Skyrim Remastered: Pete Hines Explains Why The Game Won’t Be Free For Existing Console Players

Bethesda won some major brownie points when they announced that The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim would be remastered and made available later this year… but that it would be absolutely free for PC players who already own the game and its DLC.

[Mr-Dude]

I am not paying full price again for a 5 year old game, especially not a Bethesda game. Will be used then or a sale

[Eidolon]

Game will drop to half price within a couple months. $60 is ridiculous when they're even mentioning the high-res packs that USERS have created.

[Forum_Pirate]

What are you talking about?

That's the reason they aren't charging PC players. It's a game we already own and DLC we already own on a system we already own with high res textures we already have and mod support we already have. If they tried charging PC players money they'd be laughed at. It would be like releasing The Last of Us remastered on the PS3. Nobody is buying that, for any amount of money.

Meanwhile, porting the game to PS4 and Xbone requires adapting the game to completely new architectures and getting it optimized for completely new hardware. Given that Bethedas huge games already have tons of optimization issues, that's no small task. Most certainly more work than Dishonored. not to mention adding mod support.

Also because they can on console because you don't have an option.

[TheCommentator]

You forget, Forum, that Bethesda got Skyrim up and running on XB1 and PS4 while beginning to work on Fallout 4 as a test of how the engine performed. That means that the work was done already, and people who bought Fallout 4 paid for Skyrim's remastering costs already. Full price for this game is an outrage. $30 at most and even that is pushing it.

[Forum_Pirate]

That's like, not true. People who paid for Fallout 4 paid for fallout 4 and the 7 years of development for fallout 4. If Bethesda wants to monitize their efforts getting Skyrim running on the new consoles and whatever upgrades they attached to it, there is nothing wrong with that.

$30? The Legendary Edition on Steam is $40, without the extra work of the port or the upgrades. Dream on.

[TheCommentator]

Right, Forum, but they can give it away for free to PC owners so if you buy the Legendary edition for $40 you get the upgraded edition with it. Then they sell it for $60 on consoles??? Why not $40? Since they aren't giving it away for free to 360/PS3 owners who already bought everything, people who put just as much money into the game as PC owners did get royally screwed. That's why it should be $30 on consoles at most.

TBH, this is just one more reason why MS has the right strategy in deciding to make the Xbox more like a PC in terms of software compatibility. If I were playing Skyrim 360 on my XB1, for example, they could just give me the upgrades for free too.

[Forum_Pirate]

You seem to have missed the part where they're porting it to an entirely new platform, re-optomizing it and adding things other than the lighting upgrade that you didn't already have access to.

You aren't getting screwed. If you are, you screwed yourself by buying it on a platform where that kind of work is necessary to get it running. Them charging for that work is not unfair or screwing you over.

Why should it be *cheaper* on consoles, when they had to put in more work *because* of consoles? You seem to think that an inferior version of an otherwise identical product on the same platform is like, a bonus somehow. It's isn't. For people who have the legenday edition it's a minor upgrade and nothing more, maybe an excuse to play again. For people who just buy the special edition the old one is irrelevant because the new one is identical but with better lighting. These are not true of the console version. Just the draw distance/framerate that even begin to rival the PC version will be a major improvement, also, again, mod support.

That's why people game on PCs in the first place. We don't have generations. If you bought a console because it's easy or because that's what your friends have, which are both perfectly valid reasons, it's still your fualt when stuff like this happens and you pay extra.

[Kingthrash360]

I never played skyrim. So this is awsome for me!......
...wait. ....full price????
Wtf this game was out before circuit city closed down! Guess I'll wait for the price drop to reach 29.99 or less anything over that is just some bs.

[souldestroyer14]

"That's the reason they aren't charging PC players. It's a game we already own and DLC we already own on a system we already own with high res textures we already have and mod support we already have."

If it's something you already own then why is it even a new game? Because it isn't the same game it's on an updated engine. If it was just higher resolution textures it would simply be an update to the original game.

[Forum_Pirate]

Yeah, see, being on an updated engine doesn't mean we don't already have it. The lighting will be better. whoopty doo. They'd never sell it to PC players for any amount of money based on that alone.

