Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion: the balancing act across all platforms (except for the Wii)

Posted Mar 20, 2007 at 7:09PM by QJ Staff Listed in: Interviews, Mods, Games Tags: Bethesda, Take-Two Interactive, Ubisoft
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No, the balancing act isn't an expansion. Read on...

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Image 1 


Bethesda's Peter Hines talks to GameIndustry.biz about the balancing act that is The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - from the PC ,the Xbox 360, the PS3, and even Elder Scrolls Travels for the PSP.

The PC and PS3 posed their own challenges. Peter describes the PC as a powerful platform, but "totally undefined" in terms of the hardware that goes inside. For the PS3, it's an entirely new ballgame, very powerful but obviously works in a different way from the Xbox 360 (and the PC, for that matter). While the PC programmers took advantage of the Xbox 360 experience to optimize the game there, the PS3 team had the help of experienced Sony platform programmers to optimize Oblivion for the PS3.

Speaking of Sony platforms, says Hines: release date for PSP Oblivion is still TBC (or TBA, if you're more familiar with that acronym). Since it's a game on a different kind of platform, "It basically uses nothing from Oblivion, it's a completely new game."

In response to GI's curiosity - why did Ubisoft publish the PS3 Oblivion and not Take-Two Interactive, Peter Hines "really can't say. Too much backroom stuff" (Hmm... very intriguing. Very intriguing indeed).

Oh, and if anyone's still asking about a Wii Oblivion, Hines must sadly decline.

It's something we'd like to do, but unfortunately it's not a very good fit with Oblivion. Oblivion is a very demanding game hardware-wise and in terms of graphics processing and raw horsepower. It's not something the Wii was designed to do. They decided not to make the focus on raw horsepower but on interface and so forth.


It's a great console and many of us at Bethesda have one but I know that bringing Oblivion over is not possible - we'd have to do a whole new game.


Guess we can't count on a similar DS Oblivion either.



 
 
 

Comments

by - 2007-03-20 19:42:21
lmao

lmao even the psp is more powerful!!!
by - 2007-03-20 19:44:28
...

I just hope I can put a *****load of hours into this game.
by - 2007-03-20 19:47:48
hah

yeah its hilarious that they can make it for psp and not the wii? Ouch, that thing must be underpowered. Oh well.
by - 2007-03-20 20:00:24
!

aha! all your base are belong to us!
by - 2007-03-20 20:23:23
asdsd

Morrowind wouldn't work on Wii... Go play your Wii Sports suckas!!!!11111
by - 2007-03-20 21:10:40
geh

do you people even read the article read? *Speaking of Sony platforms, says Hines: release date for PSP Oblivion is still TBC (or TBA, if you're more familiar with that acronym). Since it's a game on a different kind of platform, ((((((((((((((((((((((((((It basically uses nothing from Oblivion, it's a completely new game.)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))* not that i even care, the PsP is a peace of ***** ....
by theTick197 - 2007-03-20 21:11:07
!!

For great Justice!
by - 2007-03-20 21:28:06
‘Killzone 2’ Actual Gameplay Footage at GDC 2006

‘Killzone 2’ Actual Gameplay Footage at GDC 2006 is actually available online!!! This breaking news just appeared in Japanese forums today. I thought I could translate then post this news in other forums, too. (1) Go to gametrailers.com (2) Type littlebigplanet (3) There’s this video file which weighs in 407.4MB (wmv) GDC 07, Customization and Level Demonstration HD Mar 12, 2007 (4) Between 00:01 and 00:17 period, you will actually see the actual gameplay footage of Killzone 2 running in small clip form on PS3’s Cross Media Bar. Because Cross Media Bar can display the content of video files, the whole audience at this year’s GDC actually saw the small KZ2 video; they just didn’t release it because the size of the clip is small. When you watch this video, since it’s a CAM video file, you must make your monitor screen very bright to see well. In this short actual KZ2 footage, you can actually see some gunfights and explosions; moreover, you can also see some closed up facial expressions and ruined cityscapes. (5) OMG. A very short Killzone 2’s actual gameplay footage is actually available right NOW. YOU don’t have to wait until this year’s E3. You don’t have to wait months to get some big news about Killzone 2 like Phil Harrison confirmed!!!
by - 2007-03-20 21:58:41
Nhé

