Marketing VP at Elder Scrolls, Fallout studio says company has tried to mitigate second-hand market with DLC, other initiatives.

Used games are “absolutely” a concern for Elder Scrolls and Fallout developer Bethesda. Speaking with Destructoid, marketing vice president Pete Hines said his company has attempted to lessen the impact of second-hand sales by supporting games with downloadable content that encourages users to hold on to their discs, among other things.

“Absolutely it’s a concern,” Hines said. “We have tried to mitigate it by creating games that offer replayability, by supporting them with DLC that’s worth hanging onto the game for, or offering tools that let them take things further.”

Hines conceded that Bethesda does not have all the answers when it comes to the multifaceted issue of the used game market. He said an solution that works for everyone–retailers, publishers, and developers–may be hard to come by.

“There’s no doubt that being a videogamer is expensive. Games are not cheap to buy because they’re expensive to make, and people are looking for ways to keep it affordable,” Hines said. “I’m not sure anyone has figured out a solution that works for everyone, and there simply may not be one until someone figures out how to include developers and publishers in the loop on used games sales instead of keeping it all for themselves.”

Most recently, debate and discussion has surrounding the second-hand market has related to the possibility of the PlayStation 4 and still-unannounced Xbox 720 blocking used games. GameStop management said last month that it has a “high degree of confidence” that the PS4 will play used games, while reports have claimed the next Xbox will block second-hand titles.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Read more here: Game Spot News

Bethesda and Zenimax Online Studios have announced that beta sign-ups are now open for The Elder Scrolls Online. If you want to get in on the action simply head on over to The Elder Scrolls Online webpage where you can put your name into the big beta-testing hat. If selected as a beta participant you will be granted early access and will according to Bethesda be amongst ‘the first to experience this epic world’. It sounds like something every Elder Scrolls fan should be excited about.

Hold on though…are fans of the franchise excited about The Elder Scrolls Online? Since its announcement the game hasn’t exactly been met with universal anticipation. Fans seems to be divided, with some welcoming this new addition to the Elder Scrolls family, and others wanting more of the single player RPGs that they know and love. Unfortunately, it’s hard not to have doubts when you consider that many recently released MMOs have failed to meet expectations.

Maybe I’m being a tad cyinical. After all, only time will tell if The Elder Scrolls Online will be a worthy addition to a superb franchise. For now lets take a look at this new trailer for the game; because if there’s one thing MMOs do right, it’s cinematic trailers.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here – The Elder Scrolls Online Beta Sign-Ups Open – News

Source: gamrReview

GSC Game World claims it is the sole owner of the IP rights to game series, challenging bitComposer’s assertion.

Yesterday, bitComposer Entertainment announced it had acquired the worldwide exclusive rights to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series. Now, this claim has been contested. GSC Game World and CEO Sergey Grigorovich have issued a statement claiming that GSC Game World is in fact the sole rights owner for the franchise.

“In view of the rumors appearing in press, we find it necessary to inform that GSC Game World and Sergey Grigorovich remain to be the sole owners of all the intellectual property rights to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game series and the brand overall, including all the trademarks, the game universe, the technology etc,” the company said. “This can be easily verified with the trademark services online.”

The fate of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series has been enshrouded in mystery of late. Earlier this year, rumor had it that Fallout and Elder Scrolls publisher Bethesda was to take over the series. Before that, developer GSC Game World was shut down, with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 being canceled outright, despite efforts to keep the project alive.

The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games are centered around Chernobyl, which suffered a nuclear reactor meltdown in 1986. In the original game, the town is subjected to a second dose of nuclear fallout, spawning a rash of hideously mutated monsters. GSC Game World released two follow-ups to the original game: Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

BitComposer Entertainment picks up exclusive rights for future games, killing speculation that Bethesda would take series over.

The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series has a new license-holder, and it is not Bethesda, as was rumored. BitComposer Entertainment announced today that it had acquired the exclusive worldwide rights for future game adaptations of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. brand created by brothers Boris and Arkady Strugatsky. Boris passed away on November 19 this year, the announcement said.

