Zenimax just announced that a new batch of beta invite emails has been sent out. Beta will take place this weekend. Announcement says that the NDA is still in place and you should not share screenshots, videos or information with the general public. I guess this answers our speculation about whether the NDA drops this Friday.
What is peculiar about this beta though is that Curse.com has got 500,000 beta keys to give away for it. You have to become a premium member of Curse (which will set you back USD 4.95 for one month) to be eligible to get that key a full two days before everyone else:
Premium Only: February 4th – 5th, 2014
All Curse Members: February 6th – 10th, 2014
This is the first time that anyone else other than Zenimax is providing a way to enter the ESO beta and we can only hope that these types of giveaway will become more abundant as we approach launch day. Here’s to hoping to see a new beta weekend every weekend for the next two months so everyone can experience the game and stress out the servers in preparation for launch day mayhem.
Possible TESO NDA lift on Friday
Youtube channel CVG teased some big news about The Elder Scrolls Online in their The Week Ahead show which you can see here. In the video it is said that they will release something “massively exciting” about ESO on Friday, but they weren’t keen on saying more.
Of course, that didn’t stop the “rumor mill” from running at full speed. There are already many guesses about what will be shown, out of which TESO NDA lift and the release of media beta videos currently sound most likely.
Adding to this theory is post by another gaming web-site, Game Zone, which announced that they will release preview of TESO on Friday. This led many to believe that maybe some new gameplay videos will be included in the article.
While this might be pure coincidence and currently we can’t be sure whether TESO NDA lift will occur this week or not, it is certainly still too early for the Open Beta, so don’t get your hopes too high.
TESO Imperial Edition unboxing
Shortly after The Elder Scrolls Online pre-order started, Zenimax Online Studio decided to showcase the premium package – The Imperial Edition.
We already saw the content of the package here, and the main differences between physical and digital copies of the game, but now we have a better insight into what is actually inside the box.
TESO Imperial Edition will have different price tag depending on the version: a digital copy will cost $79.99, 69.99 GBP or 79.99 EUR, and a physical copy will be worth $99.99, 89.99 GBP and 99.99 EUR. You can check the video bellow:
ESO release date announced for PS4 and Xbox
The Elder Scrolls Online unveiled today long awaited release date for PlayStation 4 and XboxOne – June 30, 2014. Players can choose between two editions: Digital Standard Edition, at the price of $59.99, 39.99 GBP or 54.99 EUR, and Digital Imperial Edition, which will cost $79.99, 69.99 GBP or 79.99 EUR. The physical Standard Edition for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions are priced at $59.99 (€69.99 / £59.99). The physical Imperial Edition will retail for $99.99 (€99.99 / £89.99) on all platforms. Once players purchase the game, they will have unlimited access for the first 30 days and can continue beyond that with a subscription of $14.99/30 days (€12.99 / £8.99).
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TESO pre-order has started, release date for next-gen is confirmed
Starting today, The Elder Scrolls Online is offered for pre-order on official TESO web-site. The game is offered in two packages: Digital Standard Edition, at the price of $59.99, 39.99 GBP or 54.99 EUR, and Digital Imperial Edition, which will cost $79.99, 69.99 GBP or 79.99 EUR.
Click here to learn what’s included in each edition
TESO Cast is an impressive line up of world-class actors
After the long awaited new gameplay video, Bethesda stunned us with another incredible announcement.
Today they revealed the voice cast for The Elder Scrolls Online and, well, there’s certainly more than one actor in that line up that you know and love. On the announced TESO cast list there are John Cleese, Bill Nighy, Kate Beckinsale, Alfred Molina, Lynda Carter, Michael Gambon, Malcom McDowell, Peter Stormare, Jim Ward, Jennifer Hale and Kevin Michael Richardson, among others.
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The Elder Scrolls Online rated Mature
TESO was today marked with “Mature” rating by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Bethesda’s new MMORPG got this rating for having some of this elements in the game: blood and gore, violence and sexual themes, strong language or use of drugs and alcohol.
In a public statement, developer ZeniMax said that they aren’t satisfied with the decision, but confirmed that they plan to honour this decision by the ESRB. This is the complete announcement from the official TESO facebook page:
The ESRB advised us that it has given The Elder Scrolls Online a Mature rating. While we may disagree with the ESRB’s determination, we do not plan to challenge the rating, and we are unwilling to change the game’s content to achieve a different rating. The game we have created is the one we want our fans to be able to play.
As a result of the ESRB rating, we are in the process of promptly updating everything with the required rating and age gates, including game trailers, web sites, and ads. Thanks for your understanding. We can’t wait to welcome players into The Elder Scrolls Online soon.
Fans already started supporting the developer in a decision not to make changes to the game in order to obtain different rating. This way, ESO will be one of the few MMORPG titles to have Mature rating, which creates a question – how will that really reflect on age structure of players?
ESO Group gameplay shown in the latest video
Zenimax Online Studios decided to treat fans today with the new video showcasing group gameplay. In the video, three members of the development team, Paul Sage (Creative Director), Nick Konkle (Lead Gameplay Designer) and Dan Crenshaw (Dungeon Lead), showed how the group content will look like when the game is finished.
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Why would someone play ESO?
In a recent column published on web-site MMORPG.com, writter Suzie Ford gives 5 reasons why players will love The Elder Scrolls Online.
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TESO Beta Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Lately, official twitter account of The Elder Scrolls Online has became more active with the announcements and answers to questions about TESO and plans for future Betas.
Closing in on the official launch of the ESO, which is bound to happen on 4.4.14 for PC and Mac platforms, many fans asked about future Beta plans:
ESO future Beta plans
Question: When is the next beta?
Answer: We haven’t announced our schedule of beta events, but don’t worry. There will be many more events between now and launch.
Q: How to re-apply for the next beta?
A: There’s no need to re-apply! You will remain eligible to participate in all future ESO events. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Q: I missed beta because I didn’t see my invite in the mail!
A: Don’t worry about not having been able to participate, as this won’t affect your chances at being invited to future ESO events.
Q: When will TESO beta start for consoles?
A: The console beta for TESO will start at a later date. When we have more info, we’ll share it here. Stay tuned!
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