Game News Oblivion gets a co-publisher

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Bethesda Softworks; Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

<a href=http://www.gamesindustry.biz>Games Industry</a> reports that 2K Games also known as Take-Two Interactive Software has got "co-publishing, sales and distribution rights" to The Elder Scrolls IV: <a href=<a href=http://www.elderscrolls.com/home/home.htm>Oblivion</a>. 2K Games will also co-publish Call of Cthulhu.
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Here is some hype for your amusement:
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<blockquote>Oblivion is the fourth title in the best-selling Elder Scrolls series, and brings the RPG genre to new heights with its combination of freeform gameplay and cutting-edge graphics. Oblivion features a 3D engine that can render stunningly realistic environments, groundbreaking AI for all characters in the game, and the same open-ended gameplay style that has made The Elder Scrolls one of the most critically acclaimed franchises of all-time.
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Since its unveiling in fall 2004, Oblivion has become one of the most talked about games of 2005, with two major North American magazine cover stories to date, and has been recognized as among the most anticipated games of the year by numerous web sites and magazines.</blockquote>
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Also, according to the <a href=http://www.elderscrolls.com/home/home.htm>official site</a>, there is a cover story in the March issue of PC Gamer (eta Feb 8). PC Gamer sez that ES4 "offers a new hope for the RPG, and may well signal the arrival of the next sea change in the genre". Cool, more hype.
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[dojoteef]

I just hope they can deliver on time. The reason I say this, is STALKER keeps being delayed, I think mainly due to the complexity of the AI they hoped to accomplish. I just read that they changed the release date of May 2005 to an indefinite one for STALKER, include that with the fact that with each delay they keep paring down the complexity, and a pattern emerges.

I'm sure Oblivion has some of the framework for the AI down. I just can't see them releasing it this year; I'm thinking it might run into similar problems to those that STALKER is running into.

Then again, Oblivion might actually be released this year, but I have my doubts. I'm thinking more like end of next year for the release date, at the earliest. Which leads into why I hate the hype machine. If you hype 2 years before the release, people are going to be dissappointed by the time it does get released. Especially if the graphics are no longer quite the state of the art or the AI has been done in other games that came out before it. It might recieve oohs and ahhs two years before release, but in those two years it's guaranteed that other titles will come out that try to push the graphics/AI envelope as well. So if you are touting the latest graphics and AI as the major high points, you better be able to make sure it'll be able to reach that standard by the release date.

I'd say have it at least to the beta stage before making any announcements. Hopefully that would mean it would be released within the next 6 months. Then again, I doubt any company would listen to such advice; oh, well.

 

[Digit]

I don't think it will make it this year. I personally believe that we can all rest a little more comfortably when we see a video of it in action. Screenshots are cool and all, but when you see something that is working, I feel more comfortable knowing that they have working code and the actual "game" is there.

However, I feel I should counter my own point by saying what in christ's name are GSC doing with STALKER? Am I the only one who has just lost patience with that game? They rammed video after video after QA after preview down our throats for YEARS now, and its still delayed. Gah!

Digit

 

[Fez]

These never-ending development cycles always worry me, things drag on and never get locked down or fixed, then they worry that the once cutting edge graphics look old, or they decide they need some fad "must have" feature like bullet-time to bring it up to date. I was more interested in STALKER than vanilla HL2. It'd be a shame if it just dragged on until it stumbled and got shoved out the door by a publisher who was fed up waiting.

 

[Fez]

*snip*

I agree with you there, a lot of developers and publishers have come to the same conclusion. People get bored of these things if you keep them going for more than a year, and six months is ideal really to get teh hype machine going and allow eveyone to plan a purchase who might want it.

You can't keep people on the edge of their seats for years on end with a few screen shots and videos - let's face it once you've seen one video of STALKER, you don't really want to see another, you want a demo to get that same level of interst again. concept art> screenshot > video > demo > release is how it should go, with various features inbetween. When I hear that a new batch of STALKER screenshots have come out now I don't even bother to look at them as it has got to the point where I could print them out and play the game as a flick book animation if I stuck them in order. I've seen the video, I dont want more stills.

For the worst of them think of Duke Nukem, that gets zero interest from me now. It'd have to have gone gold for me to bother reading anything about, and by that time it will have to get top reviews all round to enourage me to buy it in such a short time.

 

[Sol Invictus]

It's hype, alright, but it's good news to us that more publishers, especially large ones like Take Two, which seem intent on taking on Electronic Arts, are willing to invest in RPGs.

 

[Fez]

Good point, but the RPG aspect of the game still has to be proven in the final release I think. But they do seem to be taking a lot of the complaints to heart from the last ones. Perhaps they will pull it off. I hope they are concentrating more on decent dialogue and quests, rather than finding ways to add more light bloom to everything.

