Yes, Skyrim. Elder Scrolls 5. The latest chapter of the erratically long-running, ambitious series is out, and I'm playing my first Elder Scrolls game since "Daggerfall."
I know I'm not alone. I see it talked about constantly, hear about it constantly, and my friends and co-workers discuss it.
Know what? It's actually a really good game. Sure it has some flaws and bugs, but I'm pretty impressed. It's gorgeous, adventure-filled, fun, and has a serious wide-open sandbox feel that is crammed with a lot to do. It's really an adventure "your" way, even if your way is to run around in your underwear amassing a cabbage collection.
But as this is an impressive, epic game, the kind of game a lot of games promised to be and weren't, it's also got me thinking. What does Skyrim "mean" for gaming – in short, what's the progeeky impact? What can we learn if we're in gaming?