What Bethesda Wants You To Know About ‘The Elder Scrolls Online’
With the June 9 release date just around the corner, console players are eagerly awaiting their chance to start their adventures in The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited. The game has been out for over a year on PC, but this is the first time the title will be officially released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One systems.
Since its initial release as a pay-to-play MMO, The Elder Scrolls Online is now a buy-to-play game with optional subscription. The hybrid model requires a purchase of the client in order to access the game, but players do not need to subscribe to keep playing. There is even an in-game store with mounts, pets, cosmetic armor, and more for players to browse.
To add to the game’s hype, publisher Bethesda provided a list of things players need to know before The Elder Scrolls Online releases and announced its reveal on the game’s official Twitter account. Those that have played the PC version might not find any new information here, but console players will find solace in a few details specific to their platform. Even Elder Scrolls fans will have something to gain from playing the MMO.
Many items in the list provided by Bethesda are true of most of MMO games. The Elder Scrolls Online is a whole, living game world with the opportunity to group up with others in the hopes of slaying enemies, finding loot, and leveling up. The game has improved greatly since its first release on PC in April, 2014, and players can expect the game to keep evolving over time. The game’s Lead Content Designer even noted that, “We want to support and continually update ESO for years to come.”
Of course, the buy-to-play switch is pertinent information, too. Owning The Elder Scrolls Online client means that players can access the game at any time with no subscription. Console players will need an active Playstation Plus or Xbox Live Gold membership to access the game, though. The optional subscription will still be available to them, as well, for the standard $14.99 per month. The subscription boosts experience gained, increases gold found, grants access to any DLC released, and even provides a stipend for the in-game store.
Console players should also recognize that The Elder Scrolls Online has been completely crafted for the consoles on which it appears. Although the game first released on PC, the game’s iteration on consoles has been thoughtfully adapted and built specifically for consoles.
“While Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim were great examples of console interfaces in Elder Scrolls games, ESO presented its own challenges. The always-active nature of MMOs, for example, necessitated giving players the ability to trigger abilities instantly, which led to an intuitive system of slotted abilities – which translated easily into controller play.”
As the Inquisitr recently reported, an emphasis on what friends can do together in the game was presented by the game’s developer ZeniMax Online just a few weeks ago. Both the developer and the publisher want console players to know that The Elder Scrolls Online is an inviting MMO for players looking for both PvE and PvP in the massive world of Tamriel.
Will you be picking up The Elder Scrolls Online on console?
[Images via PlayStation Blog]