[gameseveryday]

I think you have a fair point. A full price point for a 5 year old game is kind of unfair. This should have been $40 at most.

[Yi-Long]

Myeah, it seems a bit high, but on the other hand it's a well-loved fantastic game offering hundreds of hours of gameplay.

I can understand why they're asking 60 bucks for it, but I'm sure many (MANY) people will refrain from buying it until it hits the 30$ or less mark.

I haven't played the game yet so if they haven't done a poor job I'll certainly pick it up, but I will wait for a big price-drop as well.

[freshslicepizza]

this is why i am so supportive of the new direction console gaming is headed. instead of re-releasing games like the last of us and charging all over again. systems like the ps4 neo will hopefully solve that issue. same with the xbox, you buy an xbox scorpio and you can play the same game again but now in 4k.

@Mr-Dude
"Although you have a point about BC. Xbox users have to pay the same price for Skyrim as Playstation users. This is not about The Last Of Us, but Skyrim. Besides TLOU remasterd was not fully priced..."

where did i specifically say this is only about xbox? i seaid moving forward meaning ps4 neo and scorpio and also hoping the next xbox and the ps5 will also carry on with keeping gamers compatable with their old software.

[Mr-Dude]

Although you have a point about BC. Xbox users have to pay the same price for Skyrim as Playstation users. This is not about The Last Of Us, but Skyrim. Besides TLOU remasterd was not fully priced...

[Deadpooled]

Looking around online retailers in the UK the pre-order prices are lower than full price at sub £35 (Base PS4/XB1 versions £32.69 http://www.base.com/buy/pro...

[Pixelart]

Thought you console folk would be used to it by now.

[shauzy]

well, nobody said that about call of duty

[Herbalistic]

I like the new additions but i'm not going to pay 60 dollars.I'll wait for a price drop down the road.

[Eidolon]

$20-30 is my limit. It's not a new game, so they shouldn't be charging a new game price.

[beerzombie]

Ya I'll wait a buy and new game for sixy dollars on a rehash money grab. They could have just bc the game with mods.

[Iberius]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that money is the answer.

While people are complaining about this anyone have any bets on when the next Elder Scrolls game will release? I'm betting 2020.

[Movefasta1993]

2017/2018, tops.They saw them fallout 4 sales,they want more!

[xX1NORM1Xx]

Going by the bethesda releases since F3 its gonna be 2018 at the earliest 2019 at the latest

[InTheZoneAC]

i would say an elder scrolls game at the end of 2017 at the earliest, but probably early-mid 2018

[EDKICK]

Unless Elder Scrolls VI is being developed by another studio (ie Obsidian with New Vegas) there is absolutely no way we see it in 2017 are you joking? Just think about the timeline for a minute Skyrim came out Nov 11, 2011 preliminary Fallout 4 development started in 2009 with most of Bethesda Game Studios working on Skyrim. Development for Fallout 4 only started into major development after Skyrim so early 2012 when most of Bethesda GS moved to Fallout 4 with some working on Skyrim DLC once Skyrim DLC was completed all of Bethesda GS was on Fallout 4 until they started Skyrim Special Edition. I love Elder Scrolls and I can't wait for the next one but you have to imagine Bethesda just recently started focusing all of their attention and resources on Elder Scrolls VI. With insight from Bethesda on Fallout 4 development Fallout 4 was in that period from sometime in 2012 til it's release in late 2015 that's atleast 3years and people complained Fallout 4 wasn't different enough and they again have been working on Skyrim Special Edition. So Elder Scrolls VI is probably a holiday 2019 or 2020 game at least.

[starrman1985]

It should be free for anyone with the digital game+dlc on the MS/Sony store for sure!

[Dragonking007]

Never came to psn digitally so obviously cant be free, ill gladly be trading in fallout 4 and couple other games to reduce the price.

[starrman1985]

My mistake, I didn't know that.

[InTheZoneAC]

trading in? people do that?

[souldestroyer14]

I'm sure they can just go by the dlc then because I'm sure no one bought the dlc without owning the game

[Artemidorus]

Lol pay up for being a console owner.

