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Report: Interplay countersues Bethesda over Fallout rights
The infighting between Fallout's father and newly adopted guardian continues. According to a forum post by supposed Interplay stockholder frymuchan, Interplay has been given a 10-day extension to answer a preliminary injunction filed by Bethesda, which claims Interplay no longer holds rights to sell the original titles in the series. Following the release of Fallout 3, Interplay began selling the original titles across multiple PC-based digital distribution services. Previous court filings by Bethesda claimed that Interplay's plans to develop a Fallout MMO -- codenamed Project V-13 -- were no longer valid because Interplay did not commence development prior to an agreed date of April 4, 2009. According to the post by RagingBull forum user "frymuchan" -- who claims to have received the information from official court documents -- Interplay claims it did issue a letter to Bethesda prior to the April date outlining details of a Fallout MMO, but Bethesda told it "for no apparent reason" that Interplay was no longer allowed to develop the game. Interplay believes that Bethesda's interference with licensing agreements to make the original titles in the series available digitally is unreasonable based on the current contracts in place. Frymuchan also claims that Interplay has filed a countersuit versus Bethesda over statements it made to third party companies to whom it was attempting to license the original titles. According to the post, Bethesda released statements to companies such as GameTap and Good Old Games, claiming Interplay had no rights to license Fallout 1, 2 or Tactics for sale on its services. Interplay's counterclaim maintains this "unreasonable interference" puts Bethesda into breach of contract and makes the license sale "null and void," therefore reverting the agreement back to a sub-licensing deal between Interplay and Bethesda. In short, Interplay claims Bethesda now only holds rights to Fallout 3 with options for a fourth and fifth game in the series. It's an argument of apocalyptic proportions and we're expecting more details when the extension expires next week. [Via GamePolitics and Destructoid]
Xav de Matos10.21.2009Fallout MMO issues at the heart of Interplay countersuit
If you're waiting for a Fallout MMO -- something many fans for the series are, without a doubt -- and you're not getting enough of that itch scratched by Fallen Earth, there's hope on the horizon. Sort of. Assuming that Interplay and Bethesda can sort their problems out in court, where they're currently behaving with all of the maturity you'd expect from two large gaming companies. The full story can be read here at GamePolitics, but if your head is spinning a bit from all of the legal discussion, here's the short version. Bethesda is angry that Interplay, who sold them the rights to Fallout when in dire need of money, is now trying to back out of licensing the property to develop their promised Fallout MMO. Interplay, on the flipside, is arguing that Bethesda violated the terms of their original agreement and rendered it null and void, which would give them both control of the rights once again as well as meaning that Bethesda might well owe them royalties for the massively successful Fallout 3. Practical upshot? If things go well for Interplay, they'll have more seed money for developing an MMO based on an immensely popular classic gaming franchise. If they go poorly, of course, Interplay is really up the creek and we'll very likely not see said MMO for quite some time if ever. Take a look at the full story, and start placing your bets.
Eliot Lefebvre10.19.2009Earthworm Jim on iPhone looks familiar
We recently found out that when Gameloft announced intentions to make a new Earthworm Jim game, the company really meant it intended to remake the first one. And while the next-gen version has some cleaned-up graphics, the iPhone release, as seen in the new trailer (after the break) might as well be a port. If you ignore the total lack of buttons, it might as well be the Genesis or SNES game. And speaking of buttons, have fun playing that submarine level on a touchscreen.If the graphical improvements aren't more obvious in the WiiWare release, then the only real difference between the game on Virtual Console and WiiWare will be one extra level and difficulty selection. Awkward!
JC Fletcher10.14.2009Interplay bringing ClayFighter to WiiWare and DSiWare
Of all the classic franchises we expected to be resurrected, ClayFighter was right up there with Aero the Acrobat. But we suppose there's room for everyone at the table, as Interplay has announced that they'll be bringing the bulbous brawler to WiiWare and DSiWare. Crafted by some of the team behind the original game (now operating under the name StudioBlack Games), the updates will sport revamped graphics and gameplay. It's due in summer of 2010, so hopefully you have plenty of time to recommit Ickybod Clay's move set to memory.
Justin McElroy09.16.2009Bethesda suing Interplay over Fallout MMO
Things weren't looking good for Interplay earlier this year and, uh, much hasn't changed since then. Even though the company had virtually no money, it still wanted to make the Fallout MMO, Project V-13. Well, Interplay's got another hurdle now: Bethesda. The Oblivion and Fallout 3 developer claims that Interplay infringed on its trademark, court documents show. Interplay disagