As a PC gamer, I'm personally indifferent that ESO is now coming to Xbox One and PS4. Kudos to ZOS for making the game more accessible and for all the TES fans who didn't have the PC or weren't willing to try ESO on PC.

However, with this new found fact that ESO will now be available on the next generation consoles, it does lead one to wonder if ZOS' priorities as a result have changed. It's a well-known fact that PC gamers and console gamers are very different, especially in regards to MMORPGs.

Both these parties seek different aspects and features in an online game, and this is something that must be heavily considered. Up until now, we were all under the impression ESO was a PC/Mac-only game. This has all changed with the inclusion of consoles, and I want to know how this changes ESO moving forward.

An easy example of a potential concern would be Adventure Zones. We already know ZOS is taking a new approach to raiding because as Matt Firor claimed, traditional raiding doesn't fit with TES. Fair enough. However, could part of this reasoning in the feature have been produced due to the knowledge of porting to consoles?

Raiding is a very time-consuming feature and console gamers likely would not be willing to waste the time or effort to play the same fight over and over again. Does this mean Adventure Zones will be easier and tailored towards more of a console experience to appease that sample size of the pie?

What could this potentially mean for the payment model as many console MMOs typically prefer B2P/F2P? Is ZOS taking a new direction tailored towards this console preference? What of expansions, future updates, and the fact that ZOS is simultaneously developing for four different platforms? How will this affect their development cycles and how do expectations change? Is there a reason for PC gamers and MMO fans to be concerned or are we still getting the same game from a year ago?

I feel there are many important new questions ZOS will need to answer if they want to keep their PC gaming community on board. Because for those of us with concerns, ESO went from being a truly innovative and fresh MMO on PC to a TES with friends online ported for console for a money grab.

I was interested in investing many years into this game if it were truly an exceptional MMO within the TES universe. What I wasn't interested in was a game developed so thin to appeal to everyone that it inevitably appeals to no one. I hope my concerns are unwarranted and misplaced, but I have serious concerns towards the direction ZOS is now going.

I truly hope I am mistaken, as this was the last MMO I was truly looking forward to. If ESO's long-term plans have been altered to incorporate a more wider and casual audience I feel many MMO fans and PC gamers will be extremely disappointed.

I say yes, for the money. It might not be a bad thing though, we'll see

I don't think the direction changed drastically. A lot of the things that have come out which I figured were just something for the casuals may be in part because of this console direction. They probably new about this for the past few years or had an idea of going to mutli-platform. It isn't as much console players vs pc players as it is has always been elitist hardcoe players vs everybody else. I fit into the former and full upon realize this. The market views the former as expendable as it is a niche group at this point. The consoles represent something that we loathe and that is simplistic easy mode of games. There are not guarantees either way but what has happened to FPS games like Battlefield series as a result of going for mass market, it just doesn't hold much faith. This game was already heading this direction to some degree but knowing that the console market was potentially a reason for it is like a knife in the back to a lot of us and a hint that the casual appeal is going to get much worse...or better depending on your take on the issue.

Absolutely their direction has changed. Changed to keep up with how the genre is moving. Bungie's Destiny will be a massive hit, I think you'll find that Blizzards Titan will also head down the multi platform path. These games will have a big impact and ESO is now joining them. Personally I think its great news that they're changing their direction and focus to meet the market as it changes. The MMO genre needs a new lease of life and AAA developers moving to multi platform could be a great thing. Its also more money in their pocket which in turn allows for more content and less chance of dying on the PC like many MMOs have done in the past 6 years.

Beat me to it. This is absolutely correct.

I think all of us who were clamoring for the game to be as Elder Scrolls as possible (myself included) are now reaping what we sowed, haha! Now it really IS Skyrim Online!

I don't mind though, just glad the mega-servers are segregated. Would have been a disaster if players using controllers were fighting players using M+K in Cyrodiil.

I do hope it doesn't change their direction from here on out. I doubt they have time to make too many more sweeping changes.

They havent changed anything, they just listened their community and are adding stuff. Adventure zone was added because people were unable to explore the rest of the world, it was this is or rerolling alts. Rift showed us traditonal raid doesnt fly, as far Im concerned this genre should put tradional raiding on hold, and maybe come back to it later. Better just try something else.

Btw, RedGuard you were the one who whined about megaserver destroyes community, guess what they added global chat for you.