Seriously the gaming industry is pure capitalism at it's finest right now. Bring back the days people cared and did it on a small budget with a story to tell.

No Man's Sky is the only one to date in my opinion that will provide full support and serious content.

[nowitzki2004]

@Starrman

What other remastered games were free if you owned the original?

@Art

"No Man's Sky is the only one to date in my opinion that will provide full support and serious content"

When have you played No Mans Sky?

[Artemidorus]

They have stated no DLC and full support. Take that you greedy companies.

[Ravenor]

"Full support? Meaning what? Bugs will be patched? Well gee, thanks. No Mans Sky is a unique thing and the size and scope of it doesn't lend itself to DLC. Something like Fallout or ES? Of course that's ripe for self contained stories and content later down the line.

No one has a gun to your head, no one is forcing you to buy DLC. Think it should have been in the final game? Don't buy the game at all, publishers and developers owe you nothing.

[Budobear]

Erm there have been quite a few on the PS store. Flow, Flower, Thomas was alone, Stealth Inc, Fez, Journey. I'm sure there are others but I think I may get a bit confused with the updates and crossway ones.

[starrman1985]

@nowitzki2004

None, but they are doing a free update to PC owners who have purchased the game+dlc (and generally speaking that is cheaper) it would only seem fair to honour the console players with the same luxury.

A few have done cheaper versions if you have the original which is a nice touch, I think Minecraft and Dishonoured did that.

[Pixelart]

All of them because BC was a thing..yeah.. remember that ?

[Artemidorus]

Ravenor you won't be paying for extra content. No super mega dlcs no season passes.

[Nineball2112]

"Seriously the gaming industry is pure capitalism at it's finest right now"

Nothing wrong with that. Capitalism = an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.

You don't like the price? Don't buy it. I know I won't for $60. They will either lower the price or lose sales. It's their choice. They own the game. If enough people buy it (the market), then they (Bethesda) might do this again in the future. If enough people don't buy it, then maybe they won't. It's called the free market and that's exactly how it should work.

I rarely play the same games twice anyways, so I might rent this game, but I am not going to buy it.

[warriorcase]

"Seriously the gaming industry is pure capitalism at it's finest right now"

..of course it is. Its a business and they are designed to make money to grow and support that staff who work for them and their families. Some are just overly greedy.

[Pixelart]

Nothing wrong with Capitalism. If you fools going keep buying.. they are going keep selling. Pretty simple.

[ICANPLAYGAMES2]

Pete Hines is right, they sure are, free to ask what they want for it (good luck with that), as are consumers free to wait for the inevitable price drop, used sales whatever, and if you want to be played for a sucker (you're free to do that, too). Choices people.

[Mr-Dude]

Yep, I like Skyrim but I am not stupid. I played the game to death 5 years ago, and I can imagine this is a game people wanna have. But at this point they are just greedy. People can defend it with all the Bethesda fanboyism they have, but it's pure greed.

This will be gameshared, used or in a sale for me!

[DarkZane]

Steam summer sale is coming up. There is no way the legendary edition is not gonna be on sale. Why buy it full price when I can get it for free with legendary edition I will get on sale soon?

[gameseveryday]

The problem is Skyrim on PC is already an updated version provided you know to use mods :P

[Perjoss]

Its a lot of content for the price, but they shouldn't really charge full price for an old game. Bethesda Game Studios make great worlds but I don't enjoy the combat in their games anymore, the shooter controls for Fallout 4 were a step in the right direction but I really think they need to hire a new designer for the combat in their games.

[Kornholic]

I don't understand why he even has to explain this.

[slasaru01]

So what a bullshit. PC gamers bought Skyrim for 10 bucks at Steam sale and get updated version for free and we have to pay the full price? I hope we get 80% discount like was for Dishonored.

[Dario_DC]

10$? Most of the ones I know got it for less than 5... I ain't buying this crap.

[Razuel]

this should have also included a remaster of Oblivion.

[jznrpg]

Thry should have skipped Skyrim and remade Morrowind!

