The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim • Eurogamer.net

There's a Fallout and Skyrim concert for War Child UK

Get tickets before they ar-gonian.

Is there anything more spine-tingling than loading up Skyrim to hear those ominous chants? Now imagine that with a live choir, in London's Hammersmith Apollo, all in the name of charity. Oh - and with some epic Fallout music thrown into the mix too.

Award-winning Skyrim mod Enderal coming to Steam

Headed to store sh-elves.

Had enough of Skyrim ports? Can't quite hold on until the next Elder Scrolls game? Don't worry, modders have your back - and you can now play one of their best creations without ever leaving Steam. Hooray!

A mortgage broker worked out the real world cost of a house in Skyrim

First-time-buyer!

In the real world, house prices are so high that owning your own home is a pipedream for millions.

Todd Howard reveals "by far the greatest thing" Bethesda Game Studios does

"It's a very private thing."

Bethesda Games Studios, maker of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout games, tends to be a pretty secretive place. We won't hear anything for ages and then announcements for Fallout: 76, Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 come along at once and everybody frantically starts planning time off work.

Yes, Todd Howard and team have settled on The Elder Scrolls 6's region

"You can rule some things in. And you can rule some things out."

When Todd Howard announced The Elder Scrolls 6 at the end of Bethesda's E3 show, the message was clear: we're working on the game but it's a very long way away. We saw a very brief trailer of a mountainous, coastal environment, and then a logo, and that was it.

FeatureThe allure of medieval weaponry

The sword cuts many ways.

Glaives, pikes, bardiches, halberds, partisans, spears, picks and lances. Javelins, arbalests, crossbows, longbows, claymores, zweih�nder, broadswords and falchions. Flails, clubs, morning stars, maces, war hammers, battle axes and, of course, longswords. If you ever played a fantasy RPG or one of many historically-themed action or strategy games, you'll already be familiar with an impressive array of medieval weaponry. The medieval arsenal has had an enormous impact on games since their early days, and their ubiquity makes them seem like a natural, fundamental part of many virtual worlds.

FeatureThe constant quest to be nosy

Why curiosity rewards the cat.

You're sitting in someone else's house. You can't help but look around briefly at your surroundings. Ooh, that looks like an interesting selection of books in the bookcase and what's that pad of paper in the corner for? I wonder what that ornament on the cabinet represents. Is there a story behind it? Then the person you're visiting leaves the room for a minute. There's a strong urge to look far more closely, isn't there? A completely inappropriate part of your brain would love to open a cupboard, just to see what's behind the door. Not for nefarious reasons, of course. I couldn't even say why it's so appealing. Is it just the fact that you can't see behind that door in the first place?

FeatureBethesda's Creation Club: the fallout

Armour up.

It's been six months since E3 2017, when Bethesda announced its intention to add a Creation Club to Skyrim and Fallout 4, their massively-successful mega-RPGs known for their breadth of content and emphasis on player freedom. This club would task third-party developers with producing new pieces for the publisher's two marquee games, which players could then buy from an online storefront with real money. While some decried the service as yet another attempt to introduce paid mods to the single-player gaming ecosystem, Bethesda insisted the market for free fan-made content would remain unaffected. "We won't allow any existing mods to be retrofitted into Creation Club," reads the FAQ. "It must all be original content."

FeatureOn the secret smallness of Skyrim

Turning molehills into mountains.

Skyrim's dirty little secret is that it isn't that large. Oh, it remains fairly gigantic by the standards of other virtual landscapes, even next to its youthful imitator and usurper, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. But set against what it pretends to be - a kingdom stretching from arctic wastes to the temperate south, racked by dynastic squabbles and laced with the treasures and detritus of millennia - it's actually pretty dang tiddly, a little over 14 square miles in scope.

Skyrim's Switch release date slated for November

For the adventurer who has not yet taken an arrow to the knee.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is coming to Switch on 17th November.

Nintendo just revealed this release date during a Nintendo Direct livestream tonight.

This handheld version of Skyrim should basically be the Skyrim you know and love, only with optional motions controls and a Zelda costume, complete with the Master Sword, tucked away for diligent explorers or folks who own the Link amiibo.

FeatureThe video game pacifists

Why people play without killing.

Video games are guilty of reflecting humanity's more violent nature at times - and it's easy to see why when our screens are filled with nameless marines and musclebound maniacs eager to destroy every living thing in their path. As in reality, the virtual worlds we inhabit contain a wide array of human expression, ranging from violent combat to peaceful cooperation. Some players are taking things a step further though, opting to lay down their computerised weapons and adopt a nonviolent, pacifist approach to their virtual endeavours.

Skyrim, Doom and Fallout 4 get VR release dates

HTC calls Fallout 4 VR an exclusive, but for how long?

Bethesda has revealed the release dates of its three impending VR titles.

First up there's Skyrim VR, slated for a 17th November release on PSVR.

Next, there's Doom VFR, arriving 1st December on PSVR and HTC Vive.

Expensive scrolls.

Cook & Becker, an art dealership we've reported on a few times at Eurogamer, now has official Skyrim fine art to gawp at.

Mod makes Skyrim play like The Sims

One for The Elder Scrolls 6, perhaps.

There's a cool Skyrim mod that makes the game's NPCs act like Sims.

FeatureBreath of the Wild and telling stories through archaeology

Narrative arch.

Archaeology doesn't get a very good treatment in popular media, and games are no different. The public image of archaeologists is dominated by pulp fantasy heroes, swinging and scrambling their way through trap-infested ancient ruins, one hand clutching a priceless treasure, the other punching a Nazi in the face. Of course, pulp heroics make for much more entertaining movies and games than Indiana Jones and the Afternoon of Context Sheets or Newly-Qualified Archaeology Student Lara Croft Spends Four Years Trying to Get a Stable Job. Even archaeologists grasp this, for all our protestations. Like lapsed Catholics who can't quite give up their patron saint, many of the archaeologists I've known would admit to Indiana Jones being a bit of a guilty role model. While writing this piece I tried to find a photo of my hard hat from my days as a field archaeologist, a promotional sticker from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull emblazoned across the back, but sadly, all record of this sartorial triumph seems lost.

New Skyrim mod lets you explore Cyrodiil's Bruma

How high the mountains of Skyrim rise.

A new mod for Skyrim lets players travel beyond the borders of Skyrim and explore Bruma, the north-most region in Cyrodiil, previously seen in Oblivion.

VideoWatch: Johnny bakes sweetrolls from Skyrim

Doughvakiin.

Pretty much as soon as I started recreating video game foodstuffs in my kitchen last year, commenters have been asking me to make sweetrolls from Skyrim. Initially, I was reluctant - countless others have already given them a go at home and on YouTube, and it meant I'd have to buy a mini bundt tin. Over time, however, the volume and vehemence of the comments grew to an extent that I knew a sweetroll episode was inevitable.

Don't expect a Skyblivion beta or release until 2018

It's like a Daggerfall through my heart.

A new 2017 video shows the ambitious Skyblivion project - The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion recreated as a Skyrim mod - going from strength to strength. Apparently the increased attention has attracted more voluntary help so progress has sped as a result.

But, whew, Skyblivion is taking on a lot. Hardly a small game, Oblivion, is it? When on earth are we going to be able to play this? I asked the Skyblivion team for an update.

"At this point the base game is done," Kyle Rebel, project PR, told me. "this means Oblivion's game has been completely recreated and can be explored freely.

Skyrim mod Enderal gets DLC expansion of its own

Forgotten Stories includes content cut from the main mod.

Enderal, perhaps the best Skyrim total conversion mod around, is getting a DLC expansion pack of its own.

Forgotten Stories is the work of Nicolas Lietzau, lead writer of Enderal, with support from some of SureAI, the group of modders responsible for the mod. It adds parts of the story content cut from the initial release of Enderal, which amounts to 10-20 hours of new quest gameplay, as well as a raft of improvements.

The teaser, below, gives you an idea of the tone.

FeatureThe archaeologists of Skyrim

Meet the players trying to bring Tamriel's lost history to life.

In the dank underbelly of Riften, through the sewers that service the town and into the dripping cistern that the Thieves Guild calls home, is a man called Rune. He rises at 8am, stands about for most of the day until 10pm, and then goes to practise with his dagger on a dummy for a few hours until bedtime.

You'll soon be able to play Fallout, Skyrim and Doom pinball

UPDATE: Here's what each table looks like.

UPDATE 19/11/2016 12.14am: Bethesda has confirmed that the mobile versions of Bethesda Pinball will be out on 8th December, while the rest are still on track for the 6th.

Skyrim PC saves that use mods don't work with Special Edition

You'll kneed to start over.

If you've been playing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim with mods on PC (and, chances are, you probably have) then your save file probably won't work with the newly released Special Edition of the game.

FeatureWhat Skyrim had that Fallout 4 lost

And not just dragons.

Skyrim's one of those games that never really went away, but since it's back with a remaster this week, we thought it was time to take a look at the things that made it special - particularly in the light of Bethesda's next release, Fallout 4. Inevitably, there are some spoilers for both games in what follows. Enjoy!

Skyrim mods space is 1GB on PS4, but 5GB on Xbox One

Yet PS4 mods will be tiny without external assets.

Skyrim Special Edition will be out next week on 28th October bringing console mod support to it, but there's a catch...

Skyrim and Fallout 4 will receive mod support on PS4

Along with PS4 Pro graphic upgrades.

Skyrim Special Edition and Fallout 4 will both receive mod support on PS4, publisher Bethesda has announced.

There's a Skyrim concert coming to London, but...

Composer Jeremy Soule disapproves, urges folks to "be wary".

Bethesda Softworks is putting on an orchestral concert dedicated to the tunes of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

FeatureThe Skyrim mod to Enderal

If you're impatient for a new Elder Scrolls, this long-awaited mod should do the trick.

This all seems mighty familiar. The sun splits the trees to my right while long sprawling shadows are cast over the lake; fireflies flutter overhead, close enough to be plucked out of the air; a nearby waterfall cascades from a river hundreds of feet above.

FeaturePutting the magic back into magic in fantasy games

On the fantasy authors and ideas about sorcery game designers could learn from.

There are few things less surprising about most fantasy games than how they portray magic, which is a pretty depressing state of affairs given that magic is, by definition, the art of doing the impossible. The impossible, it turns out, has a fairly limited set of applications. By and large, it means hitting foes with elementally-flavoured balls of fire, turbo-charging your stats or zapping wounded allies back to fighting fitness, in accordance with a collection of tactical rule sets derived from the works of Tolkien via Dungeons and Dragons.

Skyrim total conversion mod Enderal gets a release date, looks great

Completely new setting, new mechanics, new story!

It is made from The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim parts but its story, its setting and its mechanics are all built anew - the free total conversion mod Enderal is finally ready to be released.

"The German version will be activated on July 1-3rd," tweeted maker SureAI (via Reddit). "The English version will be released one or two weeks later."

Enderal is a total conversion mod that has been five years in the making, with planning beginning a month before Skyrim was even released. A team of 14 people have put it together, coordinated from Munich, Germany. It's the same team that made The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion mod Nehrim - indeed, Enderal is a sequel to Nehrim, not that you need to have played it.

What could they be?

