Bethesda Reclaims Rights to the Fallout MMOG

Igxe

Last week it was reported that Bethesda and Interplay had finally settled their long engagement over the rights to Fallout Online. According to a new press release on the Bethesda blog, Interplay’s rights to develop the Fallout MMOG have been declared “null and void” and rights have reverted back to Bethesda. As part of the settlement, Bethesda parent company ZeniMax will pay Interplay $2 million as part of the settlement.
The press release also details a settlement a for another litigation against Earthrise developer Masthead Studios for alleged involvement of developing Fallout Online without permission from Bethesda for Interplay.

As for now, the Fallout Online MMOG appears to be dead in the water unless Bethesda has something up their sleeve for the future.

ShadowHearth

If it will be anything like fallout new vegas/3 or oblivion and oblivion 2.0, them I "dissapoint"

Igxe

ShadowHearth wrote: »

If it will be anything like fallout new vegas/3 or oblivion and oblivion 2.0, them I "dissapoint"

bump

ShadowHearth

Just to add on that:

Unless Bethesda is good at pulling games out of its ass, we are in very long wait for fallout mmorpg.

If they want to make a good quality mmorpg, then they are looking at 5 years development. So by that time I will be in my 30s and with kids ( misses has her nagging about kids set to 11 ), which will mean: very little time for mmorpgs.

Would be cool ofc, but I don't know of I will be still on this planet to enjoy it

oxo_

Dunno, I'd wait and see what the community can even do once the proper creation kit for Skyrim is released. There's already some very early alpha of an online portion of Skyrim, very early, but still to do that without even the proper creation kit from Bethesda is quiet good.

Personally, I'd like to see Bethesda partner with Blizzard for an MMO but hey, wishful thinking...

Kiith

I'd prefer they stuck to single player games, and made a Fallout game in the Skyrim engine. Not everything needs to be multiplayer.

ShadowHearth

Kiith wrote: »

I'd prefer they stuck to single player games, and made a Fallout game in the Skyrim engine. Not everything needs to be multiplayer.

That is a very good point.

I do play new Starwars mmorpg, but to be honest, I could live without all that mmorpg aspect. It would be a great single player game too.

Unfortunately I can't see them making new fallout so game on skyrim engine. No way they have spent millions to get that mmorpg right and then work on so game and mmorpg game at same time.

vader65

As good as it is to finally see this feud finish, does Fallout need an MMO? It seems now that every popular game needs an MMO, I'd prefer if they decided to release their games less buggy and more finished.

marco_polo

Kiith wrote: »

I'd prefer they stuck to single player games, and made a Fallout game in the Skyrim engine. Not everything needs to be multiplayer.

Nearly all the best MMOGs are though

ShadowHearth wrote: »

That is a very good point.

I do play new Starwars mmorpg, but to be honest, I could live without all that mmorpg aspect. It would be a great single player game too.

Unfortunately I can't see them making new fallout so game on skyrim engine. No way they have spent millions to get that mmorpg right and then work on so game and mmorpg game at same time.

There is distinction between Bethesda Softworks (the publishing arm) who have aquired the rights) and their development studio Bethesda Game Studios who developed Fallout 3 and Skyrim.

Bethesda Softworks could well (likely even?) opt to use a different studio for the MMO, just like the way they enlisted Obsidian to develop Fallout New Vegas, leaving Bethesda Game Studio free to concentrate on what is presumably the next Fallout installment.

gizmo

You're all also assuming Bethesda want to make a Fallout MMORPG anytime soon. The legal wranglings with Interplay could just have likely been about protecting the brand as anything else.

marco_polo

gizmo wrote: »

You're all also assuming Bethesda want to make a Fallout MMORPG anytime soon. The legal wranglings with Interplay could just have likely been about protecting the brand as anything else.

This guy is wondering if Interplay ever really wanted to make it either. It is certainly not too big of a stretch of the imagination to believe that all of this this was designed to squeeze one more payday out of Bethesda.

http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/fallout-mmo/1216199p1.html

ShadowHearth

gizmo wrote: »

You're all also assuming Bethesda want to make a Fallout MMORPG anytime soon. The legal wranglings with Interplay could just have likely been about protecting the brand as anything else.

That is actually a good point too.

I bet it costed them more then 2mil with all law suit bills etc. would trey really go with such expenses just for the peace of mind?

On the other note if they really want mmorpg, they will have to go with new gen mmorpg model, as the current Everquest/wow one is really getting out of fashion with new gen mmorpg just behind the corner. On the other hand they might have been working on it for years and just making sure there were no legal issues, which would make me a bit worried. Swtor should be the last one of the old world.

gizmo

marco_polo wrote: »

This guy is wondering if Interplay ever really wanted to make it either. It is certainly not too big of a stretch of the imagination to believe that all of this this was designed to squeeze one more payday out of Bethesda.

http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/fallout-mmo/1216199p1.html

Given Interplay's current finanical situation I'd eat my bloody hat if this game was in proper development. Remember all they had to do was "officially begin development" on the title by 2009, that could simply have meant pre-production which, given the content they had released thus far, is where I reckon it stayed.

ShadowHearth wrote: »

That is actually a good point too.

I bet it costed them more then 2mil with all law suit bills etc. would trey really go with such expenses just for the peace of mind?

Exactly. Equally, if the game had actually been in development since 2009, do you really think Interplay would give up for a measly $2m?

ShadowHearth

gizmo wrote: »

Given Interplay's current finanical situation I'd eat my bloody hat if this game was in proper development. Remember all they had to do was "officially begin development" on the title by 2009, that could simply have meant pre-production which, given the content they had released thus far, is where I reckon it stayed.


Exactly. Equally, if the game had actually been in development since 2009, do you really think Interplay would give up for a measly $2m?

One good thing out al this: interplay got some money!

They were really good back in the day so maybe with more resources they would come up with some new IP? As much as I remember interplay had only two things left as studio - name and fallout franchise...

degrassinoel

interplay have been in trouble for years, as had the fallout franchise since the relase of Fallout BOS which was an almighty flop.

2mill for interplay, surely thats a slap in the face for the guys who'd given birth to the original games which are imo far superior in their storylines than fallout 3, or new vegas ever was.

Sephiroth_dude

I would love to see a fallout mmo

windingo

I was a huge fan of fallout so its one I would play.