The Elder Scrolls Online was released over 11 years ago, first launching in April 2014. However, according to ZeniMax Online Studios' game director, Rich Lambert, to this day, people are still wondering whether the MMO is even out yet.
That's right – and it's something Lambert calls "the biggest chip on my shoulder." In a recent interview with PCGamesN, he reveals as much, saying, "It's something that's always kind of befuddled me; ESO has always been flying under the radar. It's either not taken seriously or dismissed or whatnot." All it takes to get hooked is seeing "what the community and the game are like" for the first time, though – then, fans "generally stick around for a while."
It's not a question of retaining players, but rather getting to them in the first place – and at this point, Lambert ponders how Bethesda and ZeniMax could do just that. After all, the MMO is over a decade old, and folks are still asking developers when it'll launch. The director recalls, "I've been in countless interviews and at countless shows over the years where they're like 'oh, when does this come out?' It's been out for years!"
Although it's "mind-boggling," as Lambert puts it, that Elder Scrolls Online has "flown under the radar" for so long, the lead does admit that the game's devs don't exactly "trumpet" it to the public. "We're generally very behind the scenes, just working really hard, doing things right – we don't necessarily celebrate our successes as much as we maybe should." Things are likely to change, however, with more of a focus on communicating with potential fans.
"Some of that is going to change," concludes Lambert. "Our communication style is going to change going forward, and maybe that will help some of those things." Here's hoping – as a longtime player myself (who has witnessed the good, the bad, and the ugly of Elder Scrolls Online), it'd be nice to see some fresh faces in the MMO… especially when I'm trying to complete new dungeons and trials, but the queue just won't pop.
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