Don't expect The Elder Scrolls 6 for a while. Developer Bethesda Game Studios still has a couple of other "major projects" on the docket before it returns to its beloved open-world fantasy series.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim remaster announced

UPDATE: Saves will transfer on PC. Special Edition a free upgrade if you own all DLC or Legendary Edition on Steam.

UPDATE 2: It's confirmed that saves will transfer between vanilla Skyrim and Skyrim: Special Edition on PC.

Bethesda VP of PR and marketing Pete Hines confirmed the following on Twitter:

UPDATE: Bethesda has announced that if you own Skyrim on Steam and all its downloadable content, or if you own the Legendary Edition, you'll be upgraded to the Special Edition for free.

It's this week's Eurogamer Show.

It feels strange to say it again so soon, but E3 is nigh once more. As per usual, the rumour mill has been working full tilt in the run up to the conference, even if this year's rumours have been dominated by what won't be at the show as much as what will.

Skyrim remaster, Prey 2, Wolfenstein 2, Evil Within 2 rumoured for E3

Dragon you back for more.

A PlayStation 4 and Xbox One remaster of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is rumoured to be announced at Bethesda's E3 conference this Sunday, 12th June. We'll be reporting from it live; check our E3 2016 guide for conference timings.

Eurogamer understands this rumour to be true, and we've also heard Bethesda will announce The Evil Within 2, Wolfenstein 2 and re-announce Prey 2 during the conference.

The Skyrim remaster rumours originate from reputable industry insider Shinobi602, as well as another apparent insider posting on NeoGAF as Enter the Dragon Punch.

Made in Solitude?

A big (4GB) fan-made modification for The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, that overhauls cities and even adds new settlements, has arrived after nearly three-and-a-half years' work.

VideoWatch: Our best (and worst) game bugs

The Eurogamer show returns.

Earlier this week you might have seen Wes' post about hitting a potentially game-breaking bug after 91 hours spent playing Fallout 4.

FeatureWhat keeps modders modding?

The story of SureAI, the team rebuilding Skyrim for free.

In 2006, the Bethesda Games Studios team that brought fantasy RPG The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion to life comprised over 300 people. In 2013, in an interview prior to the launch of Watch_Dogs, Ubisoft managing director Pauline Jacquey said that a typical open world action game requires between 400 and 600 staff to make it happen. In 2012, Warren Spector claimed "over 700 people around the world" were working on his then upcoming project Epic Mickey 2. Big games require big studios, it seems.

VideoWatch: The worst jobs we've had in games

Start > Options > Quit.

Sometimes video game characters fall on hard times and, despite being the hero / heroine of the kingdom / world, they have to take a part-time job. These jobs (much like some of the part-time ones I've had in the past) are frequently mind numbing and occasionally demeaning.

Skywind: See new Morrowind voice acting in Skyrim's engine

It's pretty good.

The fascinating community project to recreate beloved Elder Scrolls game Morrowind in Skyrim's engine has progress to share.

Oblivion in the Skyrim engine: new videos show good Skyblivion progress

Community project could use your help.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion modded into the The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim engine? Skyblivion is a voluntary project that fans of The Elder Scrolls games have been plugging away at for a while now.

Decorate your home with a life-sized Dragonborn bust

Ob! Jay! Dah!

There are few things more impressive to a guest in your home than being confronted by the life-sized head and shoulders of a video game character. If you agree with that statement then prepare your bank account for a beating.

VideoVideo: Video game horses and times they have been acceptable

Unstable relationship.

It's bank holiday Monday, a day on which all the bankers are allowed to come out from behind their side of the counter and roam the countryside for a few hours. At least I think that's how it works.

VideoVideo: Not paying for mods, Silent Hills and Black Ops 3 - The Eurogamer Show #6

Fus ro damn, we need to rethink this mod thing.

Well, look at that. Another week draws to a close, meaning it's time for another episode of The Eurogamer Show.

FeatureSpider senseless: The plight of the arachnophobic video game player

How players are using games to address and overcome their fear.

Spiders weren't always an issue for modder Cory Ferrier. Before the age of seven, they hadn't bothered him whatsoever, until an unfortunate encounter at the zoo kickstarted his condition. He's now in his late teens and although not something he'd consider 'crippling', his fear extends to similar insects like crickets and cockroaches. As he suggests, the onset of his phobia has negatively impacted his enjoyment of video games - particularly against the increasingly realistic depictions modern technology throws at him. Role-playing games are playgrounds of constant torment.

Bethesda removes paid mods in Skyrim

UPDATE: Valve is refunding all mod purchases.

UPDATE 28/04/2015 1.22am: Valve has stated that it will offer full refunds on all Skyrim mods purchased in the few days paid mods were available.

Gabe Newell responds to paid mods controversy

"You need a more robust Valve-is-evil hypothesis."

Valve boss Gabe Newell has addressed concerns over the company's move to allow paid-for mods on Steam.

VideoVideo: Paying for mods, Returning to Skyrim, and Conker's Big Reunion - The Eurogamer Show #5

Yes, we're in the park again.

Can you believe The Eurogamer Show is five* already? Me neither. They grow up so fast!

A paid Skyrim Steam Workshop mod has already been pulled

UPDATE: Modder livid Valve won't remove their work entirely.

UPDATE 25/04/2015 1.20am: Fishing mod Art of the Catch creator Chesko is furious at Valve for not removing their mod from the Steam Workshop entirely after they requested it be taken down and offered refunds to everyone who purchased it.

Steam Workshop now allows modders to sell their work

UPDATE: Skyrim modders keep 25% of sale price. More...

UPDATE 24TH APRIL: There were a few things that came to light surrounding the announcement yesterday.

VideoVideo: What games taught me about parenting

Please don't call social services.

I'm engaged to be married (hooray!) which, if social convention is anything to go by, means my fianc�e and I are probably due a conversation about having kids at some point. God I hope she never reads this.

QuakeCon 2014 sale begins with Dishonored for �6.79

A real Corvo-sation starter.

QuakeCon 2014 is under way in Texas and there's a Bethesda game sale running on Steam and (partly) Xbox Live to celebrate.

This is a video of Skyblivion, which is Oblivion in Skyrim

TES thing, TES thing.

Ever wondered what The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion would look built in the newer Skyrim engine? Wonder no more! Skyblivion is what you're looking for.

FeatureReturn to Skyrim

Why, over two years on, Bethesda's open world remains as fresh as ever.

How often have you gone back to a game you thought you'd exhausted, only to find it full of prospects and potential? In a fallow period for vast open-world RPGs, a lazy visit to see my Skyrim house opened more than furniture filled with hard-earned goodies. Nostalgia took hold and prompted a look at my open quests list, and from there I was picking up the threads of a game that had laid dormant for a good 18 months.

These are the most popular games on Steam - report

But a huge 37% of all owned games remain unplayed.

The most popular games on dominant PC download platform Steam are Valve's, with Dota 2 revelling in an estimated 25.9 million owners, and Team Fortress 2 an estimated 20.3 million owners.

Xbox Spring Sale sees AC4, Skyrim, Borderlands DLC up to 75% off

Telltale's Walking Dead, Dishonored add-ons also cheap.

Microsoft has launched a range of discounts on Xbox 360 games and DLC that will last until next Tuesday, 21st April.

Video Games Live concerts headed to London, Manchester this November

Skyrim, Warcraft, Street Fighter, Sonic and Kingdom Hearts music included.

The popular Video Games Live symphonic concert tour returns to the UK in 2014 and includes a London date for the first time in six years.

Omni competitor Cyberith demos its omnidirectional treadmill with Skyrim

Virtualizer lets you jump and doesn't require special shoes.

German tech company Cyberith has released a video demonstrating how its omnidirectional treadmill, the Virtualizer, works when combined with the Oculus Rift, two Wii remotes, and Skyrim.

Bethesda lists Skyrim for PS4 and Xbox One

UPDATE: It was a website error.

UPDATE: Bethesda has explained the sighting as a website error.

Fan-made Morrowind remake is shaping up nicely

Has over 70 collaborators, but is still recruiting.

Last month we took a look at Skywind, the fan-made Morrowind remake in the Skyrim Engine, and now the 70-plus person team behind the mammoth mod has released its first dev diary detailing the sorts of enhancements its making to Bethesda's 2002 open-world epic.

It's the last day of the Steam Sale

"And we've brought back the most popular deals."

Got any money left? It's the last day of the venerated Steam Sale, dubbed "Encore Day", for which the most popular deals have been brought back.

Fear the toot of Thomas the Tank Engine in Skyrim

Steamborn.

And its true nature was revealed: Thomas the Tank Engine, a hero to millions of children across the world, terrorising the poor people of Skyrim.

It's Morrowind in the Skyrim engine

Elder hell?

Skywind, the Morrowind remake in the Skyrim engine, is ready to download and play.

Skyrim Falskaar mod-maker lands a games job

But not at Bethesda.

Remember Alexander J. Velicky? He's the young guy who spent 2000 hours making that huge Skyrim mod Falskaar. Why did he do that? He wanted a job at Bethesda.

Bethesda: "The time for convincing publishers and developers to support Wii U has long passed"

"Pick the consoles that have the games you want to play."

Skyrim and Fallout maker Bethesda has gone on the record to say it's not making any games for Nintendo platforms.

Jeremy Soule: "Pac-Man will eat Mark Zuckerberg's lunch"

Elder Scrolls composer says "video gaming is the future of social media".

Jeremy Soule, the celebrated Elder Scrolls composer and now music director for Sony Online Entertainment's upcoming EverQuest Next, believes video games have the potential to overtake the likes of Facebook and become the dominant medium for online social interaction.

PC Elder Scrolls Anthology bundles everything for �50

Should last you a knight or two.

Got a few hours spare? Bethesda's got you covered with a new Elder Scrolls Anthology pack for PC.

Teenager's massive Skyrim mod took 2000 hours to make

"Falskaar was my day job." Now he wants a job at Bethesda.

Imagine being 19 years old and coveting a job at Bethesda Game Studios, renowned maker of The Elder Scrolls series of RPGs and Fallout 3. What would you do? How could you get this most prestigious developer's attention?

Skyrim: Legendary Edition confirmed

Game and all the DLC for �40.

Bethesda has announced the heavily-rumoured Skyrim: Legendary Edition.

It launches in Europe and Australia on 7th June for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 for �39.99.

The Legendary Edition includes all the downloadable add-ons, Dawnguard, Hearthfire and Dragonborn, and all the nifty added features implemented since the game's 2011 launch, including combat camera, mounted combat, the Legendary difficulty mode and Legendary skills.

Polish retailer lists it for June.

Our friends at Eurogamer Poland have unearthed the Skyrim: Legendary Edition, which is said to contain the core game along with its Dawnguard, Hearthfire and Dragonborn DLC packs.

Skyrim team moving on to "our next major project", presumably Fallout 4

UPDATE: Bethesda confirms no more Skyrim DLC will be made.

UPDATE: Bethesda has confirmed what we suspected: no more Skyrim downloadable content will be made.

Elder Scrolls and Final Fantasy are top-five finishers in Classic FM Hall of Fame

"Video games triumph", writes Classic FM.

The votes have been counted and the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2013 compiled. Soundtracks from The Elder Scrolls and Final Fantasy series are in the top five.

