#Collecting #Epic #Worlds #Elder #Scrolls #WorthPoint
When it comes to fantasy adventure, one gaming franchise stands above the rest. The Elder Scrolls has been offering spectacular journeys through epic worlds for thirty years, inviting players into the thrilling continent of Tamriel.
Not just a place to swing swords and battle demons, the series offers a richly written lore with depth and complexity to match any novel. The mixture of superb storytelling, open worlds with countless characters to meet and secrets to uncover, and the freedom for players to play as any type of character they like has rendered the series an enormous success.
Arena and Daggerfall
The Elder Scrolls began in 1994 with the release of Arena. Titled such because it had been initially planned as a multiplayer gladiator game, Arena used procedural generation technology to create a vast world for players to explore. The game put players in the role of a hero racing to stop the plans of a rogue battlemage and showed off the impressive roleplaying systems that the series would become known for. The roleplaying systems allowed players to create a range of characters to play—from stealthy thieves to burly warriors to powerful sorcerers and sorceresses to non-violent mages.
Like many games in the 1990s, Arena was released in a “big box”—a large cardboard box bearing artwork. A boxed copy may go for over $60, but even the box’s contents alone could fetch around $50. Collectors should note that Arena was released on both a floppy disk and CD-ROM, the latter version containing voice acting and other enhancements. The rarest version of Arena is the “deluxe edition,” a special release of the CD-ROM version. This version can sell for over $300.
Daggerfall came in 1996, and nothing quite like it had ever been seen before. While Arena was something of a proof-of-concept, Daggerfall was a fully realized game, thrusting players into an enormous world filled with danger and intrigue. The roleplaying systems were expanded, with new skills added that allowed players to play as linguists who could convince enemies not to fight or acrobats who could scale walls and swim underwater. The game map remains to this day among the largest ever created for a videogame, being the actual size of the entire state of Florida, and walking across the map in real-time would take days. The game’s tagline—“prepare to experience your new obsession”—was certainly justified, given the number of hours that players could sink into the experience.
Daggerfall proved immensely popular. The big box bears some striking artwork and is holographic. Boxed copies of Daggerfall in good condition may sell for around $200.
Spin-Off Games
The success of Daggerfall ensured The Elder Scrolls’s future. Several spin-off games were thus released. Battlespire puts players in the role of a mage who descends into the hellish realms of the Daedra to rescue an abducted friend. Smaller than the main games, it focused on a handful of dungeon maps but offered the ability to speak to almost any enemy, as well as some clever puzzles. A boxed copy can sell for over $130.
Battlespire was followed by Redguard, another spin-off. This game, taking inspiration from the enormous success of Tomb Raider, was the first and only Elder Scrolls game to cast players in the role of a pre-made character instead of allowing them to make their own. Players guided the roguish but good-hearted Cyrus on a grand and somewhat psychedelic adventure to reunite with his lost sister. A boxed copy can be worth around $150.
In 2002, Morrowind was released. For the first time, the series reached the console market, being available on the newly developed Xbox alongside the usual PC release. The game was smaller in scale than its predecessors but offered incredible visuals for the time and a fascinating island to explore, packed with adventures and strange characters. The game’s popularity was enormous, and copies are therefore not difficult to come by. A collector’s edition can sell for around $80.
Morrowind was followed by Oblivion—a game that propelled Bethesda to international acclaim. Released in 2006, when gaming was rapidly becoming a multi-billion-dollar franchise, it swept up awards for its graphics and gameplay. The game was somewhat more action-focused than the previous titles but contained the same spirit of exploration and adventure that had made the series such a success. The game was a smash hit, and copies are, therefore, not particularly valuable. Collectors may be interested in the somewhat more valuable collector’s edition, which comes with a collectible coin.
Skyrim, released in 2011, is the most enduringly popular Elder Scrolls game to date. It has been re-issued and re-packaged to death—including a “Special Edition” and an “Anniversary Edition”—and released on multiple different platforms. Once again, there is a special collector’s edition, containing an art book and an incredible statue of Alduin, the dragon who players must battle at the climax of the game. This edition can go for around $350.
Collectors will be interested in The Elder Scrolls Anthology, which sells for about $60. The box contains all the core games—Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim—and comes in a beautiful box. Even better, it features posters of maps from each of the games.
Elder Scrolls Online has spawned an impressive array of model figurines. One prime example is the Mehrunes Dagon statue, a boxed edition recently selling for $250. Certain rarer models, such as the Daedric Armor Exclusive from Gaming Heads, will net a seller around $500, even when the original box is not included.
Skyrim dominates the board game collectible market, with an official board game. A shrink-wrapped sealed edition can fetch between $100 to $140. Skyrim also has a collectible coin, representing the currency used in the game, bearing the face of the historic Tiber Septim, the controversial founder of the Septim Empire. A sealed coin can be bought for around $25.
New collectibles are coming out all the time, mostly based on The Elder Scrolls Online. Fans should keep an eye on Bethesda’s official store, where a new commemorative coin set can be pre-ordered for $175.
New Adventures Coming Soon
After the less-than-stellar response to Bethesda’s space-based RPG Starfield, the company has decided to focus on ramping up the development of The Elder Scrolls VI. Though details are scarce, fan speculation is rife, and the game will surely be an enormous event in the gaming world. Buyers may wish to start building their collections now before the hype kicks into full gear.
This year marked the thirtieth anniversary of the series, and though Skyrim is approaching thirteen years old, it remains in the top 100 most-played games on Steam, proving the franchise’s enduring popularity.
Matthew Doherty is a writer, editor, and teacher specializing in all things history-related. His work has been published in the UK Defence Journal, the Small Wars Journal, and The Collector. He holds an MSc from the University of Edinburgh and a BA from the University of Leeds. In his spare time, he also writes science fiction stories.
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