Update: Unfortunately, it appears as though the folks at Ecumenical may have spoken too soon; neither developer ZeniMax nor publisher Bethesda have officially commented on an exact release day or month just yet. There have been hints left on Twitter, however, that suggest a December release may not be impossible. Here’s hoping we’ll learn more soon.
Original Story: Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls’s Online didn’t exactly take the MMO world by storm, but that’s hardly a terribly fate. Aside from Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn and World of Warcraft, what game in the past five (or even ten) years has? ESO continues to enjoy a reasonably dedicated fanbase, and as such Bethesda has decided to bring the game to PS4 and Xbox One this December.
The news comes via Ecumenical News, but unfortunately any info beyond “December 2014” has yet to be officially revealed or unofficially leaked. The Elder Scrolls Online received very mixed critical reception upon its release in April, and currently sports an aggregate 71 out of 100 on Metacritic. It will be interesting to see how Bethesda plans to effectively market the game for new hardware and, to an extent, a new batch of potential players.
Related: The Elder Scrolls Online and 5 Other Disappointing MMOs
ESO isn’t alone in its MMO struggles — Carbine Studios’ Wildstar also launched this year, and despite superior critical reception to Bethesda’s offering, the game suffered an even worse fate. In a genre dominated by World of Warcraft for nearly a decade, you need to differentiate to stand out. When the likes of BioWare, Carbine, Bethesda, and more fail to make as sizable a dent as initially planned, you know you’re dealing with a fiercely competitive space.
We reviewed The Elder Scrolls Online back in April, so head on over and check out our coverage if you’re looking for a refresher on the game before it re-appears this December. Of course, you could just hop on the Warlords of Draenor bandwagon. C’mon, you know you want to. Everyone’s doing it.
