Bethesda reclaims Fallout MMO rights

[Nujui]

The legal battle that began in 2009 between Bethesda and Interplay has finally ended. Bethesda parent company ZeniMax today announced that a settlement between the two companies has been reached, with Bethesda getting back rights to develop a massively multiplayer online game set in the Fallout universe.

Source

 

[Celice]

Now, are they going to, though?

 

[Foxi4]

That... is incredibly unfair.

I watched this situation closely from the very beginning and it really does feel like Interplay, a company I have fond feelings for even now and the birthplace of many games I truly enjoyed has been swindled. What began as giving the rights to create Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 to Bethesda ends up in basically exclusive rights to the franchise for Bethesda and canning yet another promising Fallout project when it's already in-development.

This... almost spells the end of Interplay, actually. The company's not doing so great as it is, and Fallout was what kept it afloat. I was actually half-expecting Interplay to release Fallout games in the future, after Bethesda releases Fallout 4 (the original deal only stated that they have rights to develop two sequels, hence "New Vegas" has no number so that it's treated as a "stand-alone mission pack" rather than 4).

It really... saddens me. Thoroughly. Fallout will never be the same again, apparently. Much of the game I've learned to love is gone in the new games. I suppose I just have to come to terms with that.

EDIT: www.fallout-on-line.com AKA Project V13's homepage as of now is dead. All that's displayed is just white nothingness... And there I was hoping that I will be accepted for beta testing.

 

[ferofax]

Interplay doesn't have the cash to keep fighting the fight. They can't afford an extended legal battle, Bethesda can. It's pretty much "compromise or we sink you".

 

[Foxi4]

Interplay doesn't have the cash to keep fighting the fight. They can't afford an extended legal battle, Bethesda can. It's pretty much "compromise or we sink you".

Fair play, but I smell some corruption going on, some dirty money being distributed nder the tables. When the deal clearly states "You get rights for two sequels, we get rights for an MMO", then the deal is interpreted as "We get rights for two sequels, you can make an MMO but you can't name it Fallout because we own the name now" and after a few years we end up with "Actually, you can't make an MMO, and we'll make as many games as we want because we now have the entire IP", it's just *suspicious* to say the least. The word "reclaimed" in the news article should be replaced with "stole", because that's exactly what happened. They were legally pushed into giving away what was rightfuly theirs just because they're smaller. Disgusting practice, really.

 

[Hells Malice]

I'd much rather see a Fallout 3 style MMO, instead of a Fallout 1/2 style MMO.

Even still, not really fair. This basically sends the message, "Hey thanks for giving us the rights to make Fallout 3...now get the fuck out and stop bothering our franchise."
Dick move Bethesda.

 

[MelodieOctavia]

Welp, looks like I won't be playing that MMO.

 

[Foxi4]

I'd much rather see a Fallout 3 style MMO, instead of a Fallout 1/2 style MMO.

Even still, not really fair. This basically sends the message, "Hey thanks for giving us the rights to make Fallout 3...now get the fuck out and stop bothering our franchise."
Dick move Bethesda.

Well, this dispute really goes way, way back, further than people normally assume. All that is known to the general public is that "the rights to the franchise were sold", but nobody seems to mention that in the original contract, those rights were very much temporary. Interplay was in deep financial trouble at the time, actually close to closing their doors and simply needed the money injection. They had no intention of losing Fallout, they just "borrowed" it.

Fallout Online was not going to be anything like Fallout 1 or 2 in the slightest - it was very reminescent of Fallout 3, however it was much "grittier" if you know what I mean, at least this is the impression I got from the original artworks.

Fallout 3 seems to be very jolly about its envioriment, people somehow accepted that the world has ended and a new one began. That's not exactly what one would expect. I always wanted the games to be a bit more like "Wasteland is Harsh, deal wit'it" sort of games and New Vegas was an answer to those cries, but still a long way from perfecting and reproducing the atmosphere of the original. This constantly depressed world, yet filled with humour and puns. Those culture refferences, heck, there was even a Tardis in one encounter.

I had high hopes for Online. I hope it leaks out at some point, like Fallout 3: Van Buren.

 

[Gahars]

That's a real shame for Interplay, but it sadly isn't much of a surprise. Bethesda does have a lot of money to throw around for legal disputes; if you're a smaller developer just hanging on, there's no way you can win.

Then again, I'm not sure if this game would've had much of a chance anyway. It would be yet another MMO in an already oversaturated market; I don't think the fan base, dedicated as it is, would've been enough to keep it afloat.

If Interplay has to close its doors because of this, I can only hope that its workerss can find work elsewhere.

 

[Sterling]

Unsurprising? Yes. Sad? Maybe.

I've been watching this for awhile now on the GameFAQS New Vegas forum, and while I can sympathize with Interplay a bit, I don't. I never really liked Interplay much, and after going back and playing FO 1&2, I can't see how any of that could have been turned into the game it is now. No, I believe that Fallout's turning point was when Bethesda took up the game. I don't believe that Interplay would have ever, and I mean ever been able to do anything with the series.

 

[Foxi4]

Unsurprising? Yes. Sad? Maybe.

I've been watching this for awhile now on the GameFAQS New Vegas forum, and while I can sympathize with Interplay a bit, I don't. I never really liked Interplay much, and after going back and playing FO 1&2, I can't see how any of that could have been turned into the game it is now. No, I believe that Fallout's turning point was when Bethesda took up the game. I don't believe that Interplay would have ever, and I mean ever been able to do anything with the series.

There is a difference between a game that doesn't age well and was "king" at the time of its release and a game that's "king" now.

 

[Sterling]

Unsurprising? Yes. Sad? Maybe.

I've been watching this for awhile now on the GameFAQS New Vegas forum, and while I can sympathize with Interplay a bit, I don't. I never really liked Interplay much, and after going back and playing FO 1&2, I can't see how any of that could have been turned into the game it is now. No, I believe that Fallout's turning point was when Bethesda took up the game. I don't believe that Interplay would have ever, and I mean ever been able to do anything with the series.

There is a difference between a game that doesn't age well and was "king" at the time of its release and a game that's "king" now.

I just don't see how Interplay could have ever conceived a new Fallout if Bethesda hadn't gotten a hold of the rights. I also can't see them doing anything in their current state either since they're poor as hell and in debt up to their ears.

 

[rehevkor]

This is.. news, I had/have little hopes for any MMO made by Interplay, and about as much for one made by Bethesda.

I do feel sorry for he people working on the Interplay MMO. Without a strong franchise name behind it it's near enough doomed.