BitComposer Entertainment is no stranger to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, as the Eschborn-based company served as publisher on 2010 open-world shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat in Europe and the United States.

The fate of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series has been enshrouded in mystery of late. Earlier this year, rumor had it that Fallout and Elder Scrolls publisher Bethesda was to take over the series. Before that, developer GSC Game World was shut down, with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 being canceled outright, despite efforts to keep the project alive.

The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games are centered around Chernobyl, which suffered a nuclear reactor meltdown in 1986. In the original game, the town is subjected to a second dose of nuclear fallout, spawning a rash of hideously mutated monsters. GSC Game World released two follow-ups to the original game: Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Lord of the Rings Online studio brings on Elder Scrolls, Kingdoms of Amalur designer as director of design; former NetherRealm, Zynga, and Petroglyph devs round out “key hires.”

Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online developer Turbine has added new leadership to its studio. The Needham, Massachusetts studio today announced that it has hired Elder Scrolls designer Ken Rolston, as well as former NetherRealm and Zynga developers.

Rolston served as lead designer for Bethesda on Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and was most recently behind Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning at the now-defunct 38 Studios. His new title at Turbine is director of design, and his responsibilities include leading the vision and implementation of all aspects of game design at the company.

Coming aboard from Mortal Kombat studio NetherRealm is Alan Villani, who will work at Turbine as vice president of technology. His duties at Turbine include managing the company’s digital technology platform, with a specific emphasis on “online engagement” and monetization.

Rounding out the new hires are former Zynga technology maestro Jai Singh, who will head up technical operations at Turbine, and Demetrius Comes of Petroglyph Games (End of Nations, Rise of Immortals). Comes has been hired on as executive director of engineering where he will oversee all engineering functions for the studio’s product development team.

[ Watch Video ]

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Marketing exec at Elder Scrolls studio not yet convinced about Nintendo’s new console, believes current-gen not holding devs back, next-gen presents problems.

Bethesda had a minimal footprint on Nintendo’s popular Wii console (its only US release was Star Trek: Conquest), and it does not appear that the Elder Scrolls and Fallout publisher has more ambitious plans in place for the Wii U. In a new MCV interview (via Videogamer), Bethesda marketing executive Pete Hines said the company mantra has been, and continues to be, that it will launch games on platforms that support them.

Bethesda isn’t too keen on the Wii U.

“So far the Wii hasn’t fitted into that,” Hines said. “Whether Wii U does down the road is [to be determined].”

The Wii U may miss out on more major franchises than just Bethesda’s. Capcom’s Resident Evil 6 is not scheduled for the new console, nor is Electronic Arts’ Dead Space 3.

Hines also took time in the interview to compare current- and next-generation consoles. He claimed existing platforms are not holding developers back, adding there is still room to expand on visuals, technical capabilities, and storytelling. He also said the current “huge” install base of users is an advantage the current generation has over future platforms.

Hines cautioned that new platforms could be problematic for multiple reasons, the first of which stems from technological concerns.

“For me the problems with new consoles are two-fold,” he added. “The developers are trying to hit a moving technical target, because the platforms are being built. A new console doesn’t just show up a year before launch and is exactly what it will be when it comes out. It moves and iterates along the way. And introducing something like that to games that are in development is always a bit tricky. And that is obviously an element of risk.”

The second reason Hines is less than elated about future platforms is that their arrival may splinter an existing audience.

“Your install base always starts at zero,” he said. “Then it comes out and suddenly a certain number of people buy it but it won’t be the same number as the current gen. So you have divided your audience.”

Ultimately, Hines said the technological advancements future platforms may afford will be “exciting,” but he cautioned this progress “comes at a price.”

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Details to come in June issue of Game Informer magazine

Those who have already clocked in countless hours on previous Elder Scrolls games like Oblivion and Skyrim might just shriek in horror at Bethesda’s latest announcement. The company is finally taking the RPG franchise massively multiplayer with The Elder Scrolls Online. Read on for more!

Bethesda parent company files application with United States Patent & Trademark Office for “computer game software.”

