ESO On Consoles

Gedalya

I'm interested in knowing more about ESO on consoles; with all of the scuttlebutt I'm interested in some firm information. Please contribute, especially if you can reference a good article or other online snippet. We know the game is slatted for an XBOX ONE and PS4 release; I've seen varying release dates listed including the following from Wikipedia: June 30, 2014, although this is likely the same vague guess as most retailers offering pre-purchase. The ESO site only mentions June in it's Release Plans:
elderscrollsonline.com/en-uk/news/post/2013/12/11/eso-release-plans-announced

The following article claims the game was originally intended just for PC until Sony pressed for it:
ign.com/articles/2013/09/07/sony-pushed-for-the-elder-scrolls-online-to-come-to-consoles

This post from the Playstation blog answers a number of functional questions about the game; it would be easy to extrapolate similar answers for the XBOX ONE:
blog.us.playstation.com/2014/01/28/the-elder-scrolls-online-on-ps4-your-questions-answered/

Unlike on the PS4 where a Playstation Plus subscription won't be required in addition to the ESO subscription; the following article claims an XBOX Live subscription will be required for XBOX ONE players:
usgamer.net/articles/elder-scrolls-online-will-require-xbox-live-gold

The Console beta, were it to be planned, has not started, nor has sign-up even begun; realistically though, is it a presumption that a beta will even occur on the console? In fact how often do games beta for console? Other than World of Tanks on XBOX Live I can't think of others (but some of you may). A general review of information online suggests there is no beta in the works for the Console; although a reference in the Knowledge Base suggest there is, for what it's worth.

The console beta sign-up is live (thanks @eyeless71_ESO); and can be found here:
https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en/beta/

Also...

METALPUNKS

Can't wait! Great post.

dagnome

Is there a question here or was this designed to be an informative post?

Gedalya

dagnome wrote: »

Is there a question here or was this designed to be an informative post?

Informative; with a request for any information people might have found: which could be a question, as in: "What concrete information do we know?"

Crumpy

How will console people "WTS....." etc?

Etchesketch

Crumpy wrote: »

How will console people "WTS....." etc?

Same way everyone else does.

Crumpy

Hmm most consolers I know don't have a keyboard much less know how to operate one - that last bit was a joke.

Etchesketch

Every single person in my friends list has a keyboard and a mic.

Even if you don't have a keyboard, they have one from the controller, it's just slower to do. Like texting.

Gedalya

Crumpy wrote: »

Hmm most consolers I know don't have a keyboard much less know how to operate one - that last bit was a joke.

I'll just leave this here...

Crumpy

Wow not seen that that's like the future right there right now!

Colourful too.

Etchesketch

Console gaming has come a long way....

In fact about my only hope left on this game is the console versions. It looks to me like this game was built for consoles right from the start. I am already playing ESO with my PS controller.

Everything about it looks like the console version of other pc game ports. Especially the slimmed down UI/number of button options.

We will see. Console gamers don't like subscriptions and will be expecting a better game than they can play for free... so far, I haven't seen it. This game on it's own isn't better than GTAV or Skyrim or whatever, so it will come down to the group experience and that's the biggest flaw with ESO for me. Grouping is terrible. imop.


Also, a ps4 is a much more powerful computer than many of those being played right now.

Crumpy

That's a point, they'll have to sub too of course?

Unusual to say the least.

Etchesketch

Yeah sub just like us and it may not be pretty.

My experience with consoles (I frequent a popular trophy website) is that because of trophy hunting, a game will be really popular for the first month or so and then dies off rather quickly.

Most console people aren't looking for a game to play for the rest of their lives. Subscriptions will be a huge factor.

I am sad to say, I predict unless they iron out the problems in game, the console version will have some mighty upset folk.

I actually think we are beta testing the game for the console version. I am not joking about this. I actually believe this is why the earlier release on pc.

A launch like this would not survive the console community.

Gedalya

Etchesketch wrote: »

Everything about it looks like the console version of other pc game ports.

I disagree entirely with this: your presumption is that console versions are lesser versions; and that the look and feel of ESO, is consistent only with console games.

First, the game posses as much nuance as I have come to expect from other [PC] MMOs. Second, MMOs by appearance tend not to be at the high-end when talking graphics; many MMOs are developed with a broad (technologically speaking) audience in mind (the goal being to accommodate many people, for many years).

Gedalya

Etchesketch wrote: »

Most console people aren't looking for a game to play for the rest of their lives. Subscriptions will be a huge factor.