Oblivion rox. But THIS Oblivion wil be a piece of *****. And Killzone 2 sux, BTW. And PS3 sux too. And Devil May Cry 4 will come out to X360. :D
by neok182 - 2007-03-20 22:13:29
.

i dont know what the ***** your smoking but Oblivion was designed for the PC first not the 360. same with all the TES games it was ported to the 360 not the other way around.
by - 2007-03-20 22:31:05
yeah

yeah your right, Oblivion was released for the PC first and then came the X360 version..
by - 2007-03-20 22:39:49
You sux

You sux
by - 2007-03-20 22:40:30
Why does it have to be the same

I dont understand why a DS version isnt available or a wii version. They are developing a whole new game for the PSP - so why not do the same for the Wii or the ds? It seems ironic that he mentioned both that the psp was a totally new game AND the wii cant get a pc port of the original.
by - 2007-03-21 01:04:46
Nope, wrong

Actually, this time around, Bethesda noticed what a cash cow the console market is, and actually developed Oblivion with them in mind, not the PC. This is obvious in many facets of the game, for instance the menu is much better on the 360 pad and there are only eight quick equip slots on both versions of the game (eight for the eight directions of the D-pad, no extra two for the 9 and 0 keys on a keyboard)
by - 2007-03-21 04:00:05
well first off...

im disappointed in Bethesda for making a sony version but whatever is whatever im happy about the psp release... and all u wii people eventhough the wiimote would be a GREAT idea for morrowind i dont think that nintendo would want this type of game on its console
by - 2007-03-21 06:29:07
asdasd

lol. morrowind.
by - 2007-03-21 07:33:45
what

why would the wiimote be a great idea for morrowind (oblivion)? so we could have another *****ty game where you swing the wiimote to swing the sword? you can play zelda to do that. Oblivion on the wii would suck. That's why they didn't do it.
by - 2007-03-21 07:52:32
they can put it on the psp but not on the wii

oviously the wii has better graphics then the psp, common sense, so why can't they get it on the wii. It would probably work better on the wii, you could use the wii remote as a mouse, it would work better. That really makes no sense, I know you would be able to pull enough graphics from the wii, i bet it is just because of contracts. Sony and Microsoft convinced the company to not make it on the wii, even though it is selling the fastest of all three nexgen consoles.
by neok182 - 2007-03-21 08:51:21
.

Yes they did make it for both platforms. but it wasn't ported to the PC it was made at the same time so instead of making 2 versions they made one for both but originally at the first stages it was developed for the PC then shortly after they decided to make it a 360 as well since it's not that difficult to bring a PC game to the 360 or vice-versa. And yes like the quick equip they left it the same in both versions so that they didn't have to re-work the PC and have a bunch of 360 users *****ing because they would only have 8 but we would have 10.
by - 2007-03-21 10:24:03
please

wii next gen ,please wii is last gen in everyway.
by - 2007-03-21 12:43:08
!!!

MOVE ZIGZ0RZ!!!!!1!
by - 2007-03-21 15:19:18
best on PC

its best on PC coz the contorles r much better and eair to use there are a lot of mods for the PC version and the graphics are better if uve got the hardware
by - 2007-03-21 16:11:19
.

