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New Fallout 3 screens show Pip-Boy statuses, leg dismemberment
Click to embiggen Meet. Albert. Poor Albert has a wounded right leg, and an extremely wounded left leg. He's also got some major issues with his head. We haven't seen Albert before, mind you, but we do have an image from his Pip-Boy, one of three new images that Bethesda has released for Fallout 3. The image also gives a good indication as to how menu navigation will work. Another new screenshot released shows the Vault dweller literally shooting off the leg of a mutant adversary. Come to think of it, we really hope that wasn't Albert he just hurt. Rounding out the trio of new images is a landscape portrait of what we believe is the first town you visit in the game. Fallout 3 is due out this Fall.%Gallery-3507%
New Fallout 3 screens are more than just exploding heads
Click for high-resolution image. Fallout 3 is more than just exploding heads. It's more importantly about the balance of all body parts being equally destroyed to itty bitty pieces. That sort of gritty imagery is well-suited for a dystopian adventure such as the post apocalyptic Fallout 3. From the landscape to the technology, you can see every bit of gloom seeping out and turning this virtual world evermore life-like. To get a better picture, check out the new screens in our gallery below.%Gallery-4357%
Don't panic: Fallout 3 concept art linked to terrorism
US-based monitoring group SITE said there has been a video released on Islamic militant forums encouraging terrorists to detonate WMDs in America. According to Australian-based News.com.au, "SITE also released a computer-generated image, showing Washington DC in the aftermath of a nuclear attack, which reportedly appeared on an Islamist forum." If that released image, featured in the article and reprinted above (sans kangaroo, we added that), looks familiar, that's because it's concept art from Fallout 3, released back in May 2007 (a high-resolution image is available here). To be clear, we're not faulting SITE or anyone else involved in this story -- after all, it's an unmarked piece of concept art that does illustrate the terrorist's goal, and SITE doesn't make any claims as to the origins of the image. It's more of an oddity than a joke, but it's interesting to see how a simple thing such as concept art can be interpreted in different ways.%Gallery-3507%[Via A Post Nuclear Blog; thanks, Andy]
Fallout 3 just says no to mandatory install on PS3
Mandatory game installs have become an expected burden for PlayStation 3 owners, a tax paid in time for the pleasure of playing games on Sony's latest console. And while the time spent watching the bar creep across the screen has ranged from modest to absurd, we're still not accustomed with having to wait at all. It's a sentiment echoed by the developers at Bethesda, as the company recently let slip that the PS3 version of its radioactive RPG Fallout 3 will not include any upfront installation at all."The answer to that is no, there isn't," Bethesda marketing guru Pete Hines recently told Joystiq concerning Fallout 3 on the PS3. "That doesn't mean we don't use the hard drive, just that it does it in the background as opposed to a large, upfront install." As far as how much hard drive space the game will require, the exec wouldn't say exactly. Hines did mention that the RPG will require "a similar amount" of HD space as Oblivion, making us expect to fill up the PS3's juicy interior with about 4-5 gigs of atom-splitting data when the game ships this fall.
Bethesda and Splash Damage team up, make googly eyes
We heard from a guy whose best friend was apparently there, that Bethesda Softworks and Splash Damage totally hooked up. Neither one is ready to kiss and tell (yet!), but they're both walking around with that starry look in their eyes ... and they're wearing the same clothes they had on yesterday. We know, right!Splash Damage said they both "share a passion for creating great games" and they're totally "confident that this partnership will result in even greater experiences for gamers." How dreamy. Bethesda cooed, "This could not be a more perfect fit." Wow, get a room you two! Actually, first tell us what game you're working on, then get a room.
Fallout 3 pre-orders come with soundtrack CD
There are plenty of reasons to pre-order Fallout 3. Maybe there's a cute checkout boy/girl at your local game retailer that you'll take any opportunity to see or, maybe, it's because Fallout 3 is almost certainly going to be completely and utterly rad. Either way, those that lay a five-spot on the game at their local GameStop are going to be walking away with a five-song Fallout 3 soundtrack disc, according to Bethesda's official blog.As you can see here, there are a few licensed tracks as well as some originals by recently-announced scorer Inon Zur. As you can also see above it's gorgeous and we want it so bad and please Fallout 3 just come out today oh please please we need this please. Please.
Crysis composer Inon Zur scoring Fallout 3
No matter what platform we choose to take on Fallout 3's radioactive wasteland, we will be doing so to the musical styling of seasoned game music composer Inon Zur. If Zur's name isn't familiar to you, it's likely you've hummed along to some of his more notable tracks heard in games like Crysis as well as each of the three expansions to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. And speaking of three, a trio of the songs Zur created for Bethesda's hotly anticipated RPG are available to listen to on the official Fallout 3 website, from in-game tracks "Megaton" and "Into the Wasteland," to a bass-heavy title track that has us climbing the walls in our underground shelter in the march up to the game's release this fall.
