Interplay Claims It Could Take Back Fallout

[PizzaSHARK]

oblivion sold pretty well, despite one of the easiest to crack DRM (i seem to remember i didn't have to put it my dvd to play).
and i'm pretty sure not everyone installed a lot of mods. a lot of people bought it, played it, liked it, moved on.

to clarify though: i did use mods. but only long after playing everything there was to be had with vanilla.

I played it vanilla the first time as well. I bought it mostly because I was still playing on a crappy computer and I could actually run Oblivion with settings turned down... and I had no internet access at the time.

The biggest issue, the issue that almost everyone cited being reason for hating the game, was the fact that everything leveled with the PC. You'd wander into some little rathole at higher levels and be fighting Goblins using Glass and Daedric armor and weapons. Pretty silly.

Honestly, the core game is actually pretty much just fine (unlike FO3) - most of the mods I use just make the game look nicer, increase stability, and generally rebalance combat a bit. Oblivion doesn't need near as many overhaul mods as does Fallout 3; that's probably because Oblivion didn't effectively shit on the TES character creation and development system like FO3 did for the SPECIAL system.

 

[Chris Vician]

God i hope beth wins this. fuck interplay. they sold all there shit, then want it back now that its all grown up, and will end up destroying it,


besides, no matter how childish, the court will back up the legel documents, and if they do say all interplay had was the name Fallout for the MMO, beth will win, and it wont invalidate the contract as they can still make the Fallout MMO, just not with anything from the current Fallout universe.

Interplay fucked up in there haste to sell the IP, and made statements w/o explanation. i dont want those people to have the fallout IP

 

[The Youth Counselor]

Bethesda's argument that they allowed the use of the Fallout IP in name only but not in art and story is like saying "When I said you can borrow the car, I didn't mean you could drive it!"

 

[13lackfriday]

Won't cry if Fallout is retired for a while.

Feels like the franchise is getting increasingly mediocre, and suspending it for a couple of years until the gaming industry actually has some fresh ideas to revitalize the franchise wouldn't hurt.

Honestly, an MMO?
Guys, there's been at least 5 postapocalyptic MMO's you could've been playing this whole time, and they were all fundamentally the same game (WOW) with some unique features and quirks.

Every franchise and its mother has an MMO...it is not what Fallout needs to be fresh again.

 

[Nikolaz72]

Interplay did fail to meet the financial requirements, but their claim (which is pretty strong on this, actually), is that they failed to do so because Bethesda acted in bad faith from the beginning, never actually intending for them to be able to finish the game, and tried to stop them from making the game by any means necessary even before the deadline.

Except, if you turn it around... Interplay sells the IP with the provision that they get to work on an MMO. Then, they get the MMO ready to roll, but claim they're behind the mark in order to provoke Bethesda into telling them to stop. They deliberately provoke it into a court case by refusing to settle or mediate... and now they're looking at reclaiming the license because they provoked the other party into behaving in "bad faith"... call me crazy but that sounds like a plan.

Lets turn it into. Bethesda didnt buy the rights to make a fallout MMO because they knew this would happend and they would get the rights to do it without paying the money in the end if they played their cards right. And you dont even have to be crazy to call that a plan.

That's plausible except, under that scenario Bethesda is banking on a probability which they don't have actual control over. It's a valid possibility, and it's certainly strengthened by their claim that they only licensed the name, not the IP back to Interplay for the MMO, since the game was never going to be made, it wouldn't matter, and if they did start to get the game up off the ground, it would have been a convenient way to hit them again and try to shut the project down. But that would be a much riskier proposition, for all the reasons we're seeing, and doesn't seem like the kind of risk a major publisher would be willing to take.

Major publishers still take stupid risks daily. Actually every person takes stupid risks at some point. On top of that, its more likely that Bethesda found themself comfortable having to fight with Interplay than Interplay would have found it comfortable having to fight with Bethesda.

 

[Antonio Torrente]

I hate when game companies act like children again, first EA and Activi$ion now this? sheesh

 

[Sabartooth101]

idk, maybe interplay was pushed around by bethesda, but as a fallout fan, i hope bethesda keeps the rights. I know im gonna get shot the hell down for saying this, but imo interplay had its time. They're not tht rich now, and it was ages since they made a hit game. I feel bethasda could do more with fallout at the moment then interplay. Bethesda's using a knew engine for Skyrim and i think we can expect it to use the same for the next fallout. Simply put, i think bethesda is better equiped and more expirienced with modern tech then interplay at this time. Interplay was once great, but i think they should leave the game with dignity, not grabbing whatever they can.