I've been surprised how Take 2 seem to be doing so well, their budget range is selling well, I think they are trying to take on (no pun intended) Sold Out and other big budget labels too. Should help them get plenty revenue to fund new projects, and to be honest I'd be glad to see anyone half-decent doing well in this current climate.

 

[Surlent]

Why does Beth need copublisher ? Don't they have enough money to publish themselves like they did with Morrowind ? Or does Take2 handle localization ?

 

[Sol Invictus]

Take2 is likely handing the localization. They're probably aiming for European and Asian markets with the titles.

 

[Mendoza]

Then again, Oblivion might actually be released this year, but I have my doubts. I'm thinking more like end of next year for the release date, at the earliest.

I'd have to agree, end of 2005 sounds very ambitious, especially given the relative lack of information on the game e.g. magic system. I'm surprised that publishers are actually still refering to it as a 'game of 2005'. I'd be surprised if it came out before the second half of next year.

 

[MrSmileyFaceDude]

Then again, Oblivion might actually be released this year, but I have my doubts. I'm thinking more like end of next year for the release date, at the earliest.

I'd have to agree, end of 2005 sounds very ambitious, especially given the relative lack of information on the game e.g. magic system. I'm surprised that publishers are actually still refering to it as a 'game of 2005'. I'd be surprised if it came out before the second half of next year.

Believe me, I've been dying to talk about the magic system. It's not from lack of progress on it that we haven't spoken about it yet. We're just releasing information in short, controlled bursts.

 

[obediah]

2005 seems unlikely to me. But then Morrowind not being a bug-ridden unplayable beast at release seemed unlikely to me too, so I'm at least open to the possibility.

I still can't decide if I care. When I quit playing Morrowind, I was convinced it was a boring, slashfest. But I had a lot of fun over 100 hours or so coming to that conclusion. A few Dagerfall scope dungeons would have kept me around longer.

I imagine I'll have to wait and see just how dumbed-down and twitch-oriented it is.

 

[POOPERSCOOPER]

I think late 05 is likely, I dont think its going to be one of those games that keeps getting delayed. Take-two getting publisher rights is big time so they know what their doing I think.

 

[Sol Invictus]

2005 seems a tad early, due to the lack of information released on the game, but MSFD's words definitely make me more enthusiastic towards a 2005 release.

I guess I owe Dhruin an apology.

 

[kathode]

Cthulhu

 

[Vault Dweller]

Damn. Thanks, kathode.

 

[kathode]

You still messed it up, haha. But that's ok, people get the idea

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

Well, bring on the Cthulhu is all I have to say!

While I loved the early ES games, I just have serious unease for the series now after the crap that was Morrowind. That game really let me down. I will give Oblivion a chance just because I like some of the things being said about it. But, I liked some of the things being said about Morrowind too.

Oblivion takes a back seat to Cthulhu though. Man, I want that game so bad. I just hope it's even scarier than System Shock 2 was and stays true to the Lovecraft creedo. Oh, and having decent gameplay wouldn't hurt either.

 

[Fez]

It seems VD made the baby Cthulhu cry!

I'm interested in this title because of the promises of the AI system and the big combat and magic revamp. I couldn't care less about the graphics by this point, they are pretty, but I am buying a game, not a painting. I do understand though that they are a big selling point and give hard-ons all round in some groups.

The journal/quest system needs to be more like the ones in FO the IE games, so we can track things better, I seem to remember that this was a promise, and that the journal was improved in the expansions somewhat, though I'd need confirmation. I don't know much about dialogue yet though. That'll be an important part after the wikipedia-like conversations in Morrowind.

It's worth pointing out that my interest in this title was kindled solely by the Bethesda's comments on this board, so a job well done guys.

 

[Digit]

I have had this gripe with so many games, the only game that did it right was Outcast. Often the world is populated by a lot people. So finding the one you are mean't to speak to, can be difficult if not annoying. In Outcast, you could walk up to any NPC, and ask them where someone was, they all had some scripted responses depending on where the person was, but what happened is they said something like, "Oh, I saw him a long way north of here." and then they pointed in that direction. I don't know if this can be adopted easily for Oblivion, but it would make the people hunting a little more bearable, because often you get to a big city, and know what part the person is meant to be in, then you just have to speak to all the NPCs until you find the right one.

Digit

 

[Ortchel]

These never-ending development cycles always worry me, things drag on and never get locked down or fixed, then they worry that the once cutting edge graphics look old, or they decide they need some fad "must have" feature like bullet-time to bring it up to date.

Or a game like HL2 keeps getting delayed yet still fails to include any of the (good) fads incorporated since it's previous installment (i.e. leaning, iron sights, etc), which is even worse.

I think 2005 is way too optimistic. I believe the last two TES titles were delayed, which is something to keep in mind.