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Although many MMOs lack actual in-game cutscenes, it has become a tradition to make up for that absence with over-the-top cinematic trailers. Blizzard set the bar high during the last decade with its always impressive World of Warcraft trailers and Star Wars: The Old Republic took things to the next level by delivering a series of high quality trailers that put the trilogy of Star Wars prequel movies to shame. The Elder Scrolls Online is ready to jump into the MMO ring this week and it's bringing another epic cinematic for fans.

Earlier this year Bethesda let the MMO world know that TESO cinematics were serious business with the release of The Arrival trailer. The trailer clocked in at over 8 minutes long and left gamers everywhere drooling for more. In celebration of the game's official launch today, the next cinematic, titled The Siege, has arrived.

Much like the first cinematic trailer, The Siege has plenty to offer for both die-hard fans of the franchise and total newbies. The trailer has a number of iconic Elder Scrolls characters and locations throughout for veteran players to geek out over, but it's still just as enjoyable for the masses. While the first trailer put a spotlight on small, group combat; The Siege lives up to its name by delivering a full on battlefield full of action. Thanks to towering walls crumbling to the ground and shadowy whispers, comparisons to Peter Jackson's vision of the Lord of the Rings universe seem pretty understandable.

Of course the cinematic doesn't reveal anything new about the actual gameplay, but that's not really the goal of these mini movies. The cinematic trailer gets players invested in the world of the game and the lore surrounding it. If it's gameplay you want to see, there are plenty of other videos for you.

If nearly fifteen minutes of cinematics aren't enough to get you excited for the latest AAA title in the MMO genre, maybe some fun facts will help win you over. The following infographic released on the Bethesda Blog and highlights some interesting stats from the TESO beta.

Over five million registered beta testers is certainly an impressive demonstration of interest in the MMO. Big improvements were made to the game throughout the course of the beta and testers generally had a very positive reaction to what they were able to see of the game. Obviously, participation in a free beta doesn't always lead to a purchase of the finished product, but there is no denying that (thanks partially to franchise loyalty) an impressive-sized market of gamers are at least considering giving the game a try.

After months of speculation about how many people would or wouldn't pony up $60 for the game along with its controversial monthly subscription fee, the time is finally here to see how ESO performs. Thanks to the free month of play that all consumers who purchase the game receive, the servers should be full of players for at least the next 30 days. We look forward to seeing how many subscribers the game is able to retain in the following months. Check back soon for our review.

Do you plan on spending your weekend playing TESO? Sound off in the comments.

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The Elder Scrolls Online is currently available for PC and Mac, with Xbox One and PlayStation 4 ports set to debut in June.

Follow Denny on Twitter @The_DFC.

Source: Bethesda