Last week, a new reader of our blog asked if people still play Skyrim. I feel this is a legitimate question. It’s already been six months since we celebrated Skyrim’ssecond birthday after all, and in terms of a video game’s lifespan Skyrim is getting long in the tooth. Since Skyrim’s debut, the next-generation gaming consoles have hit the market as well as new RPGs such as The Elder Scrolls Online — not to mention future releases like Witcher 3: Wild Hunt that some pundits claim will be a Skyrim killer. With the passage of time and all the changes in the video game industry that have occurred in the last 2 1/2 years, is it any wonder that some may question whether people still play Skyrim?
People Still Play Skyrim
As editor of the Skyrim Fansite I can attest that people still play Skyrim — and it’s not just me or the fans who’ve become members of this community or joined our Facebook page. Each and every month our site receives upwards of 30,000 searches for terms directly related to Skyrim character building including: skyrim ultimate character, best skyrim race, how to raise your smithing skill quickly, and hundreds more. Based on our fansite’s traffic alone, I know that gamers are still actively playing Skyrim.
Modding Community
The Skyrim modding community is alive and well.
But our site isn’t unique — players are also flocking to Steam and Nexus to try out the latest mods. Skyrim boasts an active modding community with thousands of mods already created, and new ones being released weekly. Some mods are brilliant, like the Towns and Villages Enhanced Collection that add extra levels of detail and beauty throughout Skyrim’s cities (better lighting, new flora, etc.). Other mods aren’t so serious, but are simply crazy fun like the one that changes all the Dragons in Skyrim into Thomas the Tank Engine (watch the YouTube video at the end of this post and see if you don’t laugh!).
Silliness aside, the modding community is so involved with Skyrim that two major projects are in the works:
Project Skywind is recreating the Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind from scratch with the Skyrim game engine.
Beyond Skyrim is creating all the provinces in Tamriel within the Skyrim game.
These massive modding projects, and the hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers involved are further evidence that people still play Skyrim.
Why Do They Still Play?
The robust character creation system is one of the reasons why people still play Skyrim.
So why exactly do people still play Skyrim? The simple answer is that Skyrim is an amazing game. There are other amazing games out there, so I would go one step further by claiming that Skyrim is a game that has defined a generation, blowing the doors off of any RPG that has proceeded it. Before you chalk this up as the crazy ravings of a rabid fanboy, consider this: Skyrim has sold over 20 million copies, and has earned over 200 Game of the Year awards (yes, Skyrim is that good).
Despite its age, Skyrim is still as fresh as the day it was released way back in 2011. People still play Skyrim because of its:
Robust character creation and leveling system,
Open world concept and immense world to explore,
Graphics, music and immersive qualities.
The game is an additive masterpiece, a gateway into an imaginative world that gamers spend hundreds of hours getting lost in. Skyrim is not a game so much as it is a lifestyle, so yes, I’m happy to say that people still play. And you know what? I’m confident that people will continue to do so many years from now.
Final Thoughts
So what do you think? Do people still play Skyrim? Why or why not? I’ve started a special topic in our forums where you can share your opinions and ideas. Your fellow Skyrim Fansite members would love to hear what you have to say, so please make a post or two. Until next time! [youtube_sc url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNaTZV8qS1I”]
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Shane Scarbrough
Shane Scarbrough is the founder of the Skyrim Fansite. He's a business owner, video game journalist, and role playing game aficionado. When he's not working he enjoys reading, writing, and playing video games. He's currently on his third playthrough of Skyrim, and is playing as a Templar in The Elder Scrolls Online. You can find Shane on Google+ and FaceBook.
Totally agree. The mods just keep making the better and extend its legacy. 😀
Johnny
10 years ago
But despite fans playing Skyrim, you forgot to mention numerous bugs in Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Skyrim. I’m still playing so I can try to avoid any bugs as much as I can.
Allen
10 years ago
Still playing! Have it on ps3 and the legendary edition on pc. Still one of the best if not the best game of all time!
Julia
10 years ago
I got the game back in 2011, and I still play it as often as I can. It’s never-ending – I’ve had at least 10 separate playthroughs, all different races and different types, and I always discover something new. You think you know Skyrim, but you don’t and you never really will, and thats why its so addicting. 🙂
I have also played through Skyrim (including all dlc) with Nord, Orc, Argonian, High Elf, Khajit and Dark Elf. Currently playing with Redguard (level 61). I have joined both the Imperials and Stormcloaks. I have been both for and against the Dawnguard. It has never seemed like the same game twice. Skyrim is my favorite game of all time. Every time I get close to level 81, I start over because fighting the Ebony Warrior is all I have left to do in the game. I don’t want to feel any kind of closure! I may be a little crazy but no game has had such an impact on me…from the moment I stumbled through Bleakwind Basin and stood in awe of how spot on the giants looked, I was hooked!
I got Skyrim as a Christmas gift from my gamer uncle in 2011. I love the game so much, and I still play it till this day. With 15 playthroughs because because I could never decide what to be (or I was clumsy and accidentally deleted my saves to clear up space.)
Ive recently gotten back into it and I’ve discovered so many things that I had never seen before.
