It's easy to forget now, but the first Elder Scrolls game had a rough launch back in the day: 'It was a disaster in a lot of ways and somehow built a billion-dollar franchise'
Bethesda wasn't always a name associated with open world RPGs.
It is easy to forget that The Elder Scrolls, now a billion-dollar franchise, had a rocky start when it first came out. The original game, The Elder Scrolls: Arena, didn't receive a warm welcome upon release in 1994. Reviewer Andy Butcher gave it a score of 87, but it struggled to gain traction. Game stores ordered a specific number of copies, and when shipments didn't arrive on time, they began canceling orders.
One designer, Ted Peterson, recalled that Arena didn't sell many copies initially, even though his first retail experience was with a pack for Terminator 2029, which sold more units. Bethesda, known for sports games at the time, took a risk by diving into the RPG genre with Arena. They faced skepticism from buyers who doubted Bethesda's ability to succeed in this niche market.
The game's reputation-altering journey is a testament to Arena's impact, despite its initial troubles.
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