[barb_wire]

For those select PS3 gamers (myself included) who couldn't even play 'Skyrim' due to freezes, total lockups and various other little things (re-bought it on the 360), the PS4 version might just be playable.. but either way, I'm not paying $60 for that privilege. Not even the thought of mods will sway me to pay $60 due to the simple fact, that mods still aren't available on 'Fallout 4' for the PS4. (PS4 beta mod coming soon).

[Mr-Dude]

Yes, I played Skyrim on the PS3 and it was not enjoyable. Lets see how reviews will do, after that I will see.

[Mr_Writer85]

Vote with you wallets.

I've has enough of Skyrim, but if you do want it don't pay £60.

That's my little bit of advice.

[gameseveryday]

People will vote with wallets but not in the way you want :) Skyim is one of the greatest games of this generation and it will sell likes hot cakes on the PS4 and X1.

[Mr-Dude]

@Rashid
I don't know... I read a lot of the same comments all over the forums etc. It will sell a profit for them, but maybe not the numbers they are expecting?

[TheVigilanteCode]

"Explains why the game won't be free for existing console players"

Let me translate that for you guys, thanks to bullshitdetector.com

http://i.imgur.com/HfpIqaY....

[Wrex369]

So basically you're paying them on console, 60$ for mod support. Because let's be honest, everything else in the remaster has been done THROUGH mods.

[souldestroyer14]

Not paying full price for a game I spent full price for 5 years ago. I also got all of the DLC day one. Bethesda is doing this because they know they can get away with it. This whole thing reeks of greed. They may be making money from the people willing to buy this but they are disrespectful to their loyal fanbase on consoles. At least give xb1 owners the option of backwards compatibility.

[lunatic0001]

Skyrim is awesome but I'm not buying it....it's unfortunate that it's full price and that it comes out right in the middle of the holidays which means more games are coming out like the last guardian that deserve my money more than this 5 year old game ...sorry bethesda

[susanto1228]

Bethesda already made 1.3 billlion of Skyrim way beyond their target this is more for the fans to enjoy Skyrim on new consoles.

[lunatic0001]

If they did make 1.3 billion off of Skyrim then they should at least make the game 40 bucks or 30 to show their appreciation for us making Skyrim the success it became...I'm not saying give it out for free like the PC but at least throw us a bone

[VsAssassin]

Journey Remaster was free on PS4 for those who already owned the game on PS3. So this game can't do that? Interesting...

[pyroxxx]

And that actually took work from Cell to x86 ,.. This is just a PC port with shit they put into engine in Fallout 4

[SOM3ROiD]

So, can I purchase now all DLC's I do not own for pc for cheap, and get this remaster for free?

[susanto1228]

wait for the Steam Summer sale...they had Skyrim Legendary edition for like 20 bucks last year. The Steam Summer sale is coming soon.

[MilkMan]

I'll wait for sale and I want to know what the remaster has other than nicer graphics and "volumetric god rays"

[AntsPai]

I wouldn't pay more than £20 for it, even then I wouldn't be happy about.it's regularly on sale on steam for less than a fiver, I'm just happy I'm eligible for a free copy on steam, no money from me.

[dolfa]

What was so good about Skyrim at first place? I never understood why it got so popular i tried it and i was bored after one hour. Sure it looked good, but the gameplay wasn't anything fancy and neither was the story. It lacked any atmoshpere for me, maybe it just didn't work for me im more of a DA:Origins.

[TheFirstClassic]

Vanilla Skyrim looked dated on release tbh, other than the scale and size of the world, it never looked that good unmodded.

Morrowing with the sound and graphics overhaul is the best TES experience.

[Mithan]

Those that don't want it, can hold off anyways.

There will be other awesome games to play this fall. Look at Dishonored 2 for an example.

Pick this up at the Christmas sales and screw around with a return to Skyrim in the boring winter months.

[ScorpiusX]

That's okay just get to releasing already .......

[Bleucrunch]

Bethesda is quite arrogant with this. It's just not logical to purchase this game for the same price as if it were new. This will not sell well.

[xtheblackparade]

Because money, doh.

[CoryHG]

I knew I bought this on PC for a reason. Problem is, will the texture modded packs already be better than what the HD remaster does?

