Apologies for the double rumour posting, though this one is particularly juicy. Tongues have wagged and beards have been thoughtfully stroked today, after Bethesda Softworks registered a new website address, elderscrollsonline.com, that suggested an MMO based on the Elder Scrolls series of games could be on the way.

When approached about the new URL, Bethesda was keen to cover up its trails, with company spokesperson Pete Hines reassuring GameSpot that the address, which currently leads nowhere, had been snapped up simply to stop others registering it.

Of course, it could well be that Hines is telling the truth, or that the address will eventually be used for an expressly different purpose. But then, the Elder Scrolls series would undoubtedly lend itself well to the MMO genre, and the faithful following it has built up would give it a head start over newer rivals. Watch this space.