Not that we were expecting to see the next installment in the Elder Scrolls series at E3, as Bethesda only really showcases its biggest titles when they're just about done. But it's good to know that it's in the works. And that it's going to be ambitious in scope. In a recent discussion with IGN, Bethesda Game Studios head Todd Howard opened up a bit about the future of the studio.

"[Elder Scrolls 6 is] kind of like the elephant in the room, always, when we talk about anything," Howard explained, "and you know, I think it's good in these moments to tell our fans yes, of course we are [working on it] - it's something we love - but it is... you know, I have to be careful what I say, it's a very long way off.

"I could sit here and explain the game to you, and you would say, 'That sounds like you don't even have the technology. How long is that going to take?' So it is something that's going to take a lot of time, what he have in mind for that game, and we actually have two other large projects we're also doing that are bigger than everything we've done. People will probably hear about those even before Elder Scrolls 6. That'll make sense many years from now."

As previously noted, Bethesda is working on three large projects, with Elder Scrolls being one of them. Based on the response above a new AAA IP from the studio may arrive before the next Elder Scrolls. Whatever it may be it's great to know that the studio is thinking big when it comes to the future of the series and its games. As seen with the studio's latest effort Fallout 4, the introduction of settlements and mod support for consoles are two things that make it stand out. And keep us playing for many months to come.

But we won't be without anything new in the Elder Scrolls world for long with a special edition of Skyrim due for release later this year, one that will feature a number of visual updates plus mod support for consoles.