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More hints of a Fallout MMO?
We've alternately consulted both our Magic 8 Ball and a Ouija board for answers to the Fallout MMO question. As in, will there be one? We think we've got a handle on the licensing intricacies of Fallout between ZeniMax Media (parent company of Bethesda Softworks) and Interplay thanks to a stellar article written by Daedren for r1ft Gaming. Briefly stated, Bethesda owns the rights to the Fallout IP, but not a Fallout MMO. Interplay holds the Fallout MMO rights, but only if they could raise $30 million and begin development by April 2009. Interplay has mentioned an MMO project with a tongue-in-cheek codename Project V13 (a nod to Fallout) but we've heard little of this game beyond that 2008 announcement that a dev team was being formed. In addition, we reported just last week that ZeniMax Media is hiring for an MMO division, project(s) unknown. While it hints at the potential to bring Fallout into the MMO space, we're still chalking it up to rumor. That rumor got a bit juicier today though when we came across something of interest at our sister site Big Download. The original Fallout designer Jason Anderson, formerly the creative director for Project V13, has parted company with Interplay to work for inXile on a new RPG. We're still not certain if the various bits of news we've found in the last few weeks indicates a potential ZeniMax/Bethesda Fallout MMO or if Interplay's Project V13 will chug along just fine without Jason Anderson, so we're still firmly in the realm of "rumor," albeit an interesting one to fans of all things post-apocalytic.
Original Fallout designer leaves Interplay, joins inXile dev team
One of the developers behind the classic Fallout has ended his tenure with Interplay to join inXile Entertainment. Jason Anderson brings his survival instincts to inXile as the creative director for an unannounced role-playing title. At the end of his career with Interplay, Anderson was working as the creative director on a next generation MMO named Project: V13 -- which our blogging cohorts at BigDownload surmise was a poorly coded way of saying Vault 13, a long-rumored Fallout MMO. Anderson's exit probably feels like déjà vu to his Interplay comrades. In 1998, Anderson left Interplay to form Troika Games (best known for Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura) but returned in 2007 when that company shut down. While we wish Anderson the best, we really hope Interplay will reveal what Project: V13 really is ... as long as it is a Fallout MMO.[Via BigDownload]
Fallout MMO rumors persist
The Fallout MMO continues to bounce around as a rumor, and unfortunately nothing more than that. The big impetus this time seems to be the Fallout-looking concept art on Interplay's new teaser page (we've conveniently marked it above), but there's a whole host of evidence, including a job posting for a "next-generation MMORPG," and various "coming soon" hints dropping around.We're supposed to hear more in two weeks if there is anything to hear. Look at it this way: even if there is a Fallout MMO on the way, it's not going to be done and ready to play for a long, long time. We may all be sitting in Vault 13 by the time this thing makes it out of beta and on to store shelves.[Via CSG]
News of MMO "falls out" of Jason Anderson's mouth
Rumors of a Fallout MMO have been floating around for quite a while now, but in this interview over at Gamebanshee, Jason D. Anderson (of Troika fame) basically confirms that Interplay is working on an MMO-- though not necessarily one based on Fallout.Anderson says (whatever he's working on) that his enthusaism for making games has returned. And he says that while MMOs are definitely fun and have really brought the social and character advancement aspects of gameplay to the forefront, there are two things he'd really like to see advanced in MMOs: storyline and character development. Oh us too, Jason, us too. He's ready to break some molds, too-- he says competing with the monster that is WoW is not half as interesting for him as making "an awesome MMO."Whether it is a Fallout game or not, it definitely sounds like Anderson has some good ideas about what to do with his MMO and how to advance the genre a bit. Unfortunately, I don't expect we'll see what he's doing for a while, but it should be interesting to see what Anderson, an old CRPG veteran, can dream up for the MMO genre [Via Curse]
Interplay to rez Fallout MMO project, looking for funds
In an announcement that coincided with their third quarter earnings report, Interplay revealed that they were officially reopening their internal development house. What are they working on, we hear you ask? Why, wouldn't you believe it, they are looking to kick-start production of an MMOG based on none other than the revered Fallout series, to which they still own the rights. According to CEO Herve Caen, they're still in the process of securing funding. Interestingly, Interplay also announced that they've hired Jason Anderson, one of the designers for Fallout 2 -- not for the Fallout MMO, but for another as yet unannounced MMO.So what have we gleaned from this? The mysterious Bethesda MMO will definitely not be Fallout, so we can put that rumor to rest. Interplay definitely will be developing the Fallout MMO. And moreover, it appears their strategy moving forward is heavily focused in the massively multiplayer genre. With no other currently announced projects besides Fallout and the unnamed MMO, it appears Interplay is joining the long list of development houses looking to cash in on the MMO craze. To say this makes us worried about the future of the Fallout MMO is a bit of an understatement. We don't harbor much faith in Interplay's management at this point. Just look at their website, if you an indicator of their current financial straits.[Via Gamasutra]