Skyrim composer takes to Kickstarter to fund classical symphony

Jeremy Soule, man.

Jeremy Soule, the composer of Skyrim and a horde of other great video games, has taken to Kickstarter to raise the modest sum of $10,000 to write and record a classical symphony.

Tropical Skyrim mod waves goodbye to snow, hello to sunny paradise

Even the animals have been replaced.

Not a lot grows in Skyrim, where snow covers the ground and frozen winds rampage. I'd much rather be in the turquoise waters and lush tropical jungles of Far Cry 3.

16-inch Skyrim Dragonborn statue costs $300 quick get one

Hand-tailored fabrics, my my.

$300! I couldn't believe it. It's only 16 inches tall.

Photos of the $300 Skyrim Dragonborn figurine

Go on, splash out!

New Skyrim PC patch 1.9 "effectively removes the overall level cap"

UPDATE: Out now on Xbox Live. PS3 later today.

Update #2: The patch is now out on Xbox Live, too, which is nice. Confirmation comes by way of The Elder Scrolls Twitter account.

Subsequent tweets clarified that the patch will be released on PS3 later today.

Update: Skyrim patch 1.9 has been released in its final form on Steam. "For console players out there, we're hoping to release 1.9 later this month," wrote Bethesda on its blog.

PlayStation 4 and the Next Xbox are already behind.

Witcher 3 dev says Skyrim's story and quests were "generic"

"I tried to remember five characters..."

Can you name five Skyrim characters from memory?

PS3 Skyrim DLC arrives in a fortnight's time, Dragonborn first

UPDATE: UK release dates confirmed.

Update: The UK release dates for Skyrim's PS3 DLC have been confirmed to follow a day behind their US counterparts. That means Dragonborn will be out on 13th February, Hearthfire on the 20th and Dawnguard on the 27th.

All Skyrim DLC coming to PS3 in February

Dragonborn on PC dated for 5th February.

PS3 fans: Dawnguard and Hearthfire are heading your way - finally.

Razer Edge gaming tablet transforms into PC, console and mobile console

Is this your everything machine?

Behold Razer Edge, a Windows 8 tablet powerful enough to play all current PC games and boasting a nifty array of peripherals capable of transforming it from tablet into home console, mobile console and desktop PC.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - Dragonborn review

We're off to see the lizard.

I've fallen back in love, and it feels great. My romance with Skyrim last winter - has it really been a year? - was heady and intense, but over the months since it cooled considerably. My levelling up had levelled off. The map markers were all filled in, and all that was left for me to do was maybe consider finally trying my hand at alchemy.

My malaise was deepened, rather than alleviated, by the lacklustre DLC so far. Dawnguard tried to spice up our waning passion by squeezing a perfunctory questline into an already busy map, but leaned too hard on a clumsy gimmick that let me turn into a lumbering Vampire Lord who couldn't fit through doors or open cupboards, as if that was a thing I'd ever expressed an interest in. Hearthfire tried to get me to settle down, offering three plots of land on which to build identical houses that I could fill with furniture, provided I didn't mind having no say over what the furniture was or where it was placed. There was also talk of adoption, but the life of an adventurer leaves little room for watching an eerie digital child loop through the same animations and voice clips over and over.

Just as I'd resigned myself to the thought that it was time for me and Skyrim to part ways, along comes Dragonborn and all the wonder, the thrill, the passion comes flooding back.

"Took me four attempts. He's like 15 Legendary Dragons in one."

In today's Dragonborn DLC (Xbox 360) came a quest only sky-high level 81 Skyrim characters could begin: Ebony Warrior.

Skyrim Dragonborn confirmed for PC and PS3 early next year

UPDATE: Bethesda: “We think Dragonborn is our best add-on for Skyrim yet." That's why it's coming to PS3 ahead of the MIA other DLCs.

Update: When asked why Dragonborn would be coming out on all formats when the previous DLCs still hadn't made it on PS3, Bethesda responded, “We think Dragonborn is our best add-on for Skyrim yet, and we didn't want fans to wait long, so that's our current focus. Each platform takes a lot of time and attention.”

But where are all the other DLCs on PS3? Are they in the pipeline? “As noted in our blog post, we're not done with content for Skyrim," said Bethesda. "When we're ready to share more details, we'll update everyone.” I'm afraid that's all we're getting on the MIA DLCs for now.

Original Story: Bethesda has confirmed that Skyrim DLC Dragonborn will be released on PC and PS3 early next year.

He must be feeling Smaug.

Screenshots of upcoming Skyrim DLC Dragonborn have been released. There's a picture of a character riding on the back of a dragon! It's hard to see if this is the player-character, but whoever it is sits hands-free ready for battle.

Skyrim Dragonborn DLC screenshots

Oh look at that! And that!

Bethesda “close” on new Skyrim content for PS3 and PC

“We know it takes us time and thanks for all your support and patience!”

New content is coming to the PC and PlayStation 3 versions of Skyrim, Bethesda has said.

Skyrim Dragonborn DLC confirmed, out 4th December

Confront the first Dragonborn, ride dragons.

Skyrim Dragonborn has been confirmed. This next batch of DLC will be released for Xbox 360 on 4th December for 1600 Microsoft Points. No PC or PS3 release dates were mentioned.

A video revealed the setting as the north-easterly independent island of Solthseim, and that there will be ridable dragons. In the video, a hero character mounted and then flew a dragon, and it looked like the beast was controllable.

The DLC title Dragonborn refers to the first of your kind - a sinister and powerful entity known as the Dragonbeast who wants to return to the land he once ruled, Solstheim, and consume all dragons again.

Amazon outs Skyrim Premium Edition

UPDATE: It's coming to the UK, Bethesda confirms.

UPDATE: Bethesda has confirmed the Skyrim Premium Edition to Eurogamer and announced that it will launch on these shores.

PEGI 18-rated games soon readmitted to Windows 8 Store

Microsoft had a bit of a mix-up.

Some relatively good news about Windows 8 at last: Microsoft won't prohibit PEGI 18-rated games like Skyrim, Dishonored and Mass Effect from sale on the Windows 8 Store.

London Philharmonic Orchestra returns to take on Skyrim, Final Fantasy 7, Mass Effect 3, more

Download Halo track for free.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra has again blown its trumpet at music from some of the biggest games ever.

Skyrim course being taught at Rice University

+2 intelligence.

Prestigious private university Rice in Houston, Texas is offering a course on Skyrim.

Digital FoundrySkyrim: AMD Virgo vs. Intel HD4000 Performance Video

An integrated graphics face-off as AMD's latest APU goes up against a quad-core Intel part with HD4000 graphics.

Digital FoundrySkyrim: AMD Virgo vs. AMD Trinity Performance Video

The laptop version of the same chipset pitted against the desktop rendition.

Next Skyrim DLC is Dragonborn, has dragon mounts, Solstheim - report

UPDATE: Spears!

Update: Spears! Source code reveller Mardoxx has uncovered evidence of spears in the Dragonborn DLC. What next - whips?!

Game screenshots taken at such high quality they look like art

One man's mission to show how beautiful they can be.

Duncan Harris takes clean, artistic screenshots of games at their highest resolution and best possible settings. The results are stunning.

Digital FoundrySkyrim 900p High Settings: Retina Macbook Pro vs. Alienware M14x Video

For all of the state-of-the-art tech packed into the Retina Macbook Pro, these are still off-the-shelf parts available to other OEMs. At lower resolutions, performance can be matched at a lower price-point.

Skyrim Hearthfire DLC hits Steam as PS3 owners begin to lose hope

"It's our problem, and it's on us to solve it."

The Skyrim Hearthfire downloadable content is now available to PC owners through Steam, Bethesda has announced.

Digital FoundrySkyrim Ultra 1080p: GeForce GTX 660 vs. GTX 660 Ti Video

Both the GTX 660 and its more expensive counterpart have no issue with a maxed out Skyrim at 1080p.

Digital FoundrySkyrim Ultra 1080p: GeForce GTX 660 vs. Radeon HD 7850 Video

Performance of the RPG classic compared between the GTX 660 and its cheaper Radeon rival.

Digital FoundrySkyrim Ultra 1080p: GeForce GTX 660 vs. Radeon HD 7870 Video

The creation engine is put to the test on the GTX 660 and its nearest Radeon rival.

Elder Scrolls series a "huge" inspiration for Far Cry 3

But doesn't want to repeat "arrow to the knee" repetition.

Elder Scrolls series: thou hast been a "huge" inspiration to gory tropical open world shooter Far Cry 3.

Skywind: Morrowind recreated in Skyrim by fans

Screenshots and videos show Oblivion being converted, too.

Intrepid Elder Scrolls fans are recreating old game Morrowind using the Skyrim engine.

Skywind Skyrim mod screenshots

Digital FoundrySkyrim Ultra 1080p: Radeon HD 7970M vs. GTX 680M Video

Skyrim's NPC-laden intro is an excellent repeatable test for measuring performance on these high-power laptop graphics cores.

There are 10,000 Skyrim Workshop PC mods

And they're not all clothes removers.

If you can, own an Elder Scrolls game on PC - partly for the performance gains, but mostly for the mods. These fix, alter and improve the games in ways Bethesda wouldn't, or is too busy to.

Digital FoundrySkyrim 1080p Max Settings, Radeon HD 7870 vs. 6870 Video

See how the overclocked 7870 compares against its last-gen counterpart in Skyrim running at 1080p at max settings.

Digital FoundrySkyrim 1080p Max Settings, Radeon HD 7870 vs. 7850 Video

AMD's enthusiast level price vs. performance winners slug it out on a fully maxed out Skyrim.

Digital FoundrySkyrim 1080p Max Settings, Radeon HD 7870 vs. GTX 660 Ti Video

Skyrim's intro plays out on both the HD 7870 and its nearest NVIDIA rival, the GTX 660 Ti.

Skyrim: Hearthfire Review

Constructive criticism.

What sort of Skyrim player are you? Are you there for the story and the Achievements, taking advantage of the game's loose logic to play multiple characters in one playthrough, heading up the Mage's College even as you take charge of the Thieves Guild, and saving the world while playing as an evil assassin? Or do you use Tamriel's vast canvas as a backdrop for your own adventure, setting your own limits and rules and immersing yourself in its rich milieu?

If it's the first then you've probably got no interest in Hearthfire, the new DLC that lets you build houses. There are no quests here, with no story and no definable ending. You may have already posted a witty comment about Skyrim Sims. Congratulations. Hearthfire is not for you.

If, on the other hand, you've already started planning which of your weapons you want to display where, whether to store gems in the same chest as jewellery, and are actually looking forward to spending hours trying to wrangle floating items into display cases so they're positioned just right, then Hearthfire is most definitely for you. It's just not that good.

You pay about five pence per megabyte.

Skyrim's Hearthfire DLC has been released on Xbox Marketplace for 400 Microsoft Points (about �3.40).

Bethesda struggling with Dawnguard on PS3: "This is not a problem we're positive we can solve"

Hearthfire may be a no-no as well.

Skyrim vampire add-on Dawnguard may never come to PS3, Bethesda forewarned overnight - and nor may the newly announced Hearthfire DLC, either.

Bethesda insists Hearthfire development has not caused Dawnguard PS3 delay

Still no word on a release date though.