What is the appeal of playing on a console over a PC? I'll never forget when my Fallout 3 on 360 kept getting massive bugs that would corrupt my saves, and wishing I could just hit tilde and open the console to type in a single line that would fix my game. Or how essential the community bugfix patches are for all of these games.

I wonder if the console players really know what the hell they're giving up.

Well they can only hope they don't pull a Microsoft and release something to fit in with the market direction(windows 8) then realize that alienating the core market(removal of specific features, touch system) would ultimately lead to bad sales. Whose to say at this point, we will just have to ride it out until then.

The appeal is you sit on a couch in front of a 60" flat-screen. Some say it's a more relaxing experience. The controller just rests in your lap. Also, consoles cost less than PCs and you don't need to think much about the purchase, just grab one off the shelf and you're good to go.

That being said, I prefer PC for the customization, controls and intimacy (yeah, you heard me).

Microsoft right now is..pretty beat up. I didn't see E3 but someone had said they were booed at their conference..not too many are happy with this nsa deal and drm

I don't know, I actually moved from consoles to a PC and I will never look back, everything to fit to my appeal would require extensive modification of a console. I have a extremely high precision mouse. Having multiple monitors , watch tv online, surf the web and still never leave my game. I hate sitting on the couch, much prefer my desk and chair.

I didn't hear any booing. Someone said people booed the ESO trailer and I didn't hear that either.

But yes, MS is hurting, badly. They kinda brought it on themselves though. Pachter called it about always-online and lack of sharing/trade-ins being the killer.

I'm not entirely sure of the level of arrogance they have to present that to the public in front of their competition and expect to outsell..I feel as though they treat the consumer like idiots that will buy any scrap they throw their way..

Same for me on all fronts, that's why this is so confusing.

PS3 was a solid system, and I still use mine alot (its 90% netflix box though, no lie). But MS has been a dead product in my eyes since the 360 with all the red ring garbage, and I'm glad they're slamming the nails in their own coffin right now. I'm not happy that they'll have any potential say in TESO since it will be on their console. I'm a little iffy on PS4 access, but its not that offensive to me.

The only real downside to the consoles are the already mentioned things about delays in patches/content and possible dumbing down of the game overall (the consoles might be upto par with PCs right now, but you know we're going to be waiting another several years before the next console gen right? and meanwhile, every month PCs get more and more upgraded).

I want some comfort from ZOS right now, real bad, because they're losing my love.

The have changed sure, first the wantet to make a Game that is so awesome, that nearly every MMO Players would have tried it.

Know the want to have as much customers as possible and milk them for 2-6 months.

They haven't changed their direction. Their direction might have changed from out perspective, that's all. What they were planning to do and what info they've released to the public are two completely different things. Time and time again we'll be flipped out by things they announce that have been in the woodwork for months. We all underestimated the newer gen consoles (with Xbox 1, maybe rightly so), yet ESO has had faith in them long before we will/did.

I think ESO was always about the money, and a mainstream audience (or at least since Skyrim came out). Have they done a fantastic job at creating an elder scrolls game? Hell yeah.. Does that mean the game is suddenly going to be horrible because they're expanding audiences? Not from anything we've seen yet.

I think if we see something big like them announcing F2P right off the bat, we'll all be surprised, and it certainly from our perspective would seemingly be a completely different direction ZOS is taking. I think this change out of many would be a change in direction, both in the company, and what we're perceiving of ZOS. Something like this surely would indicate a directional change. I have no idea how the nex gen consoles will affect this. Social media already seems fairly advanced on Xbox One, ease of payment options and spending $ online will probably be easy as well, and P2P should still be an option.

They really need to throw PC gamers a bone, really soon. Either announcement of an open beta in the next month, some preorder bonus, anything. In about 10 hours they have a slot on GameTrailersTV, they better have something up their sleeves then.

Its nice if you try to defend there decisions but not every change is positive and Eso on Console will bring only bad things for us PC Gamers, that's for sure.

If i could i would even take my like at facebook away.

What will it take away from us? UI?, nope it is modable. Timely updates and patches? Nope, the new consoles have the same architecture and have policies to make it easier to get content on the systems. Even then the PC can be patched ahead of the console versions since they are on different servers. Split the audience? Chances are most people who would play it on console would not have played it if it was PC/Mac only. Dumbed down graphics? Nope the new consoles put out better graphics than the majority of pcs out there. The combat is already action based with limited hotbars making it simpler.

Only concern I have about the situation. I hope you're right, otherwise its gonna svck the fat one.