Fallout 3 composer named, soundtrack samples available
Music is an integral part of any game. It's important that the right composer is put in charge of bringing the aural atmosphere to life. For Fallout 3, the right man to pen the musical score would apparently be Inon Zur, composer of game soundtracks from Crysis and Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones. Fallout 3 executive producer Todd Howard had this to say about Zur's original music for the game: "He's created a score that has epic sweep; from the lonely ambience of the wasteland to dramatic fights for survival." True enough, Zur is well-known for that sort of sound. Don't believe it? Then hit up Fallout 3's official website to listen to three songs from the soundtrack. Also, you can hear some of Zur's older work at his official website.[Via press release]
Fallout 3: Three new screens
Last night Bethesda Softworks dropped three fresh screens for the upcoming, and highly anticipated, first-person roleplaying title Fallout 3. From the looks of the latest screens it certainly seems that Bethesda has nailed the world that wraps the storyline, much like the world did in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.The first screen crashes a birthday party being held within a diner, complete with decorations and cone birthday lids! The second is more in line with what we've seen in the past, a monster engulfed in flames being taken to task with a mini-gun. The last screen shows the main character, who is fully customizable in looks and in specs, trying to coax a dog to him with food (we know this because of the image's original filename). We're getting excited for this one folks!%Gallery-4995%
Bethesda: There will be no demo for Fallout 3
click to enlarge Cake, pizza, fabric, all things you can take a chunk out of to judge the quality. But Fallout 3, it's more like a Jenga tower or a baby: Taking a sample slice out of it won't end up well for anyone. To that end Eurogamer reports that Bethesda's Pete Hines says there will be no demo for the sprawling action RPG. "When you build it as one thing, there's no way to portion off a section and have it stand on its own without putting the whole game in the demo, which we're just not going to do," Hines told the publication. But honestly, if at their heart demos are to help consumers make wise buying decisions, do you really need one for Fallout 3? We'll be fine waiting to have our minds blown by the whole package. In the interim, enjoy these three new screenshots Bethesda released today, to take the edge off. Gallery: Fallout 3
Zenimax Online kickstarting development with new digs
We haven't heard terribly much from Zenimax Online over the past few months. The company, the online off-shoot of Zenimax Media and corporate cousin of highly-lauded development house Bethesda Softworks, has been tight-lipped since they told the media to get off their lawn back in November. Of course, that didn't stop us from including the purely speculative Elder Scrolls MMO as #5 in our Top 10 MIA MMOs of 2007.But times, they are a-changing. Word has it that Zenimax Online will be moving to a new 40,000 square foot facility in Huntsville, MD in anticipation of scaling up the development process on their as-yet-unnamed MMO project. Naturally, they're also going to need some new blood to make use of all that office space, so they've posted a bunch of positions for hire. East coast development houses are pretty rare these days, so if you're in the area you might want to get on that ASAP.
Fallout 3 Collector's Edition sounds delightful
Did you know that it was scientifically possible to desire Fallout 3 more than you already do? We didn't until this morning when we saw the (unconfirmed by Bethesda) listing for the collector's edition of it at Gamestop. For $70, you'll get a Vault Boy Bobblehead doll, a hardcover book of art and a behind-the-scenes DVD. Oh, and the whole thing comes in a metal Vault-Tec lunch box. Yes. Please.There's also a date for the game of October 7, but that could just be an estimate. As far as we're concerned (thanks in part to today's announcement) the official date for Fallout 3 is "Not even close to soon enough."
Details on Fallout 3's Collector's Edition
It looks like yet another triple-A title will be getting the special edition treatment. This time, it's Fallout 3's turn to join the high-end club with its Collector's Edition set. Revealed through an advertisement on GameStop's website, Fallout 3's Collector's Edition will include the following: Vault Boy bobblehead 100-page hardcover art book Making-of Fallout 3 special DVD Metal Vault-Tec lunch box It's a pretty standard set of goodies for this sort of thing. The lunch box will surely be interesting as it'll double as both a game case and an actual lunch box. Imagine the look on people's faces when you show up to work/school with such a thing in your hands. The price for the PS3 Collector's Edition: $79.99. The extra cost compared to the regular version: $20. The comforting feeling that only a gamer's lunch box gives after being beaten up in the school cafeteria (or co-worker ridicule): priceless.