A newly discovered trademark filing may be giving Elder Scrolls fans a glimpse of something in the future of the franchise. Parent company Zenimax Media has filed a trademark application for “Dawnguard,” hinting that a future project is in development for the Elder Scrolls and Fallout publisher.

What’s on the horizon for Bethesda?

Filed with the United States Patent & Trademark Office last month (via NowGamer), Dawnguard is listed under the goods and services description of “computer game software for use with computers and video game consoles; downloadable computer game software offered via the Internet and wireless devices.”

It is unclear what the trademark is in reference to, and a Bethesda representative declined to comment.

Bethesda has a number of unnamed projects in the works, including at least two Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim DLC packs. Additionally, the developer is working on an iOS project, a next-generation title, and a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, rumored to be set in the Elder Scrolls universe.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Source says Zenimax and Bethesda planning to take wraps off Elder Scrolls Online in coming months; game to be set before any franchise entry.

Source: An “industry source” speaking to technology news and reviews site Tom’s Guide.

What we heard: The tipster told the site that an Elder Scrolls massively multiplayer online game is in development and that Zenimax Online Studios and Bethesda will officially announce the project this May.

The site’s source suggests the Elder Scrolls MMOG–to be titled Elder Scrolls Online–will be set an entire millennium before November’s Elder Scrolls V: Skryim. This timeline would put the new game “several hundred years” in front of any Elder Scrolls game. This information was substantiated by two additional sources speaking to the site.

An Elder Scrolls MMOG is on the way, according to a source.

Additionally, the source says Elder Scrolls Online will sport three playable factions. Details are thin concerning these roles, but the tipster said each will be represented by animals: a lion, a dragon, and an unspecified bird of prey.

On top of an official announcement in May, Elder Scrolls Online is “likely” to have “some sort of presence” at the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo. A showing at August’s QuakeCon–put on by Bethesda–is also believed to be planned.

It’s been no secret that Bethesda and parent publisher Zenimax are building an MMOG. There are presently 38 open positions at Zenimax Online Studios, all related to work on an “unannounced massively multiplayer online game.”

No word has come through official channels regarding the project at Zenimax Online Studios. Last month, Bethesda reclaimed the Fallout MMOG rights from Interplay after years of litigation. Under the terms of the deal, Bethesda is able to develop an MMOG set in the Fallout universe.

The official story: A Bethesda representative told GameSpot, “We don’t comment on rumors.”

Bogus or not bogus: Not bogus that Zenimax Online Studios is creating an MMOG and the Elder Scrolls series seems a strong fit for such a game. The franchise is known for its expansive environments, deep role-playing options, and emphasis on player investment.

As for a May announcement for Elder Scrolls Online, revealing the game during that month would give Zenimax and Bethesda momentum heading into E3 2012, scheduled for June.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Minecraft developer’s new game allowed to keep Scrolls title, so long as it doesn’t compete with Elder Scrolls; trademark surrendered to Bethesda.

Minecraft studio Mojang and The Elder Scrolls publisher Bethesda have settled the trademark lawsuit over Scrolls, Mojang has announced.

Scrolls will be called Scrolls.

Mojang managing director Carl Manneh announced the news on the company website this weekend, saying “We have settled the lawsuit over Scrolls, and Mojang and Bethesda are friends again.”

As part of the deal, Mojang’s forthcoming title Scrolls will be allowed to keep that name, but it must surrender the Scrolls trademark to Bethesda.

“For us, this was never about a trademark, but being able to use Scrolls as the name of our game, which we can,” Manneh said.

Mojang founder Markus Persson shed further light on the matter, saying on Twitter that in addition to the above, Mojang has agreed to not make an Elder Scrolls competitor using the Scrolls name.

The court case erupted in August when representatives of Bethesda parent publisher Zenimax contested that Mojang was infringing on a trademark of the Elder Scrolls series with its upcoming game, Scrolls.

Bethesda has not chimed in on the proceedings through official channels, and as of press time, the publisher had not responded to GameSpot’s request for comment.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot