The Elderscrolls IV:Oblivion?
A Dream Comes true !
Bethesda
Softworks Announces The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Bethesda Softworks LLC, a ZeniMax Media company, today announced that The Elder Scrolls
IV: Oblivion™ is currently in development for PC and future generation consoles. In development since 2002, Oblivion
is another leap forward in role-playing with its combination of freeform gameplay and cutting-edge graphics. Oblivion is the
sequel to the best-selling, award-winning role-playing game, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind®, named 2002 RPG and Game of
the Year for both PC and Xbox.
"Since starting this project two years ago, our goal has been to create the quintessential
RPG of the next generation," said Todd Howard, executive producer of The Elder Scrolls® series. "We looked back at what we
had done with the series, and then looked ahead to what the future of video games could be, and we think this is it."
In keeping with the Elder Scrolls tradition, players will have the option to experience
the main quest at their own pace, and there will be plenty of opportunities to explore the vast world and make your own way.
Numerous factions can be joined, such as the thieves or mages guilds, and each contains its own complete storyline and the
chance to rise to the head of the faction and reap further rewards.
Howard commented, "Our games have always been about great depth and variety in creating
any kind of character you want and going out and doing whatever you want." He added, "With Oblivion, we're taking the idea
of a virtual fantasy world as far as it will go."
Oblivion features a groundbreaking new AI system, called Radiant AI, which gives
non-player characters (NPCs) the ability to make their own choices based on the world around them. They'll decide where to
eat or who to talk to and what they'll say. They'll sleep, go to church, and even steal items, all based on their individual
characteristics. Full facial animations and lip-synching, combined with full speech for all dialog, allows NPCs to come to
life like never before.
Oblivion is a single-player game that takes place in Tamriel's capital province,
Cyrodiil. You are given the task of finding the hidden heir to a throne that sits empty, the previous emperor having been
killed by an unknown assassin. With no true Emperor, the gates to Oblivion (the equivalent of hell in the world of Tamriel)
open, and demons begin to invade Cyrodiil and attack its people and towns. It's up to you to find the lost heir to the throne
and unravel the sinister plot that threatens to destroy all of Tamriel.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Officially Announced
Bethesda
Softworks today announced that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is currently in development for PC and future generation consoles.
In development since 2002, Oblivion is another leap forward in role-playing with its combination of freeform gameplay and
cutting-edge graphics. Oblivion is the sequel to the best-selling, award-winning role-playing game, The Elder Scrolls III:
Morrowind, named 2002 RPG and Game of the Year for both PC and Xbox.
"Since starting this project two years ago, our
goal has been to create the quintessential RPG of the next generation," said Todd Howard, executive producer of The Elder
Scrolls series. "We looked back at what we had done with the series, and then looked ahead to what the future of video games
could be, and we think this is it." In keeping with the Elder Scrolls tradition, players will have the option to experience
the main quest at their own pace, and there will be plenty of opportunities to explore the vast world and make your own way.
Numerous factions can be joined, such as the thieves or mages guilds, and each contains its own complete storyline and the
chance to rise to the head of the faction and reap further rewards.
Howard commented, "Our games have always been
about great depth and variety in creating any kind of character you want and going out and doing whatever you want." He added,
"With Oblivion, we're taking the idea of a virtual fantasy world as far as it will go."
Oblivion features a groundbreaking
new AI system, called Radiant AI, which gives non-player characters (NPCs) the ability to make their own choices based on
the world around them. They'll decide where to eat or who to talk to and what they'll say. They'll sleep, go to church, and
even steal items, all based on their individual characteristics. Full facial animations and lip-synching, combined with full
speech for all dialog, allows NPCs to come to life like never before.
Oblivion is a single-player game that takes
place in Tamriel's capital province, Cyrodiil. You are given the task of finding the hidden heir to a throne that sits empty,
the previous emperor having been killed by an unknown assassin. With no true Emperor, the gates to Oblivion (the equivalent
of hell in the world of Tamriel) open, and demons begin to invade Cyrodiil and attack its people and towns. It's up to you
to find the lost heir to the throne and unravel the sinister plot that threatens to destroy all of Tamriel.
Link :
Oblivion Release Date
Mail announcement Todd Howard
Well, we started the project soon after Morrowind, and our team was split into two groups -- one working on
technology for Oblivion, and one working on expansion packs. The Oblivion group was mostly comprised of programmers
and the expansion team mostly artists and designers. But we were still one big Elder Scrolls team. We were also fortunate
to add a lot of new talent during this time as our profile as a strong developer grew. After the expansions were done (Tribunal
and Bloodmoon) the entire staff was full steam ahead on Oblivion.
The first thing we do when we start a game like this is say -- "What did the fans like about the last game?
What do they want improved?" Over the years we've gotten thousands of letters from you all, and we can't thank you enough.
Yes, we read them all. Our forums are an endless source of inspiration to us. From Arena to Daggerfall to Morrowind, we've
had the best fans you could ask for over the last 10 years. They're smart, engaged, and full of wild excitement. Keep it up.
But there is a key part of this plan that has guided The Elder Scrolls every time we do a new one, and that
is "Reinvention." You see, even though each game has been a sequel to the last game, our goal is to always make a new game
that stands on its own, that has its own identity. Even down to the naming of them, our games are generally known by their
single name, and not their numbered sequence. How do we create the definitive "RPG for the Next Generation?" Not just in terms
of technology -- but how it plays?
We go back to the main theme of the series -- "Live another life, in another world" -- and think about how
we can make that come alive for the next game. To simply add onto Arena would never have yielded Daggerfall, and to add onto
Daggerfall would never have yielded Morrowind. To present the best game we can each time, we must reinvent it for the next
generation of hardware and gameplay.
So we reach all the way back to Arena, see what worked then. Replay Daggerfall -- what worked well there,
and of course Morrowind. We then look at what games of the future could do. Not just RPGs, but what could any game do? What
are the key elements that make a great RPG and how can they be done in the future?
There is not a single system that has not gone through a change. Combat, dialogue, exploration, magic…you
name it. That change could be a small tweak, major addition, or major deletion. Tweaks include things like rebalancing the
skills to get better class progression. Major additions include all new AI, forests, combat, mounts, and more. One major deletion
is thrown items and crossbows.
What!!?? No thrown items and crossbows? Hear me out here, because it will let you into our thought process.
When we look at characters that like to do ranged combat, they mostly want to use bows and arrows. So instead of doing many
types of ranged combat, we decided to stick with bows and arrows -- but -- it's a grand implementation of bows and arrows.
You feel the string draw, arrows arc properly, bounce realistically, and stick deep into the right materials. You can see
the quiver on your back and type of arrows you have and there are tons of different bows and arrow types. So we trade having
several types of ranged combat done in an average way, and get bows done in a grand way.
One major assumption everyone makes when we do a new Elder Scrolls game is that it will be small. Everyone
thought this about Daggerfall and Morrowind as well when we talked about them "being more focused." No Elder Scrolls game
will ever be small. Ever. We make 'em big folks. We super-size them. Why? This is a question everyone asks us, "Why make them
so damn big? You could make it small and most people still wouldn't finish it."
My answer is this -- For the time you did play it, it wouldn't be as fun. The Elder Scrolls is about choice
-- player choice to do what you want in any way you want. You need a certain amount of size and choices so that experience
is actually meaningful.
Now, we do change scale in each game, because certain things you do cause the game to flow differently. Even
though Morrowind is about 0.0001% the landmass of Daggerfall, the way you play it makes it feel even richer. Oblivion's
landmass is larger than Morrowind's, but you can fast travel around much easier. It still has Morrowind's feel of open exploration,
but Arena's feel of ease of travel and, well, it's more fun.
So what do we actually mean when we say Oblivion is more focused? The quests and NPCs are more focused.
Are there less NPCs and quests than Morrowind? Yes, but still too many to count. If we hadn't told you, you'd probably never
notice. This is still a game measured in the hundreds of play hours. We're trying to stay away from mindless filler (something,
Ok, we've been guilty of in the past) and create quests and NPCs that are dynamic, alive, and more engaging than anyone's
seen.
I could go on and on for 100 pages here, because the depth of Oblivion and our excitement to bring
it to all of you is huge. You'll start seeing more and more info about the game in the press everywhere and on elderscrolls.com.
We'll do our best to create the best game we can for you.
Bc release date cancelled !
Intrepid games has cancelled BC's release date
While the reassurance that B.C. may yet see the light of day sometime in the future
is comforting, we won’t likely see it during this hardware generation, if ever. This marks yet another potentially great
first party game that’s been cut from the Xbox’s release calendar. Though the current quarter is most definitely
one of the strongest for the Xbox since its launch, one can only hope that the release calendar remains strong as we near
the generation’s end.
Xbox tuning becomes
the new fashion
I noticed that many of the people start to grade there xbox up. One of the most used ways to complete
that is due xbox skins , there are much creations of those skins. We're talking about Halo 2 , Ninja Gaiden and even more
game Skins. Well not onyl game skins , there are regular skins too , something like a blue skin with a ligthining beam on
it and much more to say...One of the other ways is definitely the xbox mod tuning. Just like other systems , some people can
grade your xbox up to an xbox than can play copied games , play copied disks and DVD's and much more to discover. Surely it's
worth the money you put in that way but it's illegal so be cautious! The other way is by getting upto your father's workroom
or attic and get all the paint there. Use the paint on your console with caution. Also lamps and other system materials are
used to grade the box up , following screenshots are upgraded box systems , if you want more information regarding the xbox
tuning contact me at all time with any question.
Skin Tuning Screenshots
A word of Justin , owner of the tuned xbox
crystal :
This is my first Crystal XBOX mod. I put 5 (yes, 5) blue cold cathodes in this bad boy. 2 four inch
in the front underneath the controller ports and two up top on either side of the jewel. Around the jewel I put a round cathode.
The cathodes can be turned on and off by two switches (the last three pictures show these) mounted under the front panel on
the right side. Of course this box had to have blue controller port and eject button LEDs and an 80mm blue LED fan in the
back to top it off. I think it cam out pretty well, don't you?
Microsoft to release
three versions of Xbox 2
A SLIDE from a non disclosure agreement (NDA) presentation
seen by the INQ points towards Microsoft launching three versions of the Xbox 2, one of which is a fully functioning PC.
The
presentation, understood to have been given to analysts and market researchers in the UK earlier this year, plots a timeline
for the introduction of the systems. Xbox Next and Xbox Next HD are planned for Autumn 2005, whereas the Xbox Next PC is pencilled
in for Autumn 2006.
The standard Xbox Next will not include a hard drive, which will allow Microsoft to cut costs
on this basic unit. Xbox Next HD, as you might imagine, does include a hard drive and will offer increased functionality based
on this. Xbox Next PC is, according to the presentation, an entry-level PC that runs Windows and all standard PC software.
It also includes CD Burner, Wireless keyboard, mouse and controller and will work best connected to a high-definition TV or
PC monitor. Media Center functionality - like movies, music and photos - is also included. The device will also play most
available PC games.
System outline specifications note that internet browsing and instant messaging would be key applications,
and that the entire unit will be smaller than the current Xbox, although it will not be possible to upgrade the shipping memory
or processor.
The year-long gap between the mooted introductions of the two standard Xboxes before the Xbox Next PC
is an interesting decision, which suggests that Microsoft realises the time that the market needs to acclimatise to TV media
functionality. Since the Vole expects to ship Xbox Next before the Sony PlayStation 3, two versions of the console allow it
to get the first wave out before PS3, but to also spoil the launch of Sony's flagship by concurrently announcing the PC version.
Microsoft to design
chips for Xbox 2
NVIDIA PANICKING about Microsoft cutting them out of the picture in the future
design of the Xbox 2 need panic no longer.
Because the sources that told me Microsoft wanted to cut out Nvidia now inform
me that the Great Satan of Software is really going for it and want to cut out not just graphics chip makers but X86 suppliers
too.
My jaw dropped when I heard this from Jill. What was the evidence for this amazing story?
She said that
the Microsofties looking after the Xbox 2 have posted a RFW for a DX-9/DX-10 microcode engine.
That, she said, as my
jaw continued to drop, is because the firm wants to dump any outsiders ("aliens") for graphics and doesn't necessarily want
to play with either Intel or AMD on X86 support.
How could that be? Well, Microsoft apparently wants some silicon for
an intermediate language - kind of similar to Java bytecodes but, of course, not that but .NET.
The guys and gals from
Web TV now rule this particular roost and Microsoft designed the chip by employing intellectual property from both inside
and outside the form - then followed a Taiwanese "low cost model" style by getting others to build them, and yet others to
sell them.
Jill said it looks very much to her - and she's no slouch - that Nvidia and Intel may be booted out of the
Xbox 2 design, while TSMC/UMC are likely to be the beneficiaries of the deal.
