Bethesda Confirms Skyrim Dragonborn DLC

Bethesda has officially unveiled the next expansion pack for Skyrim called Dragonborn.

Available on Xbox Live from December 4 for 1600 Microsoft Points, details are pretty scant as to what the expansion will actually offer.

A trailer has been unveiled, which does offer some insight into what we'll be getting, especially when taken in conjunction with what we heard last week about the next DLC's rumoured content.

The trailer appears to out the DLC's antagonist; the first Dragonborn from ages past who ruled over the island of Solstheim, which lies to the North East of Skyrim. It looks like that's where the DLC will be set, marking the second time the island has appeared in an Elder Scrolls game (the first being the Morrowind expansion, Bloodmoon).

Other that that information about the expansion is scarce. What's got us most excited though, following on from last month's report, is that it looks pretty much guaranteed that we'll be taking to the skies on dragonback for at least part of our time in Solstheim; whether this will be on-rails or not remains unclear.

There's been no word on whether the DLC will come to PC and PS3. The first two expansions, Dawnguard and Hearthfire, enjoyed 30 days of exclusivity on Microsoft's console. Due to continuing problems though, neither has made it onto the PlayStation 3 as yet.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant and maintains that Morrowind is the best Elder Scrolls game. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Report: Fly Dragons in Next Skyrim DLC?

An ingenious user has delved deep into the source code for Skyrim patch 1.8, discovering clues about the next Skyrim expansion.

Bethesda forum user Mardoxx (via Eurogamer) asserts that the next piece of DLC will be titled Dragonborn (Bethesda trademarked the name back in September) and will be set on the island of Solstheim, which lies to the North East of Skyrim. Perhaps most tantalising of all his assertions is the possibility of rising dragons. This could be a scripted event, of course – but still, it's FLYING A DRAGON!

Furthermore, Mardoxx states that main locations will include Raven Rock, Miraak Temple, Castle Karstaag and Telvanni Tower. He or she even claims to have discovered what they believe to be new HUD compass markers showing the new locations:

Clockwise from the top: Telvanni Tower, Solstheim, Raven Rock, Castle Karstaag, Standing Stones, To Skyrim, Miraak Temple.

And here's some of that source code (if that's your sort of thing) listing the new armour types said to be contained in the DLC. You'll also notice that it confirms the name of the expansion as 'Dragonborn'.

$Crafting_$DLC2ArmorBonemold BONEMOLD $Crafting_$DLC2ArmorChitin CHITIN $Crafting_$DLC2ArmorNordic NORDIC $Crafting_$DLC2ArmorStalhrim STALHRIM $Dragonborn Quests Completed Dragonborn Quests Completed $DRAGONBORN_ESMName Dragonborn $DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT_PS3 DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT

Apparently the DLC will let you cast spells on mounts, and contain new creatures and dwemer objects but "they're not that interesting", according to Mardoxx. No information has yet been released concerning future Skyrim DLC.

For all your Elder Scrolls V needs consult IGN's Skyrim Wiki.

Daniel is IGN's UK Staff Writer, and you can be part of the world's worst cult by following him on IGN and Twitter (or not).

Source : ign[dot]com

Skyrim: Hearthfire Now Available on Steam

Bethesda has released Hearthfire, the second downloadable content pack for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, on PC. The content is on Steam now for $4.99 and is available in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.

Hearthfire allows players to build a home, ranging from “a simple one-room cottage to a sprawling compound complete with an armory, alchemy laboratory, stable, garden, and more.” Players can also adopt children to build a family, and can use a carpenter’s workbench and drafting table “to transform quarried stone, clay, and sawn logs into structures and furnishings.”

Hearthfire originally hit Xbox 360 in September and follows the first downloadable content, Dawnguard, which came to PC in August. For now, the content remains unannounced for PlayStation 3, and Bethesda says it may never come to Sony’s console.

For more on Hearthfire, check out our impressions of the Xbox 360 version and see more in our Skyrim wiki guide.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Win Dishonored And An Alienware PC

To celebrate the impending release of Bethesda's supernatural assassin title Dishonored, we've launched IGN Dunwall. What is IGN Dunwall you ask? It's the IGN you'd read if you were an inhabitant of Dunwall, the fictional city that Dishonored is based in.

