There was some debate over what engine the new Elder Scrolls game would be using, and all signs seemed to point to GameBryo. However, writing on Twitter earlier today, Bethesda Softworks community manager Nick Breckon said: “We can now confirm that the TES V: Skyrim engine is all-new. And it looks fantastic.” I asked him what “new” means in this case, and whether it was simply a new version of the Gamebryo engine that powered Oblivion and the recent Fallout games. He responded: “It’s a new graphics/gameplay engine built internally. We’ll have more details down the road.”

Interesting!

Minecraft‘s alpha phase is ticking to a close, with a beta – and price change – due on 20th December. It’ll cost €14.95 from that point on. Notch says: “With Beta comes a larger focus on polish and content, and we’ll start early on with adding proper modding support with a stable API,” and also “We will also change the license to remove the line that promises all future versions of the game for free. Please note that this change only affects people who buy the game after December 20, so if you got the game for during alpha, you will still get all future updates for free, despite this change.”

But, presumably, you’ve bought it already.

Add-on packs feel like relics from the past now, in our world of DLC and quickly turned around sequels from a second studio. The notion of spending two-thirds of the cost of the first game again to be able to make it bigger, longer, or more involved, seems quaint. But it’s one of these olde-worlde notions that lies behind the twelfth window. What might it beeeeeee?

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Sundays are for submerging oneself in science, art, history, and custard. They are for slouching, sleeping, bristling, and cogitating. They are for smoking a pipe and sitting by the hearth. They are running, fighting, and doing a forward roll. Any Sunday might contain victory, cake, or nudity. They are for many things>. Most of all, however, they are for listening to loud computer music while eating warm flapjack and compiling a list of games writing that may or may not engage the multitudinous minds of an internet blog readership. Thus:

• That Simon Parkin chap talked to that Jon Blow chap, and there was a written record of the event. There’s talk of Blow’s new game, The Witness, which is a 3D adventure of some cleverness. Mr Blow explains: “So I just said, “You know what? It’s risky, it’s gonna take a long time to make this game, it’s gonna be very difficult to make it as compelling as a traditional game is because it’s so weird, but it’s what I really want to do.” So I did that.” He knows what to do, that Jon Blow.

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Portal 2, Valve’s action puzzler sequel which is now due in April, also has a trailer out this weekend, thanks to the VGAs. It shows a bit more of the two co-op mode characters in action, although not in-game. (more…)

We knew it was coming, so here’s the trailer. It’s set in London. (more…)

The fifth Elder Scrolls game was confirmed at last night’s VGAs. The game is, as rumoured, a direct sequel to Oblivion, and will feature enormous dragons. It’s called The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and will be released next November.

Teaser trailer below, courtesy of IGN. (more…)

Hello youse.

After last week’s epic column about that epic game Civilization, I’ve decided to do a little short one to get us prepared for the run-up to Christmas. Just a little tasty one. A little bite. A little yum-yum.

I’m going to write this column as a little stream of consciousness thing. No structure. No bells or whistles. Let’s see what pops out. Settle down with an espresso and enjoy. (more…)

This week, Lewie’s at ATP, so he’s drafted the SavyGamer.co.uk B Team of Will Templeton and Tony Heugh to fill in. Frankly, we’re disgusted that he’s shirked his RPS duties for music>, of all things. It’s unprecedented for anyone who’s ever written for RPS, and we think it’s despicable. Luckily, we’re here to pick up the slack. No, we’re not jealous. (more…)

POWER. Everybody wants it, but no man should have so much of it. Just ask Kanye West. On the eleventieth day of Christmas, RPS thinks fondly back to our pursuit of it, at great expense to our foes.

GO GO MAGIC ELEVEN! (more…)