I play on the Xbox360 and I have to say it’s still spectacular even without mods. Skyrim has helped me through rough times and it helped to know that even after a bad day, Skyrim was there for me to immerse myself in.
SKyrim has a very special place in my heart. I’ve spent countless hours playing it, and I plan to spend many, many more.
Great post! I feel the same way… it’s such an escape! Sometimes I enjoy just harvesting salmon roe or collecting goat horns for my Lakeside Manor. My wife makes fun of me all the time and I DON’T CARE!
Koekoes
10 years ago
Skyrim has it’s own uniqueness- Gazing upon the large misty moantains, Exploring the rift, the realm and all the other beautiful landscapes. There is a beauty of Skyrim one cannot explain, like painting a painting in your mind and writing your own book, being free to do what you love to do. There is nothing like Skyrim.
fudge
10 years ago
1 Not a real rpg; its just an adventure action tps/fps game with a perk system
2 Character creation was abysmal then, and still is now
Thanks for your comment 🙂 I’m just curious why you think the character creation system is absymal. Are there things that stand out specifically in your mind, or do you just not care for it in general?
Richard Stacey
10 years ago
Bethesda was extremely premature in deciding it was time to stop supporting the game through patches and dlc. That’s my only complaint about it.
Zac
10 years ago
I cannot get enough of skyrim, I have done well over 50 playthroughs trying to play the game in different ways. My main character has so much data on it it takes about 3 minutes for each loading screen.
Thanks for your comment Zac. Over 50 playthroughs is so cool! Die hard players like you are what makes Skyrim so amazing.
Michaelsygrove
10 years ago
skyrim will NEVER get old. Its my fav game, im 1860 hours into the game
you cant tell its 3 years old, its as fresh as ever the Grapics are still great from my point of few its rhe best game ever made ^o^
Autumnn Rain
10 years ago
I wanted to get Skyrim a while ago, then it had a 75% discount… but I didn’t buy it. Now I am contemplating on whether to purchase it on Steam or not.
One nice advantage to having Skyrim on Steam is that it’s very easy/convenient to add mods to the game.
Carol
10 years ago
I still play Skyrim. I do.
Spike
10 years ago
No game before or since has managed to capture my heart the way Skyrim did. Even more than 3 years later it’s STILL my trusty backup game; the game I go back to when I’m done/bored with all the new releases. The day I stop playing Skyrim is the day I get my hands on Elder Scrolls VI, which hopefully isn’t too far off in the future..
Delightfulpie
10 years ago
This years Steam Sales also increased the popularity, Skyrim being a frequent game in the tons of slashed prices.
Niko
9 years ago
I’m new to PC gaming. It’s 2015, and i know Skyrim is well, an old game, if I play this now, will it still be cool?Well not be a waste?
Honestly, Skyrim is one of the best video games ever made, and will give you hundreds of hours of entertainment value. Even though the game came out in 2011, the graphics, story, game play, and interface are still top notch. Skyrim offers an open world environment to play in. There’s so much to do and so much to explore. It’s an amazing experience, and has set the gold standard for games of its type for years to come.
You mention you’re new to PC gaming — one of the huge advantages of playing Skyrim on PC are the tons of mods you can use to enhance the game even further. Insane graphics, magic spells, quests — you name it. The Skyrim modding community is the best in the world.
Obviously, I’m biased towards Skyrim and the entire Elder Scrolls franchise (as evidenced by my work on the Skyrim Fansite). I’m not the gamer who feels this way however — Skyrim has shattered sales records and has won over 200 game of the year awards. Seriously, it’s that good — the type of game that helps define a generation of gaming. The replay value of Skyrim is immense, and tons of devoted fans still play the game today.
I realize that not everyone enjoys RPG games or fantasy in general. If you do however, you won’t go wrong with Skyrim. The game is still cool and will definitely not be a waste of your time, money, or imagination. Go for it! You’ll be glad you did 🙂
holly
9 years ago
“Despite its age,”
That’s not old! Four years now and only 3 when you wrote this. That’s nothing in gaming years.
Love Skyrim, have put over a thousand hours into it with many replays. Can’t get enough. Still playing it and will play some more today, since it’s raining so it’s nice and dark 😀
grafstefan
9 years ago
I don’t so much play Skyrim, as live there part-time. And will for a good many years to come, I expect. 🙂
Totally agree. The mods just keep making the better and extend its legacy. 😀
But despite fans playing Skyrim, you forgot to mention numerous bugs in Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Skyrim. I’m still playing so I can try to avoid any bugs as much as I can.
Still playing! Have it on ps3 and the legendary edition on pc. Still one of the best if not the best game of all time!
I got the game back in 2011, and I still play it as often as I can. It’s never-ending – I’ve had at least 10 separate playthroughs, all different races and different types, and I always discover something new. You think you know Skyrim, but you don’t and you never really will, and thats why its so addicting. 🙂
Julia, you are a true daughter of Skyrim! 10 separate playthroughs is amazing, and you’re 100% correct IMO — no one can ever truly know Skyrim.
