Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Collector's Edition Confirmed News

2K Games and Bethesda Softworks today eased the wait for the long-awaited Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, with confirmation that a limited edition version will be available for both the PC and Xbox 360.

The Collector's Edition will contain a DVD featuring a Septim coin, 112-page "History of Tamriel", exclusive artwork, screenshots and a "Making Of" documentary created by ThinkFilm (click below to view the trailer), chronicling the lengths to which Bethesda went when it came to capturing the movement of a horse and the various voice-recording sessions.

Unconfirmed reports have suggested that March 24th is indeed the finalised date, the day in which RPG fanatics can hand in their resignation notes or develop a nasty virus, so as to not let anything trivial get in the way of exploring the rich world of . TVG would however advise holding off putting the date into the diary just of yet until Bethesda has made an official comment on the situation.

Finally an interview made available across the Elder Scrolls forums has revealed that Oblivion will utilise a Digital Rights Management (DRM) system to charge for plug-in's, mods and extra content. The system obviously draws parallels to what Bethesda are planning for the 360 version via the Xbox Live Marketplace, and in the words of Pete Hines, "Doing them for free this time around wasn't really something we contemplated. We didn't like the way it worked before and wanted to change it and do it better."

The decision appears to have irked many of the "passionate" Elder Scrolls followers, who are quick to point out the notorious issues following STEAM and Sony's problems with the infamously intrusive "rootkit" system. For the matter, Bethesda has yet to comment specifically on the technique it intends to use.