I have to agree that subscriptions may be a problem for console gamers; I'm looking at you Microsoft. If Microsoft doesn't iron out their double fee structure, once for XBOX Live, and another for ESO, then ESO could suffer on XBOX ONE.

I should ad that this is not the first time an MMO has suffered limits regarding Microsoft's fee structure; Wargaming.net identified it as an issue as they developed World of Tanks for XBOX Live.

Etchesketch

Gedalya wrote: »

Etchesketch wrote: »

Everything about it looks like the console version of other pc game ports.

I disagree entirely with this: your presumption is that console versions are lesser versions; and that the look and feel of ESO, is consistent only with console games.

First, the game posses as much nuance as I have come to expect from other [PC] MMOs. Second, MMOs by appearance tend not to be at the high-end when talking graphics; many MMOs are developed with a broad (technologically speaking) audience in mind (the goal being to accommodate many people, for many years).

What I mean is that this game, like it or not, think it's better because of it or not, is built around console gaming.

I double dip lots of pc games to console version and probably will with this one as well. This game operates exactly like the console ports of all the other games I have played.

It's because console gaming is FAR more lucrative than pc gaming now. Many game companies (good ones) have stopped making PC games in many genres.

They stand to make a ton of money with the console version of this game, far more than the pc version. It isn't unusual for Console games to sell 10 million or more copies. GtaV sold 30 million If I remember.

They are betting on it and we are helping them get the game ready.

Etchesketch

Just to see what it actually looked like, I checked on Skyrim as a good look at it.

ESO has been PC forever and has a built in fan base so should do well against (actually it did) the console versions.

Skyrim
In June 2013, Bethesda announced that over 20 million copies of the game had been sold, of those sales, 59% were for the Xbox 360, 27% for the PS3, and 14% for the PC.

eyeless71_ESO

Gedalya wrote: »

The Console beta, were it to be planned, has not started, nor has sign-up even begun; realistically though, is it a presumption that a beta will even occur on the console? In fact how often do games beta for console? Other than World of Tanks on XBOX Live I can't think of others (but some of you may). A general review of information online suggests there is no beta in the works for the Console; although a reference in the Knowledge Base suggest there is, for what it's worth.

I think your reference to the Knowledge Base is enough of concrete evidence to say that they do plan on having a console beta. And I know of at least two other console betas, Titanfall and Project Spark. The Titanfall beta was so wildly popular that they went from closed beta to open. Yes those two are way different than ESO, but I think that because of the success of Titanfall's beta it will have other companies more likely to do console betas.

As far as the double sub fee for Microsoft, as many have already pointed out, the majority of people on Xbox that will play ESO are already paying Xbox Live anyways, so it's kind of a moot point.

Etchesketch

Same thing with the ps4. You need ps+ to play online games so them saying you don't need it for ESO doesn't really matter.

If you have a ps4, you will have PLUS, ESO or not.

It's not a per game thing.

Gedalya

Etchesketch wrote: »

Same thing with the ps4. You need ps+ to play online games so them saying you don't need it for ESO doesn't really matter.

If you have a ps4, you will have PLUS, ESO or not.

It's not a per game thing.

Please read the initial thread itself; I pointed out what has been confirmed by Sony: You will not need a PS+ account to play ESO, only an ESO subscription:

Quoting straight from the Playstation blog:

Will playing online with The Elder Scrolls Online have a separate subscription compared to PlayStation Plus? — @NathanaelMoner
A PlayStation Plus membership is not required to play The Elder Scrolls Online.

Etchesketch

Gedalya wrote: »

Etchesketch wrote: »

Same thing with the ps4. You need ps+ to play online games so them saying you don't need it for ESO doesn't really matter.

If you have a ps4, you will have PLUS, ESO or not.

It's not a per game thing.

Please read the initial thread itself; I pointed out what has been confirmed by Sony: You will not need a PS+ account to play ESO, only an ESO subscription:

Quoting straight from the Playstation blog:

Will playing online with The Elder Scrolls Online have a separate subscription compared to PlayStation Plus? — @NathanaelMoner
A PlayStation Plus membership is not required to play The Elder Scrolls Online.

I know.. I didn't say that. I was pointing out that it's not a factor. You have to have PLUS to play online games on the ps4, so unless you plan to buy a PS4 just to play ESO and nothing else.....

You will have PLUS regardless.