I have also played through Skyrim (including all dlc) with Nord, Orc, Argonian, High Elf, Khajit and Dark Elf. Currently playing with Redguard (level 61). I have joined both the Imperials and Stormcloaks. I have been both for and against the Dawnguard. It has never seemed like the same game twice. Skyrim is my favorite game of all time. Every time I get close to level 81, I start over because fighting the Ebony Warrior is all I have left to do in the game. I don’t want to feel any kind of closure! I may be a little crazy but no game has had such an impact on me…from the moment I stumbled through Bleakwind Basin and stood in awe of how spot on the giants looked, I was hooked!
Totally agree, in fact I just uploaded a montage of me playing my assassin character.. the game is not dead 😛 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GKt5eLxQzo
I got Skyrim as a Christmas gift from my gamer uncle in 2011. I love the game so much, and I still play it till this day. With 15 playthroughs because because I could never decide what to be (or I was clumsy and accidentally deleted my saves to clear up space.)
Ive recently gotten back into it and I’ve discovered so many things that I had never seen before.
I play on the Xbox360 and I have to say it’s still spectacular even without mods. Skyrim has helped me through rough times and it helped to know that even after a bad day, Skyrim was there for me to immerse myself in.
SKyrim has a very special place in my heart. I’ve spent countless hours playing it, and I plan to spend many, many more.
By the nine! I apologize for all my grammatical errors. It appears that autocorrect doesn’t take prisoners. :I
Great post! I feel the same way… it’s such an escape! Sometimes I enjoy just harvesting salmon roe or collecting goat horns for my Lakeside Manor. My wife makes fun of me all the time and I DON’T CARE!
Skyrim has it’s own uniqueness- Gazing upon the large misty moantains, Exploring the rift, the realm and all the other beautiful landscapes. There is a beauty of Skyrim one cannot explain, like painting a painting in your mind and writing your own book, being free to do what you love to do. There is nothing like Skyrim.
1 Not a real rpg; its just an adventure action tps/fps game with a perk system
2 Character creation was abysmal then, and still is now
3 I still think its a great game
Thanks for your comment 🙂 I’m just curious why you think the character creation system is absymal. Are there things that stand out specifically in your mind, or do you just not care for it in general?
Bethesda was extremely premature in deciding it was time to stop supporting the game through patches and dlc. That’s my only complaint about it.
I cannot get enough of skyrim, I have done well over 50 playthroughs trying to play the game in different ways. My main character has so much data on it it takes about 3 minutes for each loading screen.
Thanks for your comment Zac. Over 50 playthroughs is so cool! Die hard players like you are what makes Skyrim so amazing.
skyrim will NEVER get old. Its my fav game, im 1860 hours into the game
you cant tell its 3 years old, its as fresh as ever the Grapics are still great from my point of few its rhe best game ever made ^o^
I wanted to get Skyrim a while ago, then it had a 75% discount… but I didn’t buy it. Now I am contemplating on whether to purchase it on Steam or not.
One nice advantage to having Skyrim on Steam is that it’s very easy/convenient to add mods to the game.
I still play Skyrim. I do.
No game before or since has managed to capture my heart the way Skyrim did. Even more than 3 years later it’s STILL my trusty backup game; the game I go back to when I’m done/bored with all the new releases. The day I stop playing Skyrim is the day I get my hands on Elder Scrolls VI, which hopefully isn’t too far off in the future..
This years Steam Sales also increased the popularity, Skyrim being a frequent game in the tons of slashed prices.
I’m new to PC gaming. It’s 2015, and i know Skyrim is well, an old game, if I play this now, will it still be cool?Well not be a waste?
Hi Niko,
Honestly, Skyrim is one of the best video games ever made, and will give you hundreds of hours of entertainment value. Even though the game came out in 2011, the graphics, story, game play, and interface are still top notch. Skyrim offers an open world environment to play in. There’s so much to do and so much to explore. It’s an amazing experience, and has set the gold standard for games of its type for years to come.
You mention you’re new to PC gaming — one of the huge advantages of playing Skyrim on PC are the tons of mods you can use to enhance the game even further. Insane graphics, magic spells, quests — you name it. The Skyrim modding community is the best in the world.
Obviously, I’m biased towards Skyrim and the entire Elder Scrolls franchise (as evidenced by my work on the Skyrim Fansite). I’m not the gamer who feels this way however — Skyrim has shattered sales records and has won over 200 game of the year awards. Seriously, it’s that good — the type of game that helps define a generation of gaming. The replay value of Skyrim is immense, and tons of devoted fans still play the game today.
I realize that not everyone enjoys RPG games or fantasy in general. If you do however, you won’t go wrong with Skyrim. The game is still cool and will definitely not be a waste of your time, money, or imagination. Go for it! You’ll be glad you did 🙂
“Despite its age,”
That’s not old! Four years now and only 3 when you wrote this. That’s nothing in gaming years.
Love Skyrim, have put over a thousand hours into it with many replays. Can’t get enough. Still playing it and will play some more today, since it’s raining so it’s nice and dark 😀
I don’t so much play Skyrim, as live there part-time. And will for a good many years to come, I expect. 🙂