Bethesda has insisted development of the Hearthfire DLC for Skyrim has not caused the delay of the Dawnguard add-on for PlayStation 3.

VideoSkyrim: Hearthfire DLC trailer

Second major expansion due next week on Xbox 360.

Hearthfire, the next slice of Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim DLC, will arrive for Xbox 360 on 4th September, Bethesda has announced.

Digital FoundrySkyrim - Dolby Audio Processing Technology Demo

From stereo to pseudo surround. Try out this video with your own stereo headphones attached for simulated surround audio.

Digital FoundrySkyrim 1080p Max Settings, GTX 660 Ti vs. Radeon 6870 Video

A maxed-out Skyrim running on the new NVIDIA card up against the venerable Radeon 6870.

Digital FoundrySkyrim 1080p Max Settings, GTX 660 Ti vs. Radeon 7850 Video

Skyrim's intro proves to an interesting workout for our test GPUs.

Skyrim patch 1.7 goes live on Xbox 360 this week, PS3 next week

European PS3 owners have to wait.

Skyrim patch 1.7 launches on Thursday, 9th August on Xbox 360 worldwide, Bethesda has announced.

On that day it launches on PlayStation 3, but only in the US. PS3-owning Europeans have to wait untl next week. The patch is already available on PC.

Patch 1.7 includes features PS3 players missed out on from the 1.6 update, such as mounted combat. It also includes a number of bug fixes and memory and stability optimisations. On Xbox 360 it improves recognition with Kinect voice commands.

The chirpy chirpy cheap cheap.

The annual QuakeCon extravaganza is rumbling away in Dallas, Texas, and Steam's having a Bethesda-related sale to mark the occasion.

VideoMuscle film 300 recreated superbly in Skyrim

"When the boy was born, like all Spartans, he was inspected."

Greek gorathon 300 - a film as famed for its washboard abs workouts as for its cinematic prowess - has been recreated really rather well using a modified version of Skyrim.

Skyrim 1.7 update is now available on Steam

Submitted to console manufacturers

Skyrim patch 1.7 that fixes numerous bits and bobs is out now for all Steam users. Previously it was only available in beta form.

Bethesda also announced plans to submit the update to console manufacturers this week, so it should arrive on those platforms shortly. This is most exciting for Xbox 360 users as several of the bug fixes and updates are directly related to Kinect voice-functionality or the currently Xbox 360 exclusive Dawnguard DLC.

Speaking of which, no announcement has been made about just when Dawnguard will hit other platforms, but vice president of PR and marketing at Bethesda Pete Hines tweeted that more info will likely be revealed about that this week as its 30-day Xbox 360 exclusivity agreement is over.

Bethesda says "we have not announced Dawnguard for any other platform" 30 days after Xbox 360 release

Plus, Skyrim PS3 update 1.7 to include 1.6 content.

Bethesda marketing chief Pete Hines took to Twitter last night to comment on the Dawnguard downloadable content. Fans had expected it to launch on PC and PlayStation 3 this week after 30 days of Xbox 360 exclusivity, in-line with previous Bethesda Game Studios DLC, but it did not.

"We have not announced Dawnguard for any other platform, nor given a timeline for any such news," he said. "If we have news, I promise I'd tell you."

Then: "I was simply stating that expecting/demanding something today is unfounded. Not that news is never coming."

Skyrim beta update 1.7 now on Steam

Fewer crashes, more Kinect support.

The beta for Skyrim's upcoming 1.7 title update is available now on Steam, Bethesda has announced.

The patch will come to consoles next and include features PS3 players missed out on from the 1.6 update, like mounted combat.

Below is the full list of fixes:

At 1080p, the extra muscle of the Radeon HD 6870 proves decisive.

Digital FoundrySkyrim: DFPC Radeon 6770 vs. 6870 High Settings, 768p Video

A distressing lack of much in the way of extra performance at this resolution.

Steam's Summer Sale list leaked

Updated: new and more detailed information.

Update: The list has been fleshed out with additional information from the person who unearthed this content from the Steam registry - NeoGAF forum poster PaulLFC.

Digital FoundrySkyrim: AMD Trinity vs. Xbox 360 Video

PC version on high settings with FXAA faces off against the Xbox 360 build.

Digital FoundrySkyrim: AMD Trinity vs. Intel HD4000 Video

PC version on high settings with FXAA (no MSAA) compared on both integrated GPUs.

Digital FoundrySkyrim: AMD Trinity vs. PS3 Video

PC version on 720p with high settings and FXAA versus the console version.

FeatureLost Humanity 1: Fighting Talk

Robert Florence's new weekly Eurogamer column.

My name is Robert Florence, and we are going to have a fight.

Skyrim expansion Dawnguard out now on Xbox 360

UPDATE: How to access the new content.

UPDATE 2: Bethesda has issued a note explaining how to access the Dawnguard content, and confirmed that player characters do not have to be level 10 or higher to enjoy it.

"Once Dawnguard is installed, if you're level 10 or higher you'll hear rumors about the Dawnguard from guards in major cities," Bethesda explained. "You may also be approached by a courier who will give you a note about the Dawnguard.

"Otherwise, if your character is below level 10 or you wish to find the Dawnguard on your own, you can seek out the Dawnguard headquarters roughly east/southeast of Riften. It can be reached by a small cave through the mountains."

UK top 40: Lego Batman 2 perches on top

Skyrim levels up ahead of this week's Dawnguard release.

The brilliant Lego Batman 2 has swooped down and taken the UK video game chart by storm, claiming the top spot all for its bricky masked self.

Digital FoundrySkyrim: DFPC vs. Xbox 360, 768p High Settings Video

Digital Foundry's �300 gaming PC takes on the Xbox 360 on Skyrim, showing remarkable improvements.

Digital FoundrySkyrim: DFPC vs. Alienware M14x, 768p High Settings Video

The entry level �300 Digital Foundry gaming PC vs. Alienware's mid-level gaming laptop. A remarkably balanced conflict.

Digital FoundrySkyrim: DFPC vs. PS3, 768p High Settings Video

The �300 Digital Foundry gaming PC takes on Skyrim on the PlayStation 3, with night and day image quality and frame-rate boosts.

Digital FoundryAcer Ultra M3 vs Alienware M14x: Skyrim

High quality settings at 1366x768, GT 640M vs GT 650M.

Digital FoundryAlienware M14x Skyrim High Settings: 768p vs 900p Video

The GeForce GT 650M put through its paces on high quality levels at the two screen resolutions supported by the Alienware M14x.

Half of 1% of Skyrim Dawnguard beta applicants received invites

Plus, 1.6 update available for all Steam users today.

Half of one per cent of Skyrim Dawnguard beta applicants received invites, Bethesda has revealed.

Around 75 per cent of the total invitations went out yesterday, Bethesda Game Studios tweeted. The rest go out today.

Dawnguard is the first downloadable add-on for last year's phenomenally successful fantasy role-playing game The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Bertie checked it out at E3. Read his Dawnguard preview here.

Skyrim 1.6 update goes live on Xbox 360

Mounted combat! Bug fixes!

The Skyrim 1.6 update is now live on Xbox 360, Bethesda has announced.

It brings mounted combat to the openworld fantasy role-playing game for the first time and implements a raft of bug fixes.

The beta update is already available on PC via Steam.

Blood-sucking new images to feed on.

FeatureThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - Dawnguard Preview

Playing as a Vampire Lord in the game's first expansion.

In Dawnguard, you can become a Vampire Lord. If you choose to, that is. Hours in, you'll face a choice - do you want to be a Vampire Lord or do you want to join the Dawnguard, the vampire hunters? You'll hear about the new content through Skyrim's guards, who tell you the Dawnguard are recruiting. The content will be available early on in the Skyrim game, but the real meat won't begin until level 10.

In our E3 demo, we're already hours into the Dawnguard expansion, and we're a level 29 Vampire Lord. We're in a tomb with a woman called Serana, who's either a vampire or had a very late night, judging by her red eyes. The quest we activate and follow with her has us summon stony steps to a place called Soul Cairn. It's an eerie, otherworldly place that's almost black and white. Skeletons and ghosts and ethereal balls of light roam around, and lightning strikes around us. Serana, it comes to play, is a very important part of the puzzle to find an Elder Scroll - the main quest - and to thwart the Tyranny of Sun prophecy that will wipe the vampires out. We'll leave the spoilers there, not that we got much further in.

A Vampire Lord is different to a vampire in the normal Skyrim game. You shape-shift to become a Vampire Lord, a bit like becoming a Werewolf, and you can Revert Form if and when you like. A Vampire Lord has two arms and two bony wings that have sprouted from its gnarled and twisted back. It's a devilishly cool look. The Vampire Lord is primarily a caster, similar to how the Werewolf primarily uses melee. The Vampire Lord can hover and walk. When hovering, the Vampire Lord uses magical attacks. When walking - a state changed by clicking the left analogue stick - the Vampire lord swipes with its clawed hands. Holding down the left bumper has the Vampire Lord flap its wings and fly-sprint, and the effect can be sustained for a relatively long time. The Vampire Lord can also walk across water by virtue of its hovering.

Skyrim Dawnguard DLC gets Xbox 360 beta

Sign-up now live.

Skyrim's Dawnguard DLC gets an Xbox 360-only beta run-out this Summer, developer Bethesda has announced.

Sign-up is now open over on the Dawnguard site, though you'll need to have an account for the official Elder Scrolls forums to put your name down.

Should you be picked out of the hat some time in the next week or so, you'll get early access to the entire expansion, Achievements and all, and will not have to pay for the privilege.

VideoThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - Dawnguard trailer

On Xbox 360 this summer for 1600 Microsoft Points.

Beyond what an MMO can handle, explains Zenimax.

The Elder Scrolls Online doesn't look like Skyrim because it can't - MMOs can't yet replicate those sort of graphics on the scale they offer, insisted developer Zenimax Online.

Skyrim gets mounted combat in new update

Patch 1.6 detailed in full.

Mounted combat is the headline addition in Skyrim update 1.6, due out on PC and consoles soon.

As detailed on the Bethesda Blog, the patch will allow both ranged and melee combat on horseback.

Update 1.6 also brings with it a number of bug fixes and stability tweaks. PC users can try it out now in Steam beta, though a final release date has not yet been set.

Atmospheric video teaser a glimpse of what may be.

Will you help fund The Thief, a short film inspired by The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim?

The Elder Scrolls Online's main story is 100 per cent solo

"The world focuses on you - you are the hero."

The main story in The Elder Scrolls Online will be "100 per cent solo" so that you feel like "you're awesome, you're the hero", game director Matt Firor has revealed.

Zenimax threatens Dragon Shout app creator with legal action

A lot of fus about nothing?

The Elder Scrolls publisher Zenimax has taken legal action against the developer behind Dragon Shout, a free map app for the former's blockbuster RPG Skyrim.

The Elder Scrolls Online announced

Set 1000 years before Skyrim, out on PC/Mac next year.

The wraps have just come off The Elder Scrolls Online - a PC and Mac MMO due out in 2013.

According to Game Informer's reveal, it's set 1000 years before the events of Skyrim, with daedric prince Molag Bal attempting to incorporate Tamriel into his demonic realm.