[kingdom18]

Apparently no based on some article that was on here, they are at a higher resolution than those packs, but the important thing is it will be running on a 64bit version of the engine which, if you use a lot of mods, should mean increased stability and fewer limitations for modders.

[susanto1228]

PC player here ...My skyrim folder is at 140 gigs with about 250+mods...those of us who have been playing Skyrim on PC for the last 5 years are content with our game the way it is. I do not plan on even downloading the remastered version because my Skyrim is modded to how I want it my guess is Bethesda knows this. If you go over to the Nexus and read you will see this a lot. Even with the remastered version there is no way a remastered version can even come close to the graphical enhancements that a modded Skyrim has gotten to. Still I give bethesda props for releasing a remastered version for console players. I will be purchasing it for my son definitely a good buy for him. Skyrim has currently made 1.3 billion meh why not.

[InTheZoneAC]

we'll see how this goes. Will people just talk the talk then cave in and buy it full price, just like the whole MGSV anti-konami rants where they're not supporting them, then buy MGSV launch day and say I was only doing it for kojima? lol

This game should've been $40, $50 is pushing it. $60 is a definite no.

If all they did was port to current gen with updated graphics that is not enough to warrant the price. Does it run at a locked 30FPS, no chance of it ever dipping? What about new updated animations to smooth the gameplay and combat?

[hirobrotagonist]

I'd happily pay 60 bucks if it fixed all the bugs and crashes on pc, but since I'm getting it free I'm happy and can't complain. Glad the console dudes are getting mods too, it's win-win for everyone. For the people that don't want to buy it, no one cares. Talk with your wallet.

[migh_and_highty]

So rude from Pete. The very least a concerned customer deserves is a reasonable non-bullshit explanation. It's time console players are treated fairly

[jznrpg]

No way I'm paying full price for this, I do want to play it but it will be when it's 20 bucks .

[pyroxxx]

Thought this will be 20,.. 30 max,.. This is pretty insane.

[Antifan]

Fallout 4 got them arrogant. Slap on a dated ENB, and sell it for $60. Ahaha,..

[Playable_Gamez]

I am starting not to like Pete Hines. He comes up with poor excuses on why Bethesda makes anti-consumer decisions.

[Tankbusta40]

Guys just don't buy it at launch...as others have stated in a couple of months the game will be half price on amazon, pick it up then or used to voice your opinions of the matter. If everyone just whines on the web but then caves and pre orders this Bethesda will continue to implement this strategy.

[JasonKCK]

No Bethesda, no I'm not buying all that again. Good luck.

[chobit_A5HL3Y]

couldn't they at least have a reduced price?...

[2600Thunder]

Greedy executive pawn positioning, even if it is free. End game is paid mods. They are doing what MS did with UWP. Give it free and modders will use something most would not pay for. No matter the PR crap from Hines, the purpose is so Bethesda can grab hard working PC modders to build their site up in attempt to phase out Nexus and Steam mods - or at the very least have "premium" paid mods (goes against modding idea in the first place and is therefore just paid buggy/early access DLC).

PC gamers would never buy it when modded OG looks better now - even with new creation kit support.

[NicSage]

PC Master race gets it for free!

[cluclap]

Well that sucks. I remember skyrim back then being the full price for like a year and a hlaf before the price dropped aonI can understand folks frustration.

[Reefskye]

People are just salty PC get it free, how many games has Sony remastered and people have snapped it up and praised it? Easier to give PC gamers it free as its all through steam, MUCH harder to do this on consoles with all the people who own it on disc, What about people who bought the game and DLC on a console then traded the game in?

Plus upgrading it on PC is much easier, it would require a lot more time and effort to get it working on consoles

[EDKICK]

Do you guys know not wanting to pay a certain price for a game or remaster and a game being objectively overpriced are two very different things? I'll probably wait and get it during black friday, Christmas or a sale but saying "it should only be $30-$40 period" is kind of an ignorant statement when you have no insight into the true time or effort put into the game.

[Babadook7]

Pc owners getting a good deal here. As for console? Lot of work porting to a whole new platform. Still worth it for those who have never played through the game.