Xbox 360 gamers without a Live account will soon be able to enjoy the massive Shivering Isles expansion pack for Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, says developer Bethesda.

Incoming in October, some time, a standalone Shivering Isles disc will hit retail, complete with the extra Knights of the Nine add-on for a not unreasonable $29.99 (approx £15). Actually, that’s not bad at all considering that Live gamers currently pay 2400 MS points (£20.40) for Shivering Isles and 800 (£6.80) for Knights of the Nine. That being the case we’d recommend the retail release for everybody – and Microsoft, we want our money back!

Ah, but experience shows that it’s never safe to make such straightforward Dollar-to-Sterling conversions, otherwise we’d all be enjoying el-cheapo PS3s and Halo 3 for under £30. It’s most likely safer to assume that when Bethesda gets around to announcing a UK RRP it’ll be closer to the MS Points equivalent for the combined download. So hooray, on the one hand, and boo on the other.

A Game of the Year edition is in the pipeline for 360 and PS3 in October too. It includes the full Oblivion game and both the aforementioned expansions, priced at around £40 on the 360. If you entertain the thought of ever having any spare time/friends/sunlight warming your pasty flesh again, buy it at your peril.