It's Zenimax Online Studios' very first project, with Matt Firor at the helm. He's a former Mythic Entertainment producer whose credits include Dark Age of Camelot.

Skyrim Steam mods hugely successful

"PC mods FTW."

Skyrim Steam mods are hugely successful, new statistics reveal.

Skyrim DLC expansion Dawnguard announced

Out this Summer, Xbox 360 gets it first.

The first major expansion for The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is titled Dawnguard and will be out this Summer, Bethesda has announced.

All we've got to go on so far is a teaser image, posted on Bethesda's blog, but the developer promises to reveal more details at the E3 show in Los Angeles next month.

As previously announced, the DLC will arrive on Xbox 360 first, before rolling out to PC and PlayStation 3.

The 200 Skyrim Kinect voice commands

Kaan Drem Ov them.

Kinect support, like a mysterious stranger, arrives today for Skyrim on Xbox 360.

Skyrim Kinect voice command manual

Picture it.

Nvidia unveils new super PC graphics card GeForce GTX 690

Two GPUs on one water-cooled card.

Nvidia's unveiled its brand new ultra high-end PC graphics card, the GeForce GTX 690.

It costs a pocket destroying $999, and launches 3rd May.

The GeForce GTX 690 has two Kepler GPU chips on one card. Power needs and heat are kept minimal by custom built vapour chamber heat sinks (miniature water cooling) and one central fan. And the whole unit is contained within a snazzy and functional black/silver box - a mix of cast aluminium and chrome plating, and injection moulded magnesium alloy.

Skyrim patch files suggest Snow Elves, crossbows for DLC

Plus, new vampire feeding animations.

The recent Skyrim patch contains file strings that suggest downloadable content will feature Snow Elves, crossbows and more.

Skyrim fan Kerellan poked about in patch 1.5.26 update file and posted the findings associated with "DLC01" on the Bethesda forum.

Included is mention of Snow Elves, a Snow Elf prince, crossbows, new vampire feeding animations, and something prefixed "RF".

VideoThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Kinect trailer

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Kinect support announced, first video released

Free update adds over 200 voice commands.

Gargantuan role-playing game The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim will get Kinect support, Bethesda has announced.

Support for Microsoft's motion-sensing device will come via a free title update due out this month. A video showcasing how it works is below.

Over 200 voice commands are added, including for Dragon Shouts, Hotkey Equipping, Follower Commands, and all Menus (Items, Magic, Map, Barter, Container, Favorites, and Skills).

"Just protecting our brand," says Bethesda.

Bethesda is attempting to trademark The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim dragon shout "Fus Ro Dah!".

Skyrim 1.5 update up on Xbox Live

Should go live on PS3 later today.

The Skyrim 1.5 update is on Xbox Live, Bethesda marketing and PR boss Pete Hines has announced.

It should be up on PlayStation 3 this afternoon, he tweeted.

The new patch, already live for PC owners, fixes a number of glitches and bugs, and introduces a new kill camera feature. See our story on the Skyrim 1.5 PC patch for the notes in full.

But, "consoles are far from dead."

Amid claims the traditional console business is on its last legs and reports about the power of the next Xbox and PlayStation 4, the boss of Avalanche Studios, the developer of the Just Cause series, has warned better looking games on next generation consoles "won't save the game industry".

Free-to-play equivalent of Skyrim in "next few years" - Ngmoco

Games capable of returning on $1 billion investments.

In the "next few years" there will exist a free-to-play equivalent of gigantosaurus single-player RPG Skyrim, reckons Ngmoco.

FeatureAn interview with comedian Dara O Briain

"I would like to be able to fondle the dragon by wearing a glove."

Dara O Briain is the fast talking Irish comedian known to us for his passion for video games, a hobby he sends up frequently during his renowned stand-up routines. O Briain also hosts satirical telly show Mock the Week, and this evening he'll host the GAME British Academy Video Game Awards (BAFTA) - a post he's filled every year since 2009.

Elder Scrolls Online reveal in May - report

MMO set a millennium prior to Skyrim.

Bethesda will unveil its heavily rumoured Elder Scrolls MMO in May, according to a new report.

VideoSkyrim update 1.5 trailered

Bethesda shows off new kill cam feature.

Skyrim update 1.5 PC beta announced

Kill cam added, more bugs fixed.

Bethesda has unveiled details of what to expect from the next major The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim update.

As revealed on the developer's official blog, the new patch fixes a number of glitches and bugs, as well as introducing a new kill camera feature. See the full changelog and trailer below for more details.

Brave PC gamers can download a beta version of the update now via Steam. To access it, click on Steam in the store's top menu bar, then Settings, then open the Account tab. Go to the Beta Participation section and then select Change. Finally, select Skyrim Beta from the drop-down menu.

Writing a brand new Elder Scroll.

My latest trip back to Skyrim didn't start with a dragon attack. It started with homework. Specifically, sitting down with a pen to watch a couple of hours worth of YouTube videos created by Bethesda, with the goal of transforming its Creation Kit from "Oh my god..." to "Oh, I see!"

Bethesda and Mojang settle: Scrolls will be Scrolls

UPDATE: ZeniMax explains deal, Mojang can't use Scrolls name again.

UPDATE: ZeniMax has issued a statement explaining exactly how the settlement will work.

New Skyrim PC update goes live

Bethesda stamps on a few more bugs.

A new update for the PC version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim goes live today, developer Bethesda has announced.

Update 1.4.27 fixes a handful of bugs, listed in full below. Grab it now from Steam.

A post on the Bethesda Blog promised there's plenty more tweaking to come too. "Our team continues to work on new updates for the game," it read.

Bethesda hiring for next-gen project

Elder Scrolls 6? Fallout 4?

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and Fallout 3 developer Bethesda Game Studios is currently staffing up for a next-gen project.

Skyrim success motivates Remedy to stick with story-heavy games

"There's obviously an audience that enjoys story."

Skyrim's blockbuster success has motivated Alan Wake developer Remedy to continue to create story-driven games.

Nvidia GeForce 295.73 drivers better Skyrim, Mass Effect 3 performance

Phwoar - look at those frame rates.

New GeForce drivers (295.73) are out, and they dramatically boost Skyrim and Mass Effect 3 performance.

Skyrim PC patch 1.4.26 beta available, details

Bug fixes, mod-handling improvements.

Skyrim PC update version 1.4.26 is available to beta test now on Steam.

To opt-in, log into Steam, click on Steam in the upper menu, select Settings and under the Account tab go to Beta Participation and select Change. A drop-down menu will appear. On it, select Skyrim Beta. Then OK. Steam will restart, and Skyrim will be updated to the new version.

Remember, beta Skyrim patches are still in development. They may have problems. Back-up your Skyrim saved games first.

Catering to adventurer's knees.

Update: Unfortunately, this app is only available to people in the US.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Official World Interactive Map

Digital FoundrySkyrim 2.03 Patch: Hard Drive vs. SSD Video

Stock drive against hybrid SSD against full SSD.

What improvements are there to Rage texture pop-in with a hard drive/SSD upgrade?

Bethesda: Skyrim DLC to follow different model to Fallout 3

Larger expansions, but they'll be less frequent.

DLC for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will be more expansive than the five add-ons released for Bethesda's last title, Fallout 3, but you'll have to wait a little longer to get your hands on it, the developer has revealed.

2012 BAFTA Video Game Award nominations list

And the awards could go to...

BAFTA has announced its shortlist for the 2012 British Academy Video Games Awards and Batman: Arkham City and L.A. Noire lead the pack with eight nominations each.

Bethesda knew Skyrim could run into "a bad memory situation" on PS3

UPDATE: Bethesda clarifies Howard's comments. Team "coded solutions they felt would work".

UPDATE: Bethesda has contacted Eurogamer to clarify Todd Howard's comments on the performance of the PlayStation 3 version of Skyrim.

Bethesda on Skyrim's viewable Morrowind, Cyrodiil: "maybe we'll use it one day"

"The reason they are there..."

In Skyrim, you can see neighbouring Elder Scrolls regions - and previous game settings - Morrowind and Cyrodiil because a believable horizon demanded it, Bethesda has explained.

Only Modern Warfare 3 made more money than Skyrim in 2011

Skyrim trumped platform exclusives on PS3, Xbox 360.

No exclusive PS3 or Xbox 360 game sold more copies than Bethesda's formidable open world fantasy romp Skyrim last year.

Digital FoundrySkyrim PS3 2.0/2.01/2.03 Patch Performance Analysis

The launch day patch, and both its major successors tested with a 65-hour save.

Digital FoundrySkyrim PS3 2.03 Patch: New Game vs. 65 Hour Save

To what extent can we make lag manifest in the freshly patched version of PS3 Skyrim?

Full analysis of the improvements brought about by this week's patch.

Is my save playable again? This is the question PS3 owners will be asking themselves as they slot their Skyrim disc back in and download the latest patch.

Skyrim patch 1.4 performance tip: make a new manual save

Alteration.

There's a knack to getting good PS3 performance gains from new Skyrim patch 1.4, Bethesda has revealed.

Shared Bethesda community manager Nick Breckon:

To ensure the fastest jump in performance after applying the patch, be sure to first create a new manual save by entering the save menu and choosing 'save game'. You should then restart your PlayStation 3 before continuing to play.

AIAS 2011 Awards winners revealed

Skyrim dominates the evening.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim was crowned Game of the Year at this year's video gaming Oscars, the AIAS Interactive Achievement Awards.

Skyrim patch 1.4 now live for Xbox 360

UPDATE: Now available for PS3.

UPDATE: According to a Tweet from Bethesda, Skyrim update 1.4 should now be available for PlayStation 3 owners in Europe, with a US roll-out to follow.

ORIGINAL STORY: The long-awaited Skyrim patch 1.4 is now live for Xbox 360, Bethesda has confirmed.

It is trickling out across the various territories now.

Voting opens.

Heavy hitters Batman: Arkham City, Battlefield 3 and Skyrim have made the BAFTA GAME Award shortlist.

Skyrim makers create dragon riding, Kinect shouts, new skill trees

"Could it be in a future DLC? We don't know."

Bethesda Game Studios created dragon mounts, Kinect shouts, a werewolf skill tree and more as part of a Game Jam for Skyrim, Todd Howard has revealed.

Bethesda: Skyrim update 1.4 should hit Xbox 360 tomorrow

PlayStation 3 patch "looking good too".

Good news Xbox 360 patrons: Skyrim update 1.4 arrives tomorrow to clean house and squash a huge list of game-wrecking bugs.

A post on the Twitter feed of Bethesda marketing boss Pete Hines earlier today announced that the patch should be ready for Microsoft's console some time in the morning, US time.

"PS3 update is looking good too. We'll update if we get more info from Sony," he added.

Voiced, it seems, by Nolan North.

Brilliant developer Valve has made a Portal 2 Space Core mod for brilliant game Skyrim.

Valve's Fall of the Space Core, Vol. 1 mod for Skyrim

Skyrim gets high-res PC texture pack

Free download available now.

UPDATE: Bethesda has confirmed that a Skyrim PC high-res texture pack is now available for free download from Steam, alongside the Creation Kit.

Skyrim PC Creation Kit release date announced

Plus, Bethesda promises "special surprise".

The PC Creation Kit for The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim arrives on Steam next Tuesday, developer Bethesda has announced.

