2018
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2018 (E3 2018) was the 24th E3, during which hardware manufacturers, software developers, and publishers from the video game industry presented new and upcoming products to the attendees, primarily retailers a ...
, Howard revealed a short teaser trailer for ''The Elder Scrolls VI'' and announced that it would be released following '' Starfield''.
Other media
In 2009, science-fiction author Gregory Keyes
Gregory Keyes (born April 11, 1963) is an American writer of science fiction and fantasy who has written both original and media-related novels under both the names J. Gregory Keyes and Greg Keyes.
Early life
Keyes was born in Meridian, Mississi ...
released ''The Infernal City
''The Infernal City'' is a fantasy novel by Greg Keyes. It is the first of two books based on ''The Elder Scrolls'' series of video games. It was published on November 24, 2009, by Titan Books in the UK, and Del Rey Books in the US.
Plot
Set 40 ...
'', a novel set approximately 40 years after the Oblivion Crisis. ''Lord of Souls
''Lord of Souls'' is a fantasy novel by Greg Keyes. It is the second of two books based on ''The Elder Scrolls'' series of video games. It was published on September 27, 2011 by Titan Books in the UK, and by Del Rey Books in the US.
Plot
Like it ...
'' was released in 2011 as Keyes's second novel in his ''The Elder Scrolls'' book series.
Reception
Critical reception
In 2012, ''Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' ranked ''The Elder Scrolls'' at number 20 on the list of the best video game franchises. In 2013, ''The Elder Scrolls'' was voted as the Greatest Game Series of the Decade on GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
, beating out 64 other competitors. ''The Elder Scrolls'' reached the final round, beating the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series by a margin of 52.5% of the vote for ''The Elder Scrolls'' to 47.5% for ''Grand Theft Auto''.
Controversies
The fourth main game of the series, ''Oblivion'', was initially released with a Teen rating by the ESRB
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings to consumer video games in the United States and Canada. The ESRB was established in 1994 by the Entertainment Software Asso ...
, but after reports that its developers failed to disclose content that would not be encountered through normal gameplay but would be inconsistent with that rating, the ESRB took a second look at ''Oblivion'' that took the obscured content into consideration and in an unprecedented move that drew large public attention, raised the game's rating to Mature.
In August 2011, Bethesda Softworks contacted the developer of ''Minecraft
''Minecraft'' is a sandbox game developed by Mojang Studios. The game was created by Markus "Notch" Persson in the Java programming language. Following several early private testing versions, it was first made public in May 2009 before being ...
'', Mojang
Mojang Studios is a Swedish video game developer based in Stockholm. The studio is best known for developing the sandbox and survival game ''Minecraft'', the best-selling video game of all time.
Mojang Studios was founded by the independent ...
, claiming that the intended trademark of the title ''Scrolls
A scroll (from the Old French ''escroe'' or ''escroue''), also known as a roll, is a roll of papyrus, parchment, or paper containing writing.
Structure
A scroll is usually partitioned into pages, which are sometimes separate sheets of papyrus ...
'' for its new game breached Bethesda's trademark on ''The Elder Scrolls''. On March 10, 2012, Markus Persson
Markus Alexej Persson (; born 1 June 1979), also known as Notch, is a Swedish video game programmer and designer. He is best known for creating the sandbox video game ''Minecraft'' and for founding the video game company Mojang in 2009.
Perss ...
tweeted that the two had come to an agreement over the use of the name. The agreement prohibits Mojang from using the title ''Scrolls'' in any future sequels of the game.
In May 2019, Bethesda Softworks released a promotional free tabletop role-playing game titled ''Elsweyr''. It was accused of being plagiarized as it shared a very similar plot to the Dungeons and Dragons
''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TSR). ...
adventure "The Black Road", written by Paige Leitman and Ben Heisler, and contains reworded text that substitutes some words for synonyms. After Leitman posted about the similarities on Facebook the game was removed from their The Elder Scrolls Online Facebook page.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elder Scrolls, The
Action role-playing video games
Fantasy video games
Open-world video games
Video game franchises introduced in 1994
Video games about magic
Video games adapted into novels
Video games set on fictional planets