IGN recently got some hands on time with the Playstation 3 version of Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, and they had some interesting observations. The game is scheduled to ship March 13th, roughly a year after the Xbox 360 release, so one would expect some upgrades for this release. Overall, IGN’s experience with the PS3 version was improved over the Xbox 360 release, including better load times, improved draw distances and sharper textures. It sounds like whatever issues Bethesda had with the PS3 Blu-Ray drive have been resolved, and they have spent additional time optimizing the release for Sony’s Cell architecture. The improved draw distances and frame rates may not stay exclusive to the Playstation 3, however, as Bethesda has promised that their improved shader code will also be hitting the Xbox 360 in the upcoming Shivering Isles expansion pack. In regards to expansions for the Playstation 3, IGN found that of the eight add-ons that Bethesda has made available, only the Knights of the Nine quest will be included in the retail release for the Playstation 3. Other modules might be added later through the Playstation Network, but Bethesda has made no promises regarding availability for neither the downloads nor the upcoming Shivering Isles expansion on the Playstation 3. At the very least, though, it appears that Bethesda has taken their time on the release and gone beyond making the game a simple port from the previous versions of the game.