IE if you have a ps4 and play games online, you have PLUS. When you subscribe to ESO, you will still have PLUS. It's a non factor.

Dunhilda

Think of ESO on console as Diablo 3 on consoles it's going to be better how I know this?

Diablo 3 On Console had better loot and no RMAH

ESO on the Console will have less gold sellers and no bots


No bots = better right? I hope, can't wait for that beta to start.

Etchesketch

Dunhilda wrote: »

Think of ESO on console as Diablo 3 on consoles it's going to be better how I know this?

Diablo 3 On Console had better loot and no RMAH

ESO on the Console will have less gold sellers and no bots


No bots = better right? I hope, can't wait for that beta to start.

woah that's a good point. When they ban your psn, you have to get a new playstation, not just a new account.

Gedalya

Etchesketch wrote: »

I know.. I didn't say that. I was pointing out that it's not a factor. You have to have PLUS to play online games on the ps4, so unless you plan to buy a PS4 just to play ESO and nothing else.....

You will have PLUS regardless.

As an after thought, your right; I was thinking about how online play worked for the PS3 back when it launched, prior to their premium changes. In any event the Sony model is still superior; unlike the Microsoft model it recognizes that in fact not all gamers will be playing a heavy selection of online games; sufficient to require an XBOX Live/PS+ subscription, or even a month to month for a particular game.

It would also be nice further if they [Microsoft] recognized that not all gamers want a Kinect.

Etchesketch

Gedalya wrote: »

It would also be nice further if they [Microsoft] recognized that not all gamers want a Kinect.

So glad Sony's version is pretty much /fail

Dunhilda

Gedalya wrote: »

Etchesketch wrote: »

Same thing with the ps4. You need ps+ to play online games so them saying you don't need it for ESO doesn't really matter.

If you have a ps4, you will have PLUS, ESO or not.

It's not a per game thing.

Please read the initial thread itself; I pointed out what has been confirmed by Sony: You will not need a PS+ account to play ESO, only an ESO subscription:

Quoting straight from the Playstation blog:

Will playing online with The Elder Scrolls Online have a separate subscription compared to PlayStation Plus? — @NathanaelMoner
A PlayStation Plus membership is not required to play The Elder Scrolls Online.

So you're going to get a PS4 only for ESO to make use of the no PS+?

Read what he said again and more clearly thinking about other online games
If you have a ps4, you will have PLUS, ESO or not.

If you have a PS4 and own another game like CoD YOU will have PS+ regardless of ESO


Let's say PS+ cost you $5 a month and now you own ESO that's $20 a month
Unless you own a PS4 Just for ESO it will cost you $20 a month regardless


We know PS+ isn't required but that doesn't matter we will still have to pay PS+ for other games.

Etchesketch

Gedalya wrote: »

Etchesketch wrote: »

I know.. I didn't say that. I was pointing out that it's not a factor. You have to have PLUS to play online games on the ps4, so unless you plan to buy a PS4 just to play ESO and nothing else.....

You will have PLUS regardless.

As an after thought, your right; I was thinking about how online play worked for the PS3 back when it launched, prior to their premium changes. In any event the Sony model is still superior; unlike the Microsoft model it recognizes that in fact not all gamers will be playing a heavy selection of online games; sufficient to require an XBOX Live/PS+ subscription, or even a month to month for a particular game.

It would also be nice further if they [Microsoft] recognized that not all gamers want a Kinect.

Yeah, I bet a lot of ps3 users don't even realize that PLUS is pretty much required now on PS4, since it isn't on the ps3 in any way.

Gedalya

Etchesketch wrote: »

So glad Sony's version is pretty much /fail

So much fail. The XBOX One has been non-stop problems:

Developer complaints
Customer complaints

And the PS4's sales figures speak for themselves; further considering ESO will only be on consoles because of Sony's intervention; well, thank you Sony.

Etchesketch

There are some conversations about it on console gaming forums, but really not as much as I would have thought.

I think a lot of people are waiting to see the trophy list.

METALPUNKS

I actually believe eso will be better on console. Currently I play eso on my ps4 controller and I have to say I like it better than K&B. I will say voice communication has me worried.

FezzikVizzini

Well, if you a crafter especially, ESO will be a total disaster on a console. Can you imagine the time it will take to organise crafting materials in the stupid list inventory ? It takes a ridiculous amount of time with a mouse to click and transfer to alts etc, but to have to scroll through a list with a controller ? Nope, just ain't going to work.