Over resent times, Bethesda has been more and more invested in the gaming community as a whole, the product of this is are crossovers. Such as this helmet for Team Fortress 2, styled on Skyrim's Iron helmets
Possibly Bethesda's crowning achievement was the Steam Workshop, a co-product with Valve, This is an online service which lets players apply mods to their PC version of Skyrim, adding more replay ability to their game.
Some Bethesda devs have also been involved in charity work too, playing Team Fortress 2 in support of various charities.
Considered a titan its genre, The Elder Scrolls is a fantasy role-playing series that consists of five entries (Not including its spin-offs) set in the fictional world of Tamriel, a land rich with diverse cultures and rich lore, the objective of the same, your character begins imprisoned somehow (Varies in each game, waking up in a cell, via prison convoy ect..) and must eventually level up via defeating enemies. Eventually your adventure would take you outdoors, where your free to explore, talk to NPCs (Non-Playing-Characters) and complete missions and side-missions when you please. Its name derives from the scrolls in the lore that contain limitless knowledge of the past, and the future.
This series has spawned, as mentioned previously, various spin-offs, including game titles but also novels based on the lore of this saga.
Although now considered a mainstream series, The Elder Scroll's first entry, Arena. Released 1994 on PC Its choice of marketing was confusing to its audience, displaying on the front cover a scantily-clad blonde woman, making it look more like an erotic title.
But to those who bought it found an incredible experience that wowed critics, with its engrossing game play and incredible freedom inducing its memorable story not to mention its authentic Swords & Magic style, The Elder Scrolls Arena stood out from its competitors at the time (Final fantasy I, Earthbound) as the definitive role-playing experience of its time.
With its expansive free-roam mechanics and randomly spawning dungeons throughout your travel of Tamriel's different continents, and also many NPC's to converse with and aid, it captured the minds and hearts of those who played it.
Also to celebrate its 10th anniversary, Bethesda Softworks were kind enough to release the full version of Arena for free on its Elder Scrolls website.
http://www.elderscrolls.com/arena/
Simirally, Bethesda Softworks have also released the second installment, Daggerfall, on it's Elder Scrolls website also.
http://www.elderscrolls.com/daggerfall/
(You must have a DDOS emulator to play these games)
Skyrim is the fifth and latest installment in the Elder Scrolls Franchise Available on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3, the story is still set in the land of Tamriel, yet now based in the northern continent, Skyrim. Home to the Nords. A proud race still full of tradition and honor, this sets the theme of the land you explore, the dungeons you scour and the NPC's you greet.
Lead art designer, Matt Carofano Wanted to create a world that "Very high fantasy, yet still very rugged" by letting the player explore the architecture of this culture, use their weapons, wear their armor, so the player could feel like a part of this story.
The game begins with you being escorted to the executioner's block for a crime that isn't explained. During this, your path is interjected with a dragon, which begins to lay waste to the town. your then prompted to run, acquiring the assistance of another criminal, who eventually aids your escape. After this, the criminal says his goodbyes then leaves. Its at this point the player realizes the massive amount of freedom. Except for the invitation to meet-up with this criminal again, the player is free to explore in anyway he chooses. This freedom is what crowns Skyrim it's glory.
Eventually as the story progresses, you discover your character is "Dragonborn" a human with the soul of a dragon. Because of this, the player is given a set of awesome powers called "Shouts" A new feature which gives the player abilites such as fire breath and the ability to see though walls. These Shouts are improved via finding and killing dragons, a massive new feature in The Elder Scrolls series that is strongly linked with the storyline.
Dragons have been mentioned in this series lore before, but only hinted.
Also, finding and killing these beasts with your powers is an incredible experience. The soul-tearing your character performs when the creature is defeated creates the image of a reaper, whos power grows as these souls are collected.
Skyrim has won many awards, such as "Ultimate Game of the Year" at the Golden Joystick awards and many more.
Bethesda Game Studios has also released DLC for Skyrim. They are Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and soon Dragonborn for PC and PS3 (It has already been released for Xbox 360).
Bethesda Softwork's existence has not been with out some hardships. During these few past decades, Bethesda has had to sue rival companies to secure it's own valuable trademarks. The most noted of these was against the Minecraft developer, Mojang. Which in 2012 trademarked the game title "Scrolls" to which Bethesda's patent company ZeniMax media replied with a lawsuit claiming Mojang infringed on their Trademark, "The Elder Scrolls"
Mojang is the creator of the Indie game Minecraft, created by Markus "Notch" Persson.
Logo design for Mojang's "Scrolls" Videogame.
Despite baring no similarities to each other in game play mechanics, or concept, Bethesda claimed it created confusion with their best-selling title, "The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim"
Excerpt of ingame footage of "Scrolls"
Excerpt of ingame footage of "The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim"
Markus "Notch" Persson suggested the lawsuit be settled via a multiplayer deathmatch game of Quake 3, as a jest to ZeniMax effectively buying out id Software, the studio responsible for creating the Quake franchise. Zenimax declined.
ZeniMax effectively dropped the lawsuit, on the conditions that Mojang use the "Scrolls" name only for this game, which means a sequel is not allowed, or follow-up content like merchandise.
