User blog comment:XvLIGHTNINGvx/Skyrim's Weapons Will Not Degrade Over Time/@comment-1915112-20110903043022

Hmmm, the only problem I see with this is the slippery slope towards increasing simplicity. Part of why I enjoy the Elder Scrolls games is because of all the DETAIL. Repairing weapons and armor was always a niggling little irritation, but I enjoyed the perks of having a high skill level in repair and using it to make my stuff better.

One of the issues I see with them removing weapon degradation, along with spell crafting, various weapon types like spears and crossbows, making armor less segmented (no more patchwork armor for example), etc, is the gradual movement towards the realm of 1st person shooters, and away from RPGing. You don't have all the complexity and detail of a game like Morrowind in a game like Halo, because you don't need it, and though I am thrilled that the game combat can actually flow as smoothly as a game like Halo now, I still like the little niggling details that make the game much more immersive, like having to stop every now and again to make sure your sword is sharp

I think part of it has to do with the game being released on console. Console players can't deal with too many details in an efficient way because their controllers lack the speed and efficiency of a computer mouse and/or keyboard, and I think the increased simplicity is basically catering to them. Skyrim won't be a PC game released on console the way Oblivion was, but a console game released on PC.