Bethesda shipped more than 7 million units on all platforms.

NOV. 16, 2011 • According to ZeniMax Media Inc., 7 million units of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim were shipped to retailers for the game’s launch. The publisher did not break down how many of those copies were distributed between PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 systems. ZeniMax says more than 50% of the units shipped were sold during the first 48 hours after the title was released on Nov. 11, and more than 280,000 concurrent users were playing.

Impact: Elder Scrolls is one of the biggest single player role-playing games from a Western publisher. Its appeal can be compared to Square Enix’s Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series. These are franchises that grow in popularity with every new release as they appeal both to the established audience and the new audience that has emerged since the last release. Unlike a Call of Duty or a sports franchise, Elder Scrolls is not an annual event. The last title, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, was a key early title for the Xbox 360 released in early 2006.