Another major win for Bethesda was over the rights of the "Fallout" Trademark.
Interplay, (The original creators of the Fallout franchise) disputed that they still had some claim to this trademark, despite selling all Fallout intellectual properties to Bethesda in April 2007, This conditionally licensed Interplay, with certain trademark rights to create a Fallout MMO (On the condition that Interplay collected $30 million to finance it, and Commenced work by April 2009)
Unfortunately, Interplay failed to secure either of these objectives, defaulting the all intellectual rights back to Bethesda. ZeniMax payed Interplay $2 million "As consideration in the settlement".
Originally created by Interplay Entertainment, Bethesda bought the intellectual rights to the brand to release in 2008 "Fallout 3" on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. This title was made as a direct equal to Interplay's first two main entries.
Promotional art for ZeniMax's "Fallout 3"
The game built on Interplay's foundations, America was in amidst 1920's esqe lifestyle, until a nuclear war forced it's population to hide in nuclear shelters build underground. This is where the game takes off. Your character is rejected from this "Vault" community and must survive in the newly named "Wasteland" by any means possible. This unique game play is also accompanied by a story too, as you come to find out that your father (Voiced by Liam Nesson, Taken) has also left your vault, leaving clues as to his whereabouts Its up to the player to traverse this landscape to find him, while meeting NPC's who will either help you in return for a you completing a favor for them. or hinder you, in most cases shoot you on sight. Some characters have been severely altered by this landscape, while others appear uninflected by the wasteland. Talking to these characters usually opens up some back story,
This "Ghoul" Was the subject of extended radiation poisoning.
In game scene of the player roaming the wasteland, encountering a hostile.
Developed by ZeniMax subsidiary, Obsidian Entertainment released in 2010 Oct, Fallout new Vegas was a sequel to Fallout 3 but based on the story of another character. Now set in Post-apocalyptic Nevada several years after its predecessor The player now takes the role of "The Courier" Whos job it is to deliver important packages for others. On this job, he is intercepted by an anonymous gangster, who steals this package, shoots the player and then leaves him for dead. The game play starts when the player is recovered by a friendly doctor, who eventually heals the player and sends him on his way.
Promotional art for ZeniMax's "Fallout: New Vegas"
Most interesting part of this game I feel is its intro. Where it strives to create a persona for the player before play, it also gives an immediate sense of purpose, revenge on this character that left you for dead. This I feel is more engrossing than trying to search for your father (Fallout 3 plot) which I feel has become a cliche.
What I love also about this game is its style. Its essentially "grown-up" from its previous attempt to make the player appear a scavenger, and more like a survivor. Also eventually going to the Strip is a memorable experience where its casinos and hotels give the player a sense of a community still existing.
Currently game development at Bethesda Softworks is headed by in-house studio Bethesda Game Studios, currently led by executive producer, Tod Howard. This team was established with the release of The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowwind (2002) and since it's conceptualization, has been responsible for almost every major noted game that's been published via Bethesda Softworks. Including all Elder Scrolls games 2002+ onward, The Elder Scrolls DLC and Fallout 3 and its DLC.
Bethesda Games Studios has also been tasked with over-seeing the new Elder Scrolls Online MMORPG (Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) being developed by another subsidiary of Bethesda, ZeniMax Online Studios, due to BGS's experience with the franchises experience with the single-player game's lore.
Founded by Christopher Weaver in USA, Bethesda, Maryland 1986, Bethesda Softworks (Inspired by its place of origin) Now a subsidiary of ZeniMax Media is a developer and publisher of video games, most noted for its work on the award winning Elder Scrolls franchise, Yet underrated for some gaming milestones, such as the lead developer of the first physics based real-time sports simulator. As of 1990 relocated to Rockville, Maryland Bethesda Softworks now mainly focuses on publishing content created via its in-house company, Bethesda Game Studios (Est.2001). All three of these entities operate in the same building.
Currently a visiting scholar at MIT university and also a technology adviser for both government and industry, Christopher Weaver's credentials include a dual Masters Degree in japanese and Computer Science and a CAS Doctoral Degree in Japanese and Physics. His previous positions include Director of Technology Forecasting for ABC and Chief Engineer to the Subcommittee on Communication for the US Congress, later founding Bethesda Softworks. He eventually went on to create the basis of John Madden Football (1989)
This is a quote Christopher Weaver "I founded Bethesda in 1986. To the best of our knowledge (and Johnny Wilson agrees with this so you can assume this information is reasonably accurate) we invented physics-based sports games. Our Gridiron! football program (for Amiga and Atari) was not statistically based but built to incorporate a bounded system of man-made rules operating within a physics-based world engine. So impressive was this novel system that Trip Hawkins, then President of Electronic Arts, asked Bethesda to become an affiliate and help design their "new" football game, John Madden Football."
"So, the best selling football game of all time was based in part upon Bethesda's design and physics-based approach to its Gridiron! game."
Jeanne (Further edited by Christopher Weaver). (2006-2011). Bethesda Softworks LLC. Available: http://www.mobygames.com/company/bethesda-softworks-llc. Last accessed 23rd December 2012.
Currently game development at Bethesda Softworks is headed by in-house studio Bethesda Game Studios, currently led by executiveproducer, Tod Howard.