You can find IGN Dunwall by following this link: go.ign.com/dunwall

Whilst you're exploring the dark and murky world of IGN Dunwall you should also find a competition to win a copy of Dishonored on PC plus a brand new Alienware PC to play it on in style, so head over to the site and have a look around. You need to enter your details on the competition page (which can be found as the fifth item on the story carousel at the top of the page), before 1pm on 12 October 2012 to be in with a chance of winning.

This competition is open to IGN readers over the age of 18 who reside in the United Kingdom (not Dunwall) with full terms and conditions on the competition page.

Source : ign[dot]com

Sony ‘Working with’ Bethesda for PS3 Skyrim DLC

Sony is “working closely” with Bethesda to bring Skyrim’s downloadable content to PlayStation 3. In a recent interview, Sony vice president Adam Boyes said Sony’s development support team collaborates with all third party publishers to fix technical issues, and that includes Bethesda.

"We work with all of our partners to try and solve their problems," Boyes told Kotaku. "We have a big, broad dev support team that works closely with Bethesda, and with all of our partners, to work with them to solve that any sort of issues they have along the way. Of course, I always want everything to work always for everyone. I can't promise any kind of resolution or timeline but can say that everyone involved is trying their best to get this stuff working."

Previously, Bethesda said it was “not yet satisfied with Dawnguard’s performance on the PS3.” The publisher later suggested that the downloadable content might never hit PS3 at all, adding “this is not a problem we’re positive we can solve.”

Skyrim’s Dawnguard and Hearthfire content have technically never been announced for PlayStation 3, despite Dawnguard being available on Xbox 360 and PC and Hearthfire recently hitting Xbox Live.

Keep checking back to IGN for updates on the situation as it continues to develop.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Bethesda Releases Dishonored: Rat Assassin for iOS

Bethesda announced (and launched!) Dishonored promo-game Dishonored: Rat Assassin onto the iOS App Store today. The free app’s description promises that gamers will be able to “Help rid the Dunwall streets of plagued rats, one slice, dice, and crossbow shot at a time.”

If that sounds to you like Fruit Ninja but with disgusting rats instead of delicious fruit… then you’re exactly right.

The game’s Endless “Assassination” mode tasks gamers with slicing as many rats with a finger as possible without hitting a bomb. Where do all these rats come from? Why are they flying in from off-screen in patterns? Is someone throwing them? Don’t worry about it. Just slice.

Rat Assassin’s meat is in its surprisingly robust Challenge mode. It is made up of 36 hand-crafted levels, each with a tricky three-star score to achieve. Each one puts a little twist on the game’s basic rat-slicing formula.

So, here’s the deal: Dishonored: Rat Assassin is a very weird product. It’s very casual, but was built to promote a super hardcore title. It’s surprisingly violent (menu selections are made by slicing a rat in half). The App Store listing links to RatAssassin.com which loads nothing but a 403 Forbidden error (as of now).

But still… it’s still pretty fun. And free, which certainly engenders a lot of goodwill. At the very least, gamers that have mastered slicing fruit should enjoy the free romp through Rat Assassin’s challenge mode.

Justin is Editor of IGN Wireless. He has been reviewing mobile games since the dark days of Java flip phones. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Skyrim DLC on PlayStation 3 May Never Happen

While gamers on Xbox 360 and PC are going to be able to experience all of the DLC Bethesda has planned for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, it appears PlayStation 3 gamers may indeed be left out in the cold. After noting that the DLC hadn’t necessarily even been announced for PlayStation 3 and admitting that Dawnguard’s performance on PS3 is unsatisfactory, Bethesda’s Global Community Lead posted on the Bethesda forums with some ominous news.

Here’s the post, in full:

“Earlier in the month, we provided an update on Dawnguard's status for PS3.

“It's been a few weeks, and we wanted to make sure everyone knows where we're at with Dawnguard. Skyrim is a massive and dynamic game that requires a lot of resources, and things get much more complex when you're talking about sizable content like Dawnguard. We have tried a number of things, but none of them solve the issue enough to make Dawnguard good for everyone. The PS3 is a powerful system, and we're working hard to deliver the content you guys want. Dawnguard is obviously not the only DLC we’ve been working on either, so the issues of adding content get even more complicated. This is not a problem we’re positive we can solve, but we are working together with Sony to try to bring you this content.

