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Bethesda locks down subtitle of Elder Scrolls IV for "motion picture theatrical films in the field of fantasy games."
Many reviewers described Bethesda Softworks' Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion as being cinematic in its vast scope. Now, the publisher's parent company, ZeniMax Media, is taking that interpretation literally by registering a trademark for a feature film based on the game.
The filing, made August 12, is for the title "Oblivion" for use in "Motion picture film production; entertainment services, namely, providing motion picture theatrical films in the field of fantasy games." It was updated August 17 but has not yet been assigned an examining attorney by the US Patent and Trademark Office.
However, just because ZeniMax has filed for an Oblivion trademark doesn't mean Elder Scrolls fans should start camping out. History is littered with failed game-to-film adaptations, with many hit titles, such as Mass Effect, having their movie rights scooped up only to sit in development limbo. Others, such as Halo, see preproduction begin, but then have the funding pulled
and key talent walk away.
Many game-based films that make it to the screen are critical and commercial bombs, such as Doom,
BloodRayne, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, and Dungeon Siege: In the Name of the King. One of the most high-profile and best-reviewed game films to date, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, was a commercial disappointment
despite a nearly $200 million budget and the backing of Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
Hope remains, however, as a film set in the Warcraft universe is currently in preproduction with Spider-Man director Sam Raimi at the helm. The project has the support of both film studio Warner Bros. and production company Legendary Pictures (The Dark Knight, Watchmen, 300).
For more on Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, read GameSpot's review or watch the video review below.
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Seattle gaming-for-gamers expo reaches record numbers yet again; speculation about international Penny Arcade event surfaces. 
As has been the case since its founding, the Penny Arcade Expo has posted larger attendance figures with each subsequent year. According to PC gaming site the Big Download, a record 67,600 people piled into the Washington State Convention Center for PAX Prime, which ran September 3-5. That's a significant jump from the 60,750 people who showed for PAX 2009.
The renaming of the main event was due to the premiere of an East Coast-spinoff, PAX East, which itself drew nearly 53,000 attendees when it ran March 26-28. The event was such a hit that the organizers of both events, Reed Exhibitions, have signed a contract to hold PAX East at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center through 2013.
From its humble beginnings in 2004, when just 3,300 fans of the game-focused Web comic Penny Arcade turned up, PAX has turned into a major fixture of the yearly game-expo circuit. One reason is that unlike other US gaming expos, such as the Game Developers Conference and the Electronic Entertainment Expo, it is open to the public. As a result, the size of the event is limited only by the venue itself, with Penny Arcade business manager Robert Khoo telling the Big Download that this year's event was almost too large.
The pair of comic artists is also pondering a third expo, according to game-industry site Gamasutra. In a Q&A session on the final day of PAX 2010, Penny Arcade co-authors Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins reportedly hinted they and Reed Exhibitions were considering a third PAX. The locale would likely be an international city that has yet to be determined.
For a full rundown of this year's event, visit GameSpot's complete coverage of PAX 2010.
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Gearbox head Randy Pitchford says that a preview of the 2011 360, PS3, and PC shooter is "important", currently working on timing with publishers. 
Duke Nukem Forever, a game long dismissed as vaporware, materialized in a big way at last week's Penny Arcade Expo. In a lavish surprise unveiling, Borderlands' Gearbox Software announced that it had taken over development of the game, which had been in development at the quasi-defunct studio 3D Realms since 1997.
According to Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford, Gearbox has also bought the Duke Nukem intellectual property outright and will develop all future installments in the franchise.
Not only was Duke Nukem Forever unveiled at PAX, but it was also playable in demo form on the show floor. And although the game won't be released until 2011 on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC, Pitchford told UK gaming site VG247 that he is already looking at ways to release a demo to the millions of gamers who weren't at the event.
"I think that is an important thing to do," he told the site. "Now that the cat's out of the bag we can actually make those plans. Now we can get with retailers and figure out the launch window, and figure out demo timing, and work with the first-parties on that. We weren't able to do that until this point."
As outlined in GameSpot's hands-on preview from PAX, the game will feature the crude humor and hectic action that are the franchise's hallmarks. For more on Duke Nukem Forever, watch GameSpot's interview with Gearbox's Pitchford below.
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