Bethesda Softworks' ambitious upcoming role-playing game The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind most likely won't arrive in stores this holiday season. Online retailer EBGames has updated its release date for the game to March 2002 from its previous release date this November, and other online retailers have extended their estimated release dates for both the PC and Xbox versions of the game. Bethesda has not returned our inquiries concerning the game's delay and clarification on whether the delay affected both versions of the game or just one version.

　　Morrowind will take place in a medieval fantasy world inhabited by 10 playable races and a wide range of creatures and monsters. Players will take part in an epic nonlinear single-player storyline with a variety of different quests and subquests. The game uses an advanced 3D engine that is designed to compete with the latest first-person shooter engines, and it will include a complete world-building tool that will let players design, create, and use custom items, monsters, quests, and areas.

　　Morrowind is expected to be released in early 2002. For more information, take a look at our previous coverage of the game and visit the official Morrowind Web site.