 

[Vrach]

To hell with Interplay. After the mediocre showings of Tactics and BoS, they thought the series dead, and couldn't sell it fast enough. Now Bethesda surprisingly brings it back to life, and Interplay wants back in on the picture.

Sorry, that's now how it works. You sold the license. It's Bethesda's now, move the fuck on, and stop acting like a 5-year-old.

This is the way I see it as well. And as much as it seems dickish to block the creation of a game, it's not even remotely surprising. Why would you buy a Fallout game if there's an MMO out there already offering more? Larger landscape, more things to do and even the ability to play with others. As awesome as it is for us, fact is, it steps all over Bethesda's ability to make and sell their games.

However, if the deal initially did include an MMO, they don't really have a leg to stand on, that's a pure and simple contract violation and something they should've thought of in the first place. I wish instead of bickering like little children, they could put their efforts together instead and both work on the MMO. Also, I think Bethesda should lay off the Fallout franchise eventually anyway, frankly I don't see them having an awful lot of inspiration to just keep throwing out good games with the IP, an MMO would maybe even be a better option for them too.

 

[Spectrum_Prez]

Based on my experience with Bethesda games, I would speculate (and, be honest, a lot of what we do here is pure speculation) that the reason why Bethesda is so up in arms about a possible Fallout MMO is not that they want to do it themselves, it's that they're afraid Interplay will damage the reputation of the IP by releasing something truly awful. Everyone knows that making a AAA MMO that can compete with WoW is very very difficult right now, barring TOR being a huge success. How many games have tried and failed? Basically, Bethesda wants to shut down a Fallout MMO before it gets off the ground, so that their new golden goose doesn't get tarred by some hack developers that are outside of its control. And if they get rights to do the MMO, I'm putting my money on them never even attempting to because its really just not their thing and they know its far too risky.

 

[Lerxst]

Interplay has my support for being a much more creative, original developer than Bethesda ever has been. Bethesda just came along after the fact, added some eye-candy and called it theirs.

If either were to do an MMO, I would much rather see Interplay be the ones to release/develop it.

 

[Bibliomancer]

Oh, wow. Wow. Interplay has balls, I'll give them that. Balls, and no damn sense whatsoever. News flash; your company is still soaked in debt, hasn't produced a damn thing in ages, and is headed into a legal fight that will almost certainly stretch on for another few years. But the bit that kills me? The line that destroys me? The idea that showing anything from the MMO would be damaging to their case.

See, you know what that sounds like to me? It sounds like a steaming pile of BS. It sounds like they DON'T have anything to show for all these years of work and venture capital. It sounds to me like they're trying to bank off Bethesda's success in a desperate bid to actually make money again. You want to silence critics and give yourself a good accounting for this case? Show us what you have. It's ONE YEAR from the deadline for the game's release according to the original contract, which you seem so keen to bring up. ONE. YEAR. So where's the beta testing? Where's the presence at major industry expos? Where is ANYTHING aside from that crap newsletter that doesn't tell interested parties a damn thing?

The Interplay Fallout MMO is nothing more than vaporware. I'm calling it here. Because if they had anything, I mean REALLY had anything, they could show it by now in order to drum up support and bring in extra money to help them fight this. But they won't, because they can't.

***** at Bethesda all you want, but at least their damn games actually come out. And they sure as hell didn't make Brotherhood of Steel, so bonus points for that.

I agree. Interplay formally announced the project in 2006 and said they wanted it released in 2010, last year. If you go to the Fallout Online website though, you see a couple pieces of concept art and nothing else. Where are the gameplay videos, the screenshots or the hard information about gameplay and the technical aspects? For a game apparently coming out next year, you would think that someone outside the company would have seen some of it. The Duke Nukem Forever developers put out more information than Interplay. My guess is that it's vaporware and that Interplay is either stalling for time, or wants a payoff from Bethesda.

 

[Brotherofwill]

Dear Bethesda. I had respect for you. Then you made oblivioon. I thought it was ok, but nowhere near as good as Morrowind. Then you made Fallout 3. I thought it was ok, but nowhere near as good as Fallout 1-2. Please let Interplay do this project in peace. Don't act like an ass. You make pretty good RPG's. So did Interplay. Let them try with the Fallout MMO. I am mildly excited about it. I really, really want it made.

Key word: did

Black Isle don't exist anymore (A number of them formed Obsidian), and Interplay are a shell of what they were. If you want Fallout games, you'll back Bethesda because they have the funds, the skill and the ability to make the games happen. Interplay have two French twits who headed the company that made Superman 64.

Now, really, who would you want in charge? The people who made Superman 64 or the people who made Morrowind?