A Tweet from marketing man Pete Hines earlier today read:

"For our Skyrim PC fans, the Creation Kit is on track for release on Tuesday. And, we also have a special surprise with it. #whatcoulditbe!?"

Skyrim update 1.4 now live on Steam

Console versions being submitted this week.

PC update 1.4 for The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is now available to download from Steam, Bethesda has announced.

A beta version of the patch has been available for the last week or so, but this is the real deal. See below for the full changelog.

Console owners will have to wait a while longer - the patch is being submitted to platform holders for approval this week.

VideoElder Scrolls 5: Skyrim creation kit tools trailer

Upload, download and create mods via Steam.

"I'm not going to pretend that Skyrim doesn't exist."

The biggest concern at Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning developer Big Huge Games right now is you're still playing Skyrim.

PC users invited to beta test Skyrim 1.4 update

Bethesda: "Apply the update at your own risk."

PC users can take an early look at The Elder Scrolls V: Skryim's 1.4 update via a Steam beta that's just gone live, publisher Bethesda has announced.

A post on the Bethesda Blog explained that anyone interested in testing it out should log in to their Steam account, click on 'Steam' in the upper menu, go to the 'Beta Participation' section in the 'Account' tab and select 'Change'. Then choose 'Skyrim Beta' and select 'OK'.

Once you've tried it out you can then post feedback on the update in Bethesda's beta forum.

Skyrim update 1.4 detailed in full

PS3 lag fix incoming, PC Creation Kit also due.

Bethesda has detailed what players can expect from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim update 1.4, due out on all platforms soon.

The headline feature is of course a fix for the lag issues that have affected many PlayStation 3 gamers.

However, there's a long list of other trouble spots which the patch aims to address.

Bethesda role-player gets custom horse business.

Enterprising Skyrim player "zdzichorowerzysta" has updated the PC version of Bethesda's popular role-player by replacing the game's dragons with a character from My Little Pony.

AIAS 2011 nominees for 'video game Oscars' revealed

Uncharted 3 most nominated.

The AIAS shortlist for the 15th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards - i.e. the game Oscars - has been revealed.

UK 2011 Modern Warfare 3 sales lower than 2010 Black Ops sales

Adele heads list of last year's most popular entertainment.

Call of Duty game Modern Warfare 3 sold fewer copies than Black Ops in the UK in a comparable time frame.

In 2011, Modern Warfare 3 shifted 2,814,609 copies, the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) has revealed (using data provided by weekly counter GfK Chart-Track).

In 2010, Black Ops shifted 3,266,298 copies.

The best selling UK video games of 2011

All together, and platform by platform.

Modern Warfare 3 was the best selling video game in the UK last year, UKIE and GfK Chart-Track have revealed.

Skyrim PS3 lag to be addressed in patch 1.4

Bethesda promises fix due later this month.

A new patch for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim due before the end of January will tackle the lag problems currently blighting many PlayStation 3 gamers, Bethesda has announced.

"We're addressing that in the 1.4 update planned for this month," read a post on the developer's Twitter feed in response to a query as to when the notorious 'Rimlag' issue would be fixed.

Last month, Bethesda explained that the development had been working hard to isolate the causes of the problem.

EA footy outing kicks new year chart.

The best-selling UK video game during the first week of 2012 was FIFA 12. It was also last week's final top title of 2011.

Steam shoots over 5 million concurrent users mark

Christmas sale and Skyrim push forward.

Digital platform Steam has surpassed the five million concurrent users mark.

FeatureDevelopers' Games of 2011

Levine! Molyneux! Jaffe! Garriott!

We've had our say. You've had your say. But what about the people who made the games? What were their favourites of the year just ended? Yes, it's that time of year again, when we pester our favourite creators for their reflections and then watch them show us up with their witty and insightful explanations.

Skyrim PC update 1.3.10 released

Adds support for 4GB of RAM.

The PC version of Skyrim now supports 4GB of RAM.

Update 1.3.10 was released yesterday (spotted by Rock Paper Shotgun and confirmed by Bethesda). It patches the gargantuan fantasy role-playing game so that it supports 4-Gigabyte Tuning (Large Address Aware).

It also fixed an issue with accented characters not displaying properly at the end of a line, which should make text easier to read.

FeatureGames of 2011: Skyrim

Wonderful but broken.

Did you know that there's a new Mission: Impossible film out this Christmas? I had no idea until the other day. I assume they must have masses of advertising running for that on TV, in cinemas, online and "outdoors" (I eventually spotted it on a train station poster), but despite spending most of my life hanging off the digital world like a conjoined foetus, somehow its existence had passed me by.

Skyrim is UK Christmas 2011 number one

Ends EA/Activision's 8-year dominance.

Gargantuan fantasy role-playing game Skyrim is the UK's Christmas 2011 number one.

Valve: Skyrim fastest-selling game in Steam history

PC version outsold all other PC games by over 3-1.

Gargantuan fantasy role-playing game Skyrim is the fastest-selling game in Steam's history, Valve has revealed.

Skyrim patch 1.3 on Xbox Live now

Fixes resistance-breaking bug.

The Skyrim patch 1.3 is available to download from Xbox Live.

The patch - already out on Steam for the PC version - improves stability and fixes problems with the Radiant Story system and magic resistances not calculating properly.

The latter issue was the result of patch 1.2, which broke character resistances and made some dragons fly backwards.

Skyrim debuts at four on Japan chart

3DS games hold the top three spots.

The PlayStation 3 version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim debuted at number four on this week's Japanese sales chart, with the Xbox 360 SKU not too far behind at nine.

Skyrim DLC add-ons "will have a lot of meat on them"

Will make the game better, Bethesda promises.

Skyrim's DLC add-ons will "have a lot of meat on them", Bethesda has said.

UK Top 40: Skyrim dethrones Modern Warfare 3

Sales soar 145 per cent after price cuts.

Bethesda behemoth The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has knocked Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 off of the UK all-format chart top spot.

Modern Warfare 3, Skyrim dominate crowded November US sales chart

Halo, Mario, Sonic, Rayman, Need For Speed miss top 10.

UPDATE: Hardware sales numbers are trickling in. The Xbox 360 moved 1.7 million, the Wii 860,000, the 3DS managed 795,000 and the DS 350,000. Sony is yet to offer up its results.

A few game totals have been revealed too. Uncharted 3 sold 700,000, while Super Mario 3D Land managed 625,000. Skyward Sword sold more than 600,000 in its first week, but Nintendo didn't confirm a total for the month.

ORIGINAL STORY: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was November's biggest selling game of the month in the US, according to the latest set of NPD data.

Skyrim update 1.3 available now on Steam

Console roll-out to follow soon.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's 1.3 PC update is now available for download via Steam.

According to the Bethesda Blog, console gamers will get it in due course - it has been submitted to both Sony and Microsoft and is awaiting approval.

Here's the full changelog:

Don't suffer in Solitude.

Graphics card maker Nvidia has compiled a huge Skyrim PC guide to help you tweak your computer's technical performance.

Bethesda refutes Skyrim PS3 lag claims by Fallout NV dev

"He brings up issues we solved long ago."

Bethesda has refuted allegations made by a senior Fallout: New Vegas developer about the Skyrim PS3 game save problem.

FeatureTelling Tales: Skyrim and Dark Souls

From the archive: When the mountain won't come to Muhammad.

Every Sunday we dust off an article in our archive that you might have missed at the time or we think you'll enjoy again. On the eve of Dark Souls 2's PC release, here's Rich Stanton's take on the differing styles of storytelling at work in the original game and another great RPG of the year it came out, Skyrim. This article was originally published in December 2011.

PS3 Skyrim fix in the works, but not for update 1.3

Bethesda: "We understand how frustrating it can be."

Bethesda is working hard to stamp out lingering issues with the PlayStation 3 version of Skyrim, but a fix won't feature in the impending 1.3 update.

As detailed on the Bethesda Blog, the developer is aware some PS3 gamers are still experiencing problems with the game following the recent 1.2 update. It's currently attempting to isolate the cause of the problem.

"We've been reaching out to a number of those users to collect save games, so we can take a look at their specific issues," explained the post.

Project director provides insight into engine design.

In our weekend article on the Skyrim PS3 lag issue, we analysed the performance of the game running from a fresh save compared to a crippled 65 hour game, and then put the new patch through its paces - and found it wanting.

Digital FoundryDigital Foundry vs. PS3 Skyrim Lag

Full analysis of the notorious 'Rimlag' issue and why the patched version still isn't good enough.

Updated: Obsidian's Joshua E Sawyer explains memory management issues affecting Fallout: New Vegas that sound very similar indeed to what is happening with PS3 Skyrim.

Digital FoundrySkyrim PS3 Lag: Patch 2.01 Analysis

Does the new PS3 Skyrim patch improves matters?

How bad does Skyrim PS3 lag get in the unpatched game?

New Skyrim patch, PC dev tools incoming

"Rare, amazing backwards flying dragon" extinct next week.

An "incremental" patch for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is due next week to address issues with the recent 1.2 update, publisher Bethesda has announced.

As detailed on the Bethesda Blog, it will be available on PC first, with console versions taking a little longer due to platform holder certification.

"Among other things, the update will fix issues like magic resistance not calculating properly and the rare, amazing backwards flying dragon," read the post.

But Call of Duty rules all.

More people logged on to Xbox Live to play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim last week than they did Battlefield 3, Microsoft has revealed.

Skyrim patch 1.2 has resistance-breaking bug

And makes dragons fly backwards.

The recently released Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim patch 1.2 appears to have broken character resistances and made some dragons fly backwards.

Resistances protect your character and AI monsters/characters from a portion of harmful effects, be they fire, ice and lightning magic, or things like diseases and poisons.

As it stands, players take full damage, no matter what enchanted gear, race bonuses or perks they have.

Top-marked title out next week in Japan.

New Nvidia GeForce drivers for Skyrim, MW3

And for Battlefield 3, Batman: Arkham City.

New Nvidia GeForce drivers have been released that improve performance of games Batman: Arkham City, Skyrim, Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3, among others.

Skyrim: the first western game to receive a 40/40 Famitsu review

Plaudits keep coming.

Bethesda's gargantuan open world fantasy epic Skyrim is the first western game to receive a 40/40 review score in long-running Japanese video game magazine Famitsu.

Famitsu asks four journalists to review video games, each submitting their own score out of 10. Skyrim, according to Andriasang, received four 10/10 scores, and thus hit the magical 40/40.

It launches in Japan on 8th December for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Skyrim update 1.2 detailed in full

Xbox 360 texture install issue "fixed", PS3 save bug "improved".

Bethesda has offered full details of what's included in the latest Skyrim title update, as spotted by some PlayStation 3 users earlier today.

The headline feature is a patch for a game-breaking PS3 save bug - which it tags as "improved" rather than "fixed" - but there are a number of other performance-enhancing tweaks too, including a fix for the Xbox 360 texture installation issue. See the full changelog below for details, as published on the Bethesda Blog.

The update is available for download on PlayStation 3 now, with a PC and Xbox 360 roll-out expected on Wednesday.

Players report Skyrim PlayStation 3 patch out now

92MB.

Skyrim players have reported that the promised patch for the PlayStation 3 version of the epic fantasy game is out now, bringing the game up to version 2.01.