“We wish we had a more definitive answer right now. We understand the frustration when the same content is not available on all platforms. When we have an update, we will certainly let you know. We deeply appreciate all the time and support you have given us, and we’ll keep doing our best to return that.”

Bethesda’s seeming inability to get its game to work on PlayStation 3 means that, according to them, the content may never come out at all. “This is not a problem we’re positive we can solve,” they admit, “but we are working together with Sony to try to bring you this content.” And the fact that more and more additions to the game are making the problem even more complicated, as explained in the post, means that things are looking exceptionally dire.

We’ll keep our fingers crossed that Skyrim’s DLC does indeed make its way to Sony’s console, but in the meantime, it’s not looking too good.

Colin Moriarty is an IGN PlayStation editor. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN and learn just how sad the life of a New York Islanders and New York Jets fan can be.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim -- Hearthfire Announced

Bethesda has revealed the next major downloadable content for Skyrim, called Hearthfire. Unlike the vampire-hunting focus of the last add-on, Dawnguard, Hearthfire doesn't seem to do much to enhance combat. Instead, with Hearthfire you'll be able to purchase a piece of land in Skyrim and build your own house.

Within the custom living space you'll be able build kitchens, greenhouses, libraries, alchemy labs and trophy rooms to show off your accomplishments. Outside it sounds like you'll be able to set up gardens, fish hatcheries and beehives to make resource collection a little more convenient. You can also hire a steward to help out with household tasks.

Hearthfire will also allow you to adopt children and take care of them while they live at your home. Bethesda has set the price of Hearthfire at 400 Microsoft Points and plans to release it on September 4 on Xbox Live.

Source : ign[dot]com

Will Fallout 4 Be Set in Boston?

Rumors suggest that Bethesda’s next Fallout game will take place in Boston. According to a thread posted by an anonymous Reddit user, scouting is currently underway at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “The rumors are true, Fallout 4 will take place in Boston,” the user writes. “In case you haven't heard, Bethesda has recently been scoping out and researching Boston. They also have a strong connection to MIT.” The user notes that he “may or may not be an MIT employee” but “that's really all I can say for fear of losing my job.”

The rumor makes sense considering the lore behind The Commonwealth, the Fallout universe’s version of Massachusetts that’s been referenced in prior games. In Fallout 3 side quest The Replicated Man, players encounter a scientist named Dr. Zimmer who comes from The Commonwealth, a “war-ravaged quagmire of violence and despair” where he notes he and his colleagues created androids that have escaped and are running wild. Zimmer also references The Institute, which is presumably a future version of MIT.

As noted by our friends over at Gamespy, The Commonwealth also contains the Railroad, which runs in direct opposition to the Institute and aims to rescue the androids that have been created. A branch of the Commonwealth Police known as the Synth Retention Bureau is in charge of capturing androids that have escaped from the Institute.

Bethesda has declined to comment on the rumor of a Boston setting for now, but considering the impressive amount of mythology already revolving around The Commonwealth, it certainly seems like a plausible theory.

Bethesda’s Fallout 3 was released in 2008 and took place in a war-ravaged version of Washington DC, with expansions adding Pittsburgh and Maryland. Follow-up Fallout: New Vegas was developed by Obsidian in 2010 and was set in a future version of Las Vegas.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Prey 2 Removed from Bethesda’s Website

Prey 2 is no longer listed on Bethesda’s website. Following a new site design that launched late last week, Bethesda’s Games page has been updated to reflect the publisher’s upcoming titles. Prey 2 isn’t included as one of them, despite its presence on the previous version of the site.

We reached out to Bethesda about the title’s absence.“Since we had already announced it wasn’t coming out this year and we don’t have anything new to say on the game at this time, we simply didn’t think it’d be appropriate to include it on the new site launch,” a Bethesda spokesperson told IGN. “We chose instead to focus on the upcoming titles we are talking about.”

Prey 2 was originally announced in 2011, slated at the time for release in 2012. Earlier this year, rumors began to circulate that the game was in danger of being canceled, but Bethesda quickly debunked the rumor, saying the game had simply been delayed beyond 2012. “The delay is due to the fact that game development has not progressed satisfactorily this past year, and the game does not currently meet our quality standards,” a statement said at the time.

