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Original Fallout games are once again Steam-powered
When Bethesda took over the rights to the Fallout franchise from previous holder Interplay in January, the company promised to have Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics back on Steam "at the earliest date possible." Turns out, the earliest possible date was earlier this week, a turnaround of just more than five months. As announced on the Bethesda blog, all three games support Steam Cloud saves, Fallout and Fallout 2 can run in either high-resolution or classic low-res mode, and Fallout Tactics is currently not compatible with Windows 8. Each game is $9.99 apiece or $19.99 when bundled together as the Fallout Classic Collection. Or rather, they would be, if the Steam Summer Sale weren't currently going on, marking individual titles down to $4.99 and the Classic pack to $12.99. Isn't that a nice case of coincidental timing? [Image: Bethesda]
PSA: Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics pulled from GOG.com
Digital distribution channel GOG.com has pulled Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics from its virtual shelves. The decision is in regards to new IP owner Bethesda, which officially took over full franchise rights from Interplay as of January 1, 2014. The settlement between the two companies was reached early last year after years of litigation over a Fallout MMO in development at Interplay. If you've purchased any of these Fallout games through GOG prior to Tuesday, December 31, 2013 at 3:59PM GMT, you can still re-download through the "My Games" section, but new customers are hereby barred from purchasing and downloading these games through GOG from here on out.
Get three free Fallouts today in GOG's Winter Sale
Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics are free on GOG right now through Saturday, December 14 at 9AM ET. All this free Fallout is in celebration of GOG's 2013 DRM-Free Winter Sale, which offers more than 600 games for at least 50 percent off through December 29 at 9AM ET. GOG has roped in a few well-known YouTube personalities to promote daily sales of up to 75 percent off, and GOG users can vote on bundles they wish to see 80 percent off the following day. GOG members are also able to choose one of three daily mystery deals. All purchases are covered by GOG's 30-day money-back guarantee, which allows players to get their money back if a game doesn't run or has game-breaking bugs. The Fallout series is officially changing owners – from Interplay to Bethesda – on January 1, and GOG will have to remove Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics from its library. But they're free now, so go on and grab 'em.
Please stand by: Fallout Online gets its own website
The Interplay/Bethesda Fallout legal battle is one mired in as much speculation as it is in fact, although we do know that Interplay has been attempting to get a Fallout MMO project off the ground for some time now. Code-named V13, Fallout Online is currently Interplay's baby, although we haven't seen a clear go-ahead due to the legal struggle over the rights. It was a bit of a surprise, then, to see a teaser website for Fallout Online launch with little fanfare. Currently, there isn't much there, just a brief glimpse at a workshop desk with various Fallout references to the Master, Brahmin, and Nuka-Cola before a form obscures the screen. You then can sign up for their mailing list, as well as a beta opt-in. Following that, you are unceremoniously sent to the Interplay forums. It looks legit, too: Interplay is promoting Fallout Online from their main website, and the new teaser site is indeed registered to Interplay Entertainment Corp. Seeing as how Fallout fans are incredibly passionate about this franchise, even a hint that this MMO is progressing toward launch should come as a jolt of radioactive bliss. Check out the website and let us know what you think! [Thanks Eric "Nickelpat" Minaker!]
Breaking: Bethesda drops Fallout MMO lawsuit [Update: Bethesda denies report]
[Update: A Bethesda spokesperson told Joystiq, "It's an ongoing legal matter. I don't know where whoever reported that got their information, but it is ongoing and we are going to see how it plays out in court." So there you have it – Interplay and Bethesda haven't made nice just yet. Original post follows.] Do you hear that? That is the hushed sound of pre-squee joy from millions of Fallout fans who will be thrilled to hear that Bethesda has abruptly dropped their lawsuit against Interplay, freeing up the latter company to go ahead with a Fallout MMO (also known as "Project V13"). Duck and Cover got the scoop from Interplay investor "Frymuchan," who hinted at a secret deal between the two companies: "Bethesda dropped their appeal of the lawsuit with Interplay and a secret deal was struck (maybe they will release the terms of the deal soon, probably so). Anyways, this is awesome news for Interplay stock. The appeal by Bethesda was dropped yesterday. I'm assuming part of the deal was that Interplay drop their countersuit against Bethesda." For fans of the franchise who have been dismayed at the lawsuit -- which has been dragging on for months at this point -- this presents great hope for the much-anticipated Fallout MMO to actually see development and release. We'll be sure to bring you the official word from either Bethesda or Interplay when it happens. %Gallery-77042%
The Digital Continuum: My Fallout MMO
There are times when I feel like being completely indulgent, and this week's The Digital Continuum is one of them. The Fallout MMO has been a long while coming and probably will continue to be "on the horizon" well into the foreseeable future. So, it's with this knowledge that I've put together a grocery list of ideas that would be in my version of the game -- things that would make me decidedly excited to play as soon as possible. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised it took me so long to write these things down.
Interplay games (including the Fallout series) now on Steam
Valve's Steam service just got an injection of Interplay titles, with a host of new games currently available for download. There's the classic Fallout games, which include Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics (available individually for $8.99 or as a bundle for $20), but also Kingpin ($8.99) and Sacrifice ($8.99), the former being a bloody FPS and the latter being an inventive combat-focused RTS. If you've got a PC, we'd suggest you at least check out the original Fallout. There's a demo you can grab from CNET right here. [Update: Shagittarius reminds us that you can get Fallout games (not to mention Sacrifice and Kingpin) from GoG with no DRM for a few bucks less than Steam.]
Get caught up with the 15-minute Fallout Retrospective
Do you find yourself with a good quarter-hour to kill this Sunday evening? Do you have a relatively fast internet connection? Are you curious about the mythos of the Fallout universe -- curiosity spawned from excitement over Bethesda's upcoming entry into the franchise, Fallout 3? Do you have absolutely no plans to go back and play the earlier installments in said franchise, and therefore have no hangups over having the plots of said games spoiled for you? If the answer to all of the above questions is an exuberant "yes", you really have no reason not to check out Gametrailers' Fallout Retrospective, which we've posted after the break. Unless, of course, you were lying earlier -- in which case, this conversation is over.
GameTap Thursday: Fallout 2 added, Fallout becomes free to play
With Fallout 3 available later next month, GameTap makes the original Fallout free for all to play. Meanwhile, Fallout 2 becomes available for subscribers of the gaming buffet. It's time for some of y'all whippersnappers to play your post-apocalyptic history in glorious 2D. Fallout 2 (Windows) - Save Arroyo by finding the Garden of Eden Creation Kit ... or don't. Whatever, it's your choice. The full list of free-to-play titles can be found after the break.
Obsidian's Avellone on breaking into the industry
Over at Penny Arcade, Obsidian co-founder Chris Avellone has some advice for aspiring game designers. A creative force behind RPG classics Fallout 2, Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale and the upcoming Neverwinter Nights 2, Avellone is always an entertaining read. He values persistence, practical experience, and attention to detail over academic background. And if you want to be a writer, a sense of humor doesn't hurt, either. Just make sure your email address isn't SuperMageCockLord@yourmomma.com. Chris will explain why.See also: NWN mod creator on Atari, Infinite Dungeons Obsidian's Urquhart: happy thoughts on KoTOR 3