Users on the Bethesda forum say the patch is 92MB and is live in some parts of Europe, including the UK.

An update is due for all three versions of the game. Last week Bethesda said the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 updates were in certification with Sony and Microsoft.

Keeping it Tamriel.

Here's a small weekend Digital Foundry bonus. Last week we published our Skyrim: World in Motion timelapse, based on 1080p captures acquired from the PC version of the game running at ultra settings. However, before we began work there, we experimented a great deal on the Xbox 360 version which we received several days ahead of release.

Digital FoundrySkyrim Timelapse: Xbox 360 Video

A bonus timelapse presentation based on 360 captures.

Petition asks Obama to destroy all copies of Skyrim

UPDATE: Satirical website Christwire at work.

UPDATE: The petition reported below is in fact the work of satirical website Christwire. It was a joke and we fell for it. Sorry guys!

Accessible Morrowind, Cyrodiil part of Skyrim DLC?

One player crosses the line.

Skyrim downloadable content may take us back to Morrowind and Cyrodiil.

Skyrim PC patch disables RAM-boosting LAA mode

Game runs only through Steam.

Update: Bethesda has offered a solution to game crashing caused by the recent PC Skyrim patch.

If you're having trouble running Skyrim after today's small Steam patch, please try the following:

1. Right click on the game in the Steam library and select Properties

Video game rentals to eradicate pre-owned sales?

Pubs offering Blockbuster "an awful lot of support".

The video game rental market may be about to take off.

Publishers are apparently offering companies like Blockbuster "an awful lot of support" in the hope that game rentals will damage the pre-owned market.

"We have ramped up the rental side of our business and we have got an awful lot of support from publishers," Blockbuster told MCV. "Publishers like renting as it takes away from trade-ins.

Skyrim patch due week beginning 28th November

Will address PlayStation 3 performance bug.

A patch for Skyrim will launch the week beginning Monday 28th November, Bethesda has announced.

The update is for all three versions of the game. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 updates are currently in certification with Sony and Microsoft.

Bethesda PR boss Pete Hines said the patch will improve performance for "long-term play on PS3". This relates to a bug currently making the PS3 version unplayable for some. The bug occurs when save files exceed a certain size. After that point, the PS3 version suffers from lag and, according to some players, eventually becomes unplayable.

The phenomenal world of Skyrim as you've never seen it before.

Digital FoundrySkyrim Timelapse: World in Motion

Digital Foundry's latest video epic.

An enormous world rich in adventure, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is remarkable in that its entire game world - meshes, textures, characters, audio, logic - is all contained within a paltry 3.8GB on Xbox 360. In the age of the 50GB Blu-ray, it's amazing that what is arguably the deepest, richest adventure of the year could fit with on a single-layer DVD with space to spare. Even the PC version - with its higher-quality artwork and superior quality settings - still only weighs in at a 5.5GB download via Steam.

Bethesda's Skyrim challenge accepted: parents name baby Dovahkiin

He's got a "normal" middle name.

Someone did it - a child born on the Skyrim release date of 11th November 2011 has been named Dovahkiin.

Skyrim sells over 3.5 million in 48 hours

Launch units expected to make over $450m.

Superb fantasy role-playing game Skyrim sold over 3.5 million units in 48 hours, Bethesda has revealed.

Bethesda expects Skyrim launch units to generate over $450 million in global retail sales. By comparison, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 made $400 million in one day, and sold over 6.5 million units in the US and UK alone.

Bethesda shipped seven million units of Skyrim for launch. More than 50 per cent of launch units were sold in the first 48 hours, which means Skyrim sold over 3.5 million units in that period.

Big save files causing lag.

PlayStation 3 owners have called on Bethesda to fix a bug currently making their version of Skyrim unplayable for some.

Bethesda working on a Skyrim update for all platforms

"We will fix as much as we can."

Bethesda is hard at work on an update for all three versions of epic fantasy game The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim.

In a series of Tweets to fans, Bethesda PR and marketing boss Pete Hines moved to reassure gamers that an update is around the corner - and urged patience.

Responding to one fan, Hines Tweeted: "Patches/updates take a little time. We can't turn it around quite that fast. It's been three days. Calm down, we're working on it."

Digital FoundryFace-Off: Skyrim

PC vs. PS3 vs. Xbox 360.

-

Xbox 360

PlayStation 3

Minecraft Easter egg spotted in Skyrim

Bethesda hides cheeky nod to trademark adversary.

Bethesda appears to have included a cheeky Minecraft Easter egg in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Digital FoundrySkyrim Combat Performance Analysis

PS3 and 360 tested in action-intensive scenes.

Spot the difference between console and computer.

Digital FoundrySkyrim PS3 vs. PC Comparison Video

The strongest vs. the weakest version of the game.

Digital FoundrySkyrim Xbox 360 vs. PS3 Face-Off Video

The two console versions directly compared.

Digital FoundrySkyrim Engine Performance Analysis Video

Xbox 360 and PS3 put to the test in similar scenes.

Punching dragons and murdering the innocent.

UK top 40: Modern Warfare 3 sells fewer than Black Ops

Skyrim, second, is fifth biggest of 2011.

UPDATE: The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment has been in touch to say the "just under two million units sales" and �83.1 million revenue figures for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 are "unverified" and should be disregarded.

ORIGINAL STORY: Modern Warfare 3 demolished all opposition to conquer the UK video game sales chart this week.

Surprisingly, Modern Warfare 3 sold fewer units in the UK in one week than previous Call of Duty instalment Black Ops.

Don't install it to your hard drive.

Digital Foundry's Skyrim Face-Off is currently in production, and we've spent some time getting to the bottom of the texture streaming problem that's currently being reported and discussed in the wake of a fairly damning YouTube video published at the end of last week.

FeatureGame of the Week: Skyrim

The elder game.

There are big games, there are massive games, and then there are this week's two banner releases.

FeatureSaturday Soapbox: The Madness of Release Date Congestion

It's Viva Pinata vs. Gears of War all over again!

This week marked the fifth anniversary of the release of one of my favourite Xbox 360 games ever made.

Viva Pinata was a cute and cuddly game where you planted seeds in a garden and then looked after the friendly animals who popped in to investigate the trees and plants that grew from them. There were 60 varieties to attract, each more delightful than the last, and as their ranks swelled you could sacrifice some to attract other, more exotic species in their place.

Of course, this week also marked the fifth anniversary of the emergence of another famous Xbox 360 series.

Plus: install to hard-drive if you can.

Bethesda has advised Skyrim Xbox 360 players that clearing the game cache may increase save game load times.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim midnight launch photos

Thanks to Michael Bowles for the pics.

VideoLady Dragonborn at Skyrim launch video

Horned heroine spotted at midnight launch.

Updated with today's confirmed prices.

Eurogamer's Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim review awarded 10/10 this afternoon. To coincide with this, we've collated the cheapest UK Skyrim shop deals.

New Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim screenshots

Eurogamer's review now live.

Bethesda: developing for PC is "a headache"

Hines talks drivers, hardware, piracy.

Developing games for PC is "a headache", Bethesda has said. There are so many hardware configurations and drivers to consider that even the most robust game can come undone at the performance-seams.

Skyrim promises players infinite quests

Howard: "You can play forever."

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim promises players a near infinite amount of quests, according to the game's director.

VideoElder Scrolls 5: Skyrim animation trailer

Spell-casting and sword-wielding action.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Review

Mine. Craft.

We can't start at the beginning, of course.

Bethesda hasn't shown the opening scene of Skyrim's anonymous prisoner at preview events and - if you've been sensible enough to stay away from YouTube in recent weeks - it's one you'll be glad you waited for. Likewise, in this review we'll promise to tread gently around the story of a world that is far too rich to be spoiled in words.

And what strikes you very early on in Skyrim is that the world itself is the story. As you work through the game, the discoveries and side quests that pepper the map become compelling explorations, and the world map that initially appears vast for vastness' sake simply comes alive. Focusing on the "main quest" becomes an exercise in futility - everything feels connected and worthy of its place in the world, even if only tangentially connected to the game's overall arc.

Just three days to go.

Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim patch 1.1 at launch

Game ready to Rolof the shelves.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim will be patched to version 1.1 on launch day - Friday, 11th November.

Bethesda community manager Nick Breckon shared the news on NeoGAF.

"All platforms going to 1.1 by 11/11/11," Breckon wrote.

Skyrim UK midnight launches announced

Game and Gamestation detail their plans.

The London Oxford Street branch of Game and the Birmingham New Street Gamestation outlet both stay open for a midnight launch of The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim this Thursday night.

You'll be able to pick up the game from 00.01am on Friday morning at either store.

The first 100 people in the queue at both locations get a complimentary strategy guide and soundtrack CD, while the first 250 are promised a goodie bag (no word on what's included).

Out This Week - 11/11/11

Modern Warfare 3! Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim!

It's come round fast. The mythical-sounding 11/11/11 Skyrim release date Bethesda announced last year is soon to be upon us.

Skyrim Xbox Live Avatar clothes and items

Pay to play dress-up ahead of launch.

Don't buy an Xbox Live Arcade game, buy some Skyrim clothes for your Xbox Live Avatar.

VideoElder Scrolls V: Skyrim music trailer

Behind the scenes of orchestral, voice talents.

"We've really nailed the action."

There are two dragon-heavy open world fantasy role-playing games on the horizon: Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and Capcom's Dragon's Dogma.

VideoMaking of Elder Scrolls: Skyrim trailer

Behind the scenes doc in Collector's Ed.

Behind the scenes of Bethesda's role-player.

Skyrim dev: Oblivion's setting felt "a bit generic"

How the world of Elder Scrolls V stands apart.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's concept artists have revealed how they went about setting the latest entry in Bethesda's RPG series apart from it's predecessor.

VideoThe concept art of Skyrim

Skyrim PC system requirements announced

Start freeing up some hard drive space.

Bethesda has revealed the system requirements for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

As seen on marketing exec Pete Hines' Twitter feed, they seem like a fairly manageable set of figures from where we're sitting.

That said, Hines noted that the "recommended" specs are good for running the game on the 'High' graphics setting, rather than 'Ultra', so you'll need a little more oomph to get the best out of the game.

VideoStunning live action Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim trailer

Here be dragons.

Bodes well for Notch and gang.

Today's Scrolls victory for Mojang bodes well for the Swedish Minecraft maker, legal representative Sheridans has explained to Eurogamer.

Notch's Scrolls beats Bethesda

For now.

Minecraft maker Mojang has beaten Bethesda in the Scrolls versus Elder Scrolls court case - for now.

FeatureThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Tinker, tailor, soldier, necromancer.

There are dragons! Unlimited dragons, purportedly, and I probably should have chased one of them down in my three hours with Skyrim. Instead, I got distracted by crafting swords. This may not have been ideal journalistic practice, but it does speak to what Skyrim really is, as opposed to what all those dramatic trailers present it as.

New Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim screens

Less than one month to go.

Bethesda QA beats Skyrim in 2hrs 16 mins

It might take you a bit longer.

A Bethesda QA tester has set the early pace for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim speed runs, completing the forthcoming RPG epic in an impressive two hours and 16 minutes.

Leaked Skyrim manual confirms hirelings

Plus, cooking, brawling, prison!