A more specific release window for Prey 2 hasn’t been revealed, but it’s worth noting that the list of titles on Bethesda’s site does include The Elder Scrolls Online, which isn't scheduled to be released until 2013. Other games in Bethesda’s upcoming line-up are Doom 3 BFG Edition and Dishonored.

No other information about Prey 2 has been announced, but for the tidbits we do know -- including the return of original Prey protagonist Tommy -- check out our interview with Human Head co-founder Chris Rhinehart from August 2011.

Thanks to Eurogamer for the heads up.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Report: Bethesda Obtains S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Rights

A new blog entry is claiming that Bethesda may have acquired the rights to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series of games.

Ukranian blogger Sergey Galyonkin shared the assertion from a "trusted source", explaining that Bethesda now has the rights to the extended S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe, though developer GSC Game World has not sold the brand.

“

The reason we cannot continue with the development of Stalker 2 is we and our new investors were unable to come to an agreement with the IP rights owner.

It's the latest entry in the complex saga of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, the development status of which is still woefully up in the air. First the game was announced in 2010 for a planned 2012 release, before being cancelled amid rumours of GSC closing down. Then we heard the game still lived and that development was continuing... only for the game to be cancelled again in April this year.

At the time, a post on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2's official Facebook explained, "The reason we cannot continue with the development of Stalker 2 is we and our new investors were unable to come to an agreement with the IP rights owner. The entire team that was working on Stalker is now working on a new project called Survarium."

So what does this mean for the future of the franchise? Well, Bethesda has issued a predictable "no comment", but fans are already speculating what the similarity in setting between the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Fallout franchises may lead to if the news is true.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Dishonored UK Pre-Order Exclusives

Bethesda has revealed the pre-order exclusives for its forthcoming Dishonored. A full list of what you can get and where you can get them lies below.

GAME & GameStation Special Edition – Dishonored branded 72 tarot card deck with instructions to play the ‘Game of Nancy’  & the Arcane Assassin Downloadable Upgrade Pack, which includes:

• VOID CHANNEL: Powers duration and damage bonus (exclusive)
• WHITE RAT FRIEND: White rats will not be hostile (exclusive)
• GUTTER FEAST: White rat consumption for mana (exclusive)
• WHALE IN-GAME STATUE: Unlocks one additional slot for bone charm bonuses (start with an extra slot earlier on)
• UNHIDDEN BOOK: “Filed Notes: The Journal of Granny Rags” (exclusive)
• 500 BONUS COINS

Tesco – Shadow Rat Downloadable Upgrade Pack, which includes:

• DELICATE TOUCH: Breaking Glass noise reduction (exclusive)
• VOYEUR: Key-hole peeping magnification (exclusive)
• DEEP BREATHER: Underwater breathing capacity bonus (exclusive)
• GOLDEN RAT STATUE: Unlocks one additional slot for bone charm bonuses (start with an extra slot earlier on)
• UNHIDDEN BOOK: “Filed Notes: The Royal Spy” (exclusive)
• 500 BONUS COINS

Shop.to.net – Backstreet Butcher Downloadable Upgrade Pack, which includes:

• FENCER: sword vs. sword advantage bonus (exclusive)
• FIRE WATER: increased whiskey bottle explosions (exclusive)
• BLAST RESISTANT: reduced explosion damage taken (exclusive)
• WOLFHOUND IN-GAME STATUE: unlocks one additional slot for bone charm bonuses (start with an extra slot earlier on)
• UNHIDDEN BOOK: “Early Life and Times: Slackjaw”
• 500 BONUS COINS

Amazon.co.uk – Acrobatic Killer Downloadable Upgrade Pack, which includes:

• RAVEN: Health bonus for drop-down assassination (exclusive)
• QUICK DODGE: Bolt / arrow dodging bonus (exclusive)
• RIVER AFFINITY: Increased swimming speed (exclusive)
• HAGFISH IN-GAME STATUE: Unlocks one additional slot for bone charm bonuses (start with an extra slot earlier on)
• UNHIDDEN BOOK: “Rumours and Sightings: Daud”
• 500 BONUS COINS

Dishonored is out in the UK on October 12th, 2012.

Daniel is IGN's UK Games Writer. You can be part of the world's worst cult by following him on IGN and Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com