Joystiq impressions: Fallout 3 (360/PC/PS3)
click to enlarge var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Fallout_3_impressions_new_details_images '; In a hotel conference room, Bethesda's Pete Hines recently demoed the latest version of the Fallout 3. He trudged through a collapsed building, firing a machine gun at ambling, radiated mutants. The gore made me wince a little, with blood gurgling from zombie limbs. Earlier, he shot the head off another enemy, and blood arced straight out of the neck, as if it was trying to reach the brain one last time. Only minutes earlier, he'd shown me how the player's character grows up in an underground bunker, with those moments acting partly as tutorial and partly as a character creator. Your father, for example, stays hidden in the shadows after your birth until he checks out how the infant will look grown up. Players use a medical gadget to see (read: design) their appearance, then he emerges with roughly similar, paternal features.We've covered the game a few times before, so in addition to my general impressions, I talked with Hines about some recently revealed features.%Gallery-3507%
Interplay reaffirms Fallout MMO; Earthworm Jim, MDK sequels
It's been awhile since we've had an update on Interplay's long-promised Fallout MMO. To get some of you up to speed: plans for a Fallout MMO that could revive the ailing company were teased out of a November 2006 SEC filing. In April of the following year, Bethesda – already hard at work on Fallout 3 – bought the rights to the series from Interplay for $5.75 million. The deal allowed Interplay to be a licensee, paying Bethesda a 12% royalty on net sales of the still-vaporous Fallout MMO. In August, Interplay's CEO stated in an earning statement that "Fallout Online will play a key role in the future of Interplay" and in November the company revealed ambitions to rekindle franchises like Earthworm Jim, MDK, Descent, and Dark Alliance. Now, in yet another earnings report wrapping up their 2007 fiscal year, Interplay reaffirms its ambition to secure funding for the Fallout MMO as well as "creating sequels to some of its most successful games," notably the four listed above. To that end, it's hiring developers and will be launching a new web site "imminently." Regrettably, we won't be seeing any of these games as "imminently."[Via MCV]
Bethesda sister developer bringing mobile sports pair to DS
Did you know that Oblivion and Fallout 3 dev Bethesda had a sibling named Vir2L Studios? Known primarily for releasing games for cellular phones, the ZeniMax-owned outfit has announced plans to bring a pair of titles to the Nintendo DS this summer. However, while this would have been great news had the company decided to bring its Elder Scrolls Travels mobile titles to the handheld, life has taught us that life is seldom that generous.Vir2L will instead release touchable versions of its AMF Bowling and Ducati motorcycle racing series on the DS. Both AMF Bowling Pinbusters! and Ducati Moto promise multiple characters and Wi-Fi connectivity, and will each carry a budget price of $19.99. Still, our hope is that Vir2L is simply testing the waters with these titles, and we may someday be able to save Oblivion's Tamriel, stylus in hand.
Rumor: GameStop dates Prototype, Splinter Cell V, Sonic Unleashed, Rogue Warrior and more
One of our loyal X3F Army tipsters has outed himself as an employee of GameStop, but to make up for it he sent us a camera phone image of a few release dates. While you should take these dates with a grain of salt some of them are accurate, specifically Ninja Gaiden 2, Soul Calibur IV and Civilization Revolution.Fueling the fire of the Sega's Sonic Unleashed leak is a release date of November 4 for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and PS2. EA's NFL Head Coach 09 is slated for a September 3 release and based on the release of the original in relation to Madden, the time frame seems accurate. A few titles we haven't heard much from are Bethesda Softworks' Rogue Warrior (November 10) and Edios Interactive's Shellshock 2: Blood Trails (September 1), which is being developed by the team at Rebellion.Other dates include Sierra's Prototype from Radical and the Xbox 360 exclusive Splinter Cell: Conviction from Ubisoft which are dated for October 21 and October 2 respectfully.Remember, pre-order focused retailers tend to guess-timate releases on a regular basis to structure their sales goals for the final two quarters of the year. However, some of the names on this list make us really glad we have a rumor category.[Thanks, Travisto]
New details, 'over 200 endings' for Fallout 3
Fallout fans can look forward to over 200 different endings with the upcoming Fallout 3, according to Executive Producer Todd Howard. Speaking on the OXM podcast (interview starts at 37-minute mark) Howard said, "Being that we are Bethesda, everything gets a bit big. So as of last week, we're over 200 endings. That is not an exaggeration, but it deserves some descriptions."The clarification is that, like other Fallout games, choices you make in the game will affect aspects of the ending, so that figure is really a combination of many sub-endings. The real question, then, is how many times do you have to beat the game to see every sub-ending?Howard also confirmed that Fallout 3 is twice the size than anticipated and close to the size of Oblivion. "The game is easily 100 hours," he said. Howard also goes into detail about the dog companion. Fallout 3 is still on track for release this Fall.[Via Shacknews]
Fallout 3 due for simultaneous release
Speaking with videogaming247.com, executive producer Todd Howard for Fallout 3 said that unlike the last Bethesda Softworks release, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, their latest title will launch simultaneous across all platforms.The Xbox 360, PS3 and PC versions of Fallout 3 are expected to launch in the third quarter of 2008 and takes place 200 years in the future in a post-apocalyptic Washington, DC. We personally can't wait to see what the title has to offer especially considering the team is looking for inspiration from various forms of media, specifically Cormac McCarthy's 'The Road.'
Fallout 3 to get simultaneous release on PS3, Xbox 360, PC
PS3 owners worried that Fallout 3 might come to their system of choice later than Microsoft's box(es) can put their fears to rest. Executive producer Todd Howard said that Fallout 3 should (unlike the company's last big release Oblivion) see a simultaneous release. "They should all be the same date," he said. "That's our plan."It's definitely happy news, but we're going to wait until a bit closer to the game's Q3 release before we go get our SIXAXIS-shaped champagne flutes out of hock. As evidenced by a bevy of PS3 game delays, programming for the system is apparently about as predictable as raising mogwais.