First of all, the 360 version of OBLIVION was tweaked DOWN compared to the PC version. 360 version has LOWER textures and whatnot. Second, if you read the history on OBLVION for the PSP, you will notcie that they have said that ALOT of elements from the normal oblivion are here. the ONLY thing thats not is the wide open run around in the forest stuff. but the game IS the same. now despit what this dude says, look at the screenshots for oblivion on PSP. looks 100% exactly liek the big console versions. weapons, npc's, all the same. what he means by DIFFERENT GAME, is the main layout of it. it is NOT the same ole oblivion, its different. Third, the WII is nothing but a gamecube TWEAKED. thats exactly what nintendo even said about the console. and no gamecube can push oblivion. the reason they can bring it to the psp is the SCREEN. being the fact the psp is SMALL, they can get away with lowering textures and quality of certain things, and it will LOOK normal due to the smallness of what you SEE. if they made the game on WII, you have high definition tv's that are HUGE, and you will be able to see allllll the lowered flaws of it. so its a bad idea. Perfect example is CALL OF DUTY for WII. look at screens/videos of the 360/PS3 versions, then look at the WII version...lmao looks like a nintendo 64 game. lol The PSP version of oblivion will rock hard. its a POCKET oblivion...it doesnt get any better than that. i DONT expect a full on oblivion for psp, i got that for PC. instead, i want a slimed down version. they said all the magic is there, all the weapons, familiar NPC's...reconizable dungeons...all there. MINUS the open field run around. its a dungeon crawler. and? hell mofuggin yes im there! i sometimes run around in dungeons on PC version for the hell of it, getting a SMALL taste of what i will be doing on the PSP version. look at the screenshots that is all over the web, and in that one game magazine. im impressed so far. it would have been great to run around freely like PC version, but you know what, this is a taste of whats to come for ELDER SCROLLS on PSP. next thing we know, a more fuller version of the ES series hits psp. hell, the psp could PUSH morrowind just fine. yah never know. im anxious.
by - 2007-03-21 16:20:04
.

Oh yah, and the reason the WII and even the DS sell more, is that they ATTRACT you with other things OTHER than a powerfull system. and they are CHEAPER than any other console out. (next gen) Parents would rather buy there kids a cartoony INTERACTIVE system that sucks, then go for blood n guts BAD ASS GRAPHICS. its a perfect sale point. the systems SUCK, but are the most attractive. how many parents bi tch at there kids for playing too much videogames and getting fat and lazy? alot. now how many parents realize that they cant stop there kids from WANTING to play videogames, so why not meet in the middle and buy one that pretty much requires them to get off there fat lazy aces and MOVE AROUND a bit. exorcise. that alone will get alot of parents to hand there money over to nintendo more then any other company. interactivity. We are NOT talking about whats the most powerfull system here. the wii is not strong at all compared to a 5 year old PC. period. the PSP is actually FASTER than the PS2. by like 60-100 MHZ. the PS2 has a tougher graphics card...but it doesnt show by much due to the PSP's small screen. Ima go out on a limb here and possibly get attacked by nintendo fanboys, but the real reason why they are making oblivion for psp and not wii? cuzz they see the psp has more potential to make REAL videogames and not some simulator to get your kids off there fat lazy aces. MORE POTENTIAL, and BETTER FUTURE. (picks up DS "wooo look at me! im touching my screen to play! woopdy friggin do" (all the while ignoring that the game he is playing BLOWS nut sacks.) Its the perfect SALE POINT.
by - 2007-03-21 17:29:48
...

As is your Nintendo DS, young grasshopper.
by - 2007-03-22 10:02:34
......................

I agree with you sketch, in every way. The DS and Wii are just fads. They'll be cool for a while, but die off because of the lack of good games. The wii has zelda and wii sports, wow 2 frikin games that sell. Wii play is horrible compared to Wii sports. My bro's friend Va Chica(asian not hispanic) has a wii and Wii sports and Zelda are the only semi entertaining games out right now, everything else is crap. I went to my local game shop(gamecrazy) when i went to go pick up my copy of oblivion and saw that a lot of the games are games made from movies. We all know that games made from movies suck ballz. TMNT was one of them that i can think of off the top of my head. Someone actually called in for it while i was there, pathetic.
by - 2007-03-25 08:19:21
oblivion

i cant wait for oblivion for ps3 and psp PS my friend has a wii and he plays gamecube games more than wii games
by - 2007-04-05 00:53:30
very big problem

the PSP one sucks and they say they cant make it on wii........... %#!*ing bull !&%^. god save me please.

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