Approaching RPG colossus The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim will let you hire people from taverns to fight alongside you. They're called hirelings.

According to pictures of the Skyrim game manual, hirelings each have their own combat specialities and can be given rudimentary orders by you. You can ask them to wait, to use something, to attack something, to open something or to pick up something.

Friends may also join you on your journey, as they did in Oblivion. You can give them gifts in return.

Bethesda comments on Scrolls row

"Nobody here enjoys being forced into this."

Bethesda has publicly discussed its legal row with Minecraft creator Marcus 'Notch' Persson over the Scrolls trademark for the first time.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Achievements

How to slay your dragon.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim may not be out until 11th November, but its Achievements list has already leaked. The PS3 Trophies will presumably be the same.

Notch's solicitor lays out Bethesda defense

Gamers can distinguish Scrolls from TES.

Gamers are sophisticated enough to be able to easily distinguish between Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls series and Mojang's forthcoming Scrolls game, so say the solicitors representing Markus 'Notch' Persson's studio.

TESV: Skyrim voice cast revealed

Minority Report! Bourne! Babylon 5!

Bethesda has announced the voice over cast for upcoming fantasy RPG The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim.

Bethesda vs. Scrolls case going to court

"Weee!"

The Scrolls copyright dispute between Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson and Skyrim publisher Bethesda is going to court.

Elder Scrolls: Skyrim perk tree revealed

Stem your excitement.

A vast list of racial abilities and perk tree skills available in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has hit the net.

Skyrim gets Mature rating in the US

References rape, includes drinking game.

Upcoming fantasy role-playing game Skyrim contains a reference to rape and includes a drinking contest, the US ratings board has revealed.

Video20-minute Skyrim gameplay demo

Spell slinging and dungeon crawling.

Skyrim Collector's Ed box is massive

May contain living, breathing dragon.

Bethesda discusses squashing bugs

"We have and continue to get better at it."

Bethesda reckons it's much better at squashing bugs in its open world games than it used to be - and it's getting better at it.

Why there's no Elder Scrolls MMO

Howard: "I like this kind of game better."

While The Elder Scrolls' enormous universe might seem a perfect fit for an MMO, its developers have so far resisted the urge to take the RPG behemoth online.

Skyrim fits on one Xbox 360 disc

No disc swapping for Elder Scrolls V.

Bethesda has managed to squeeze forthcoming action RPG colossus The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim onto a single Xbox 360 disc.

Skyrim DLC timed Xbox 360 exclusive

PC, PS3 owners have to wait 30 days.

The first two downloadable add-ons for fantasy role-playing game The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim will be exclusive to the Xbox 360 for 30 days after release, Microsoft has announced.

After that exclusivity window the DLC is free to go live on PC and PlayStation Network.

No further details were offered on the add-ons. The game itself launches in November.

Game denies forcing games off UK Steam

Space Marine, Saints Row missing.

Game has strongly denied a rumour doing the rounds that it has forced some publishers to have their games removed from Steam in the UK.

Same sex marriage in Skyrim

Fancy that.

You can marry anyone in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Bethesda has confirmed.

Skyrim playable character preset pics

Chaps, ladies and lizards laid bare.

Skyrim playable at Eurogamer Expo

Get the first hands-on in Europe.

We're excited to announce The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim will be playable at this year's Eurogamer Expo.

Notch: Bethesda Scrolls claim is "bogus"

"I will fight this for as long as it takes."

Minecraft creator Marcus 'Notch' Persson has pledged to go the distance with Bethesda over the Elder Scrolls publisher's legal claim that Mojang's forthcoming Scrolls game infringes its copyright.

PC Skyrim uses Steamworks

Bethesda evidently a fan.

The PC version of Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim will integrate Steamworks, Bethesda has confirmed.

EG's Game of Gamescom 2011: The Nominees

A shortlist of 10. Winner announced Monday.

Eurogamer is proud to announce the 10 nominees for its Game of the Show, gamescom 2011!

Notch challenges Bethesda to Quake 3

Wants to settle lawsuit this way.

Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson wants to settle the Bethesda "Scrolls" lawsuit in a game of Quake 3.

More Skyrim characters shown

Orcs and Dark Elves, but no more cats.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Marvel at Eurogamer's Skyrim character

Friday afternoon self-indulgence.

We've played Skyrim for a whole hour!

Notch: is Bethesda doing a Langdell?

Minecraft man responds to lawsuit threat.

Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson has gone into detail on the shock lawsuit threat from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim publisher Bethesda.

Skyrim Collector's Edition detailed

UPDATE: Game, Gamestation exclusive.

UPDATE: Bethesda has announced that the Collector's Edition of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is exclusive to Game and Gamestation in the UK.

Bethesda lawyers threaten Notch

Allegedly infringes Elder Scrolls trademark.

Bethesda has accused Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson of infringing an Elder Scrolls trademark.

Hines: Someone will lose out in November

But the crush is "healthy for the industry".

Bethesda Softworks vice president Pete Hines reckons that the intense period of high-profile releases at the end of 2011 is good news for the games industry, but probably not good news for all the contenders.

FeatureThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Playing with fire.

You would imagine that getting to play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for the first time is an enormous pleasure, but let me tell you a secret: it is not.

No Elder Scrolls V Skyrim demo

The downside of being so big.

Bethesda won't offer a public demo for huge open world role-playing game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Carmack keynote confirmed for QuakeCon

No mention of Doom 4 on game list.

Programmer legend John Carmack will once again deliver a keynote address at QuakeCon.

The id Software co-founder and technical director kicks off this year's show on 4th August 2011.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Prey 2 and Rage will all be in attendance.

Skyrim: NPCs the "number one focus"

Bug complaints "fair", Howard says.

Improving the way non-player characters perform was Bethesda's "number one focus" for upcoming fantasy role-playing game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Skyrim: more quests, fewer branches

Quest structure more Oblivion than Fallout.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim developer Bethesda is focusing on telling one story well rather than branching quests.

Skyrim DLC rarer but "more substantial"

Exceptional Horse Armour?

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will have fewer DLC add-ons than Fallout 3 had, but they will be "more substantial", Bethesda has revealed.

Skyrim pre-orders come with a world map

Is "premium quality".

If you pre-order upcoming fantasy role-playing game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim you will get a "premium quality" world map, Bethesda has announced.

FeatureEurogamer's Best of E3 2011

Game of the Show, Best Tech, Best Publisher and more.

It began, as ever, with a leak. With just hours to go until Microsoft's absurdly lavish... Wait a second, this is last year's intro. Oh well, it turns out it still works: where last year we heard about Kinect before we'd even donned our space ponchos, this year we knew about Halo 4 and several new Kinect sequels before Don Mattrick even had a chance to start educating us about "growth and innovation".

VideoThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim trailer

Magical new footage from E3.

New Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim shots

Bethesda brings us our latest look.

60,000 lines of dialogue for Skyrim

New gameplay details emerge.

A few new tidbits of information on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim have sneaked out of Bethesda HQ, including news that the game contains 60,000 lines of voiced dialogue.

Oblivion 5th anniversary edition spotted

Comes with money off Skyrim voucher.

Sprawling fantasy role-playing epic The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion looks set for a limited re-release in June.

Skyrim's Todd Howard: Actors come to us

"You will all be very impressed."

Video games have penetrated "mass consciousness" to the such an extent that Hollywood actors now approach developers asking to do voice over work.

TESV: Skyrim level cap explained

Oblivion was "1-25". This is "1-50".

Upcoming fantasy RPG The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a "1-50" game, Bethesda has revealed.

PC Skyrim "scales up as you'd expect"

May take advantage of DX11 in the future.

All three versions of fantasy role-playing game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim look the same, creator Bethesda has insisted.

Beautiful Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim shots

Weather or not.

FeatureThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Cloud gaming.

Pretty much every openworld game presentation I have ever sat through has included the bit where the developer points to something on the horizon and remarks that you can actually go there. In the old days this used to be a unique and exciting possibility, but over the years the thrill has worn off. Nowadays we just nod politely.

New Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim screenshots

A fine Kvatch.

TESV Skyrim: why there's no multiplayer

Plus: your dragon powers, enemy levelling.

Bethesda does "like" the idea of multiplayer for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - game director Todd Howard said it would be "a lot of fun". But no matter how many times the conversation comes up at design meetings, multiplayer "always loses".

Skyrim has what made Morrowind "special"

Oblivion "sacrificed" it, says Howard.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will hark back to Morrowind and the "wonder of discovery" - something Bethesda wittingly "sacrificed" for Oblivion.

VideoFirst Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim footage

Bethesda dragon-drops the first trailer.

Conceive now to have a Skyrim baby

Bethesda challenges you.

Feeling horny? Bethesda has worked out that today is the ideal time to start growing a baby if you want it to be ready to pop out on "Skyrim Day" - 11th November 2011.

Latest Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim screens

Game's engine shown off in fresh shots.

Elder Scrolls V class system explained

Todd Howard justifies "elegant" revamp.

As you may have read, there'll be no classes in Bethesda's much anticipated RPG sequel Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. A controversial move, to be sure, but series creator Todd Howard insists the freewheeling new system is more "elegant".

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim menus detailed

Designed with Apple in mind.

Bethesda has redesigned the Elder Scrolls series' menus for new game Skyrim. The aim? To make something electronics wizard Apple would be proud of, were it in Bethesda's curly-toed deerskin boots.

QuakeCon 2011 dates announced

Bethesda, id Software bonanza.

The dates for QuakeCon 2011 are in. The event takes place in August, from 4th-7th, in Dallas, Texas - where limousines are fronted by bull horns.

QuakeCon used to be a place for id Software-related celebrations that usually involved huge old-school LAN parties, i.e. bring your own computer, plug it in and play an hours-long game of Quake.

That essence still remains, but there's a lot more going on now id Software is owned by ZeniMax - parent company of Bethesda.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim combat detailed

Perks! Spells! Stealth! Arrows! Shouting!

Combat in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will be more brutal, tactile and intricate than ever before, according to the latest nuggets of information spilling out of Bethesda Game Studios.

TESV: Skyrim powered by Creation Engine

Bethesda's new invention dissected.

Besthesda has named the new engine underpinning The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It is known as the Creation Engine.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim detailed

Finishers! Duels! Perks! Dual-wielding!

Perks (unique abilities) will be offered when levels are gained in the fifth and new Elder Scrolls game, Skyrim - much as they were in Fallout 3.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim runes translated

Learn a bit about the story.

Hyper intelligent super-beings from the internet have translated clues about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim written in "the tongue of the dragons" towards the back of a recent issue of US magazine Game Informer.

Howard: "We're in our groove" on TESV

Promises to show "a lot of stuff" next month.

Bethesda Game Studios' executive game director Todd Howard is pumped for the recently announced fantasy role-playing game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - and reckons gamers should be, too.

Elder Scrolls V tech took "many years"

Platforms named.

The technology powering next year's sure to be gargantuan fantasy role-playing game Elder Scrolls V has taken developer Bethesda "many years" to create, it revealed today.

How new is Elder Scrolls V's engine?

Are we talking Gamebryo or id Tech 5?

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will be powered by a new engine, Bethesda has said. But there are some important points to consider before you get carried away.

VideoCurtain lifted on Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Bethesda shows first teaser.