I say give the IP to Bioware and Obsidian as a joint venture. Let Bioware concentrate on the overall story arc and engine design, while Obsidian gets the actual plot and artwork design. They collaborate on the interaction mechanics.

Bioware would kill that baby quicker than they killed any originality they had in ME or DA:O, so probably within 2 games. Before you know it Fallout 6 would have you join a bunch of heroic wastelanders to fight of the bad guys in increasingly linear and pointless battles. Your team would be a well balanced selection of every creed, gender or mutant, you know, for that special pg-13 underwear romance everyone can't get enough of.

Okay maybe if Bioware stick only to the technical side of things, then it coud work.

More realistically though: If Bethesda take their new TES 5 engine, use the writing ability of Obsidian or the Fallout creators and build upon some promising concepts in New Vegas, then I could see Fallout 5 being a massive hit.

 

[Callate]

If killing the Fallout franchise is the only significant thing that what remains of Interplay manages to accomplish in a ten year span, they're not exactly going to make themselves a lot of friends. I don't know what Bethesda's motive is in trying to kill off the MMO (other than worrying about diluting the brand they've just re-invigorated), but it sounds like Interplay is skirting the border of Tim Langdell-style behavior.

 

[Blatherscythe]

Dear Bethesda. I had respect for you. Then you made oblivioon. I thought it was ok, but nowhere near as good as Morrowind. Then you made Fallout 3. I thought it was ok, but nowhere near as good as Fallout 1-2. Please let Interplay do this project in peace. Don't act like an ass. You make pretty good RPG's. So did Interplay. Let them try with the Fallout MMO. I am mildly excited about it. I really, really want it made.

Key word: did

Black Isle don't exist anymore (A number of them formed Obsidian), and Interplay are a shell of what they were. If you want Fallout games, you'll back Bethesda because they have the funds, the skill and the ability to make the games happen. Interplay have two French twits who headed the company that made Superman 64.

Now, really, who would you want in charge? The people who made Superman 64 or the people who made Morrowind?

I say give the IP to Bioware and Obsidian as a joint venture. Let Bioware concentrate on the overall story arc and engine design, while Obsidian gets the actual plot and artwork design. They collaborate on the interaction mechanics.

Here's a thought, let Bioware handle dialoge, gun-play, narrative, characters and companions, let Obsidian make the story and let Bethesda create the world, item designs and melee combat. That could make one of the greatest games of the decade! If we find a great game engine to support this tour de force.

 

[HellspawnCandy]

Why an MMO? Make more excellent single player games. Stop making MMO's, just stop.

 

[Low Key]

Clearly, the only way this can properly be settled is a duel to the death.

 

[illuminatus561]

I see a lot of people defending Interplay here. Let's look at facts. First off, Interplay has failed for years to bring out new Fallout. Prior to Bethesda, Interplay wanted to bring out Fallout 3 or the Van Buren Project. That died in the water. Then the franchise sat dead for years until Bethesda came along. When Bethesda purchased the franchise IP, Interplay maintained that they wanted to to create Fallout Online. This was in 2007. Now, it's 2011 and we still have no fallout Online. I'm seeing a pattern here with Interplay and it just isn't with the fallout franchise. back in the day, Interplay was notorious for long development times, cancelled projects and generally screwing over gamers. If any of us want to ever see a good future for the Fallout Franchise, Interplay needs to lose this case or we can kiss Fallout goodbye, again. I'm sure most of you original fallout fans out there remember when it was announced that Van Buren was cancelled. Interplay was on the shit list then. And in regards to Interplay being preyed upon, I think Bethesda was more than patient with Interplay. Giving a company two years to secure pre-production assets and funding, especially when the SEC fillings were already approved, is very generous according to documentation, as long as they were in pre-production, which is usually concept stuff, they would then have 4 years until Fallout Online needed to be in beta. Guess what, like Interplay is notorious for doing, they weren't as far along as they should have been. If we leave it to Interplay. it will be 2282 before the MMORPG is read to roll out It goes to show you that Interplay says they want to continue the fallout property but can't do it financially and they don't have the same ethic to their fans like Bethesda does. And yes, I get from some of these comments that people are still pinning over the original Fallout isometric perspective. I feel more connected with the Fallout characters now than I did before while playing 1 and 2 and I played Fallout 1 when it first came out. I think Bethesda did a hell of a job bringing the franchise to the next generation. All things considered, I think looking at Interplay's history as a company will tell you what we can expect from them if they get the rights back. I guarantee if they get the rights back, Fallout will die once again. They don't have the long term commitment to the franchise that Bethesda and Obsidian can bring.