One of the longest ongoing video game development projects is finally at the end of its journey, as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has reached the end of its life cycle. The version of Skyrim, which players are currently using on their 9th-generation consoles, is the definitive version of the game. With over 15 years of development and with the longest active gameplay life cycle of any solo role-playing game, Skyrim has left its mark in the history of gaming.
Skyrim’s success was a given, but the extent of its success was a surprise even for Bethesda. The US role-playing game specialists were adamant that the original version of Skyrim would be enough for the players and that no added work would be needed, and back in 2013 they announced that there would not be any further developments. However, in the years that followed, Bethesda released a remastered version, a special edition and a version of the game, which was adapted to the 9th generation hardware. Even though the game is more or less the same after every version, players keep buying it over and over again just to enjoy playing the little extras that have come after every upgrade.
What Made Skyrim so Special?
Skyrim is not much different than other Elder Scrolls games, as the mechanics and the overall user experience is relatively similar. However, Skyrim had one thing that the rest of the ES games did not have; dragons. These mythical creatures excite people regardless if we are talking about video games, about movies or series like Game of Thrones or other forms of entertainment such as online slot games like Dragon’s Fire from Red Tiger Gaming. In the latter, the dragon-themed graphics make the game stand out and this is the reason why it attracts all those players who are browsing through the slot game libraries of popular casinos in order to find a game that fits their preferences. The concept of dragons is something that has been around for almost 9,000 years and every civilization has had its own myths about these serpent-looking creatures.
Are Gamers Playing the Definitive Version of Skyrim or Will There Be Another?
After almost 17 years of developments, reworking and mods, it feels like Skyrim has reached the end of its development. The game was great to begin with but with every addition and every community-introduced modification the game has become the ultimate adventure RPG where players can do exactly what they want. This means that the version gamers are playing now is the absolute final version. There is of course the physical board game version of Skyrim, which hit the shelves a few weeks ago, but that game is a whole other story. One thing is certain; the board game will be as successful as the video game.
What Comes Next for Elder Scrolls?
With Skyrim having earned its place in the platinum history of video gaming, it is now time for Bethesda to focus on the next installment of Elder Scrolls. The sixth game in the series is currently under development, but if the rumors are true, then it is expected to be a mixture between Oblivion and Skyrim. This means a little bit of the underworld, a little bit of dragons and of course a lot of new features, which Bethesda is trying to keep under the radar for the time being. One big concern about the fans of Elder Scroll games, is how Microsoft’s acquisition of the ZeniMax Media group will affect the distribution of the new Elder Scrolls. ES6 will probably become available across the board, but Microsoft will definitely want to keep something special for its Xbox and PC gaming environments.
