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The developers sought to make information in the game world more accessible to players, making the game easier to pick up and play. Initially scheduled for a November 22, 2005, release, in tandem with the Xbox 360's launch, Oblivion was delayed to a March 21, 2006, release for Windows PCs and the Xbox 360.ĭevelopers working on Oblivion focused on providing a tighter storyline, with fewer filler quests and more developed characters. According to interviews with Bethesda staff, the publisher-developer relationship-one of the few independent relations in the industry-worked well, and Bethesda was not subject to excessive corporate guidance.
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Oblivion was developed by Bethesda Game Studios, and the initial Xbox 360 and personal computer (PC) releases were co-published by Bethesda and Take-Two Interactive's subsidiary, 2K Games. Rumors of a sequel to Morrowind started circulating in June 2004 the sequel's title was identified on September 10, 2004, the date of its official announcement. The development of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion began in 2002, immediately after its predecessor, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, was published. An in-game screenshot showing Oblivion's user interface, HDR lighting and long draw distance, improvements made as part of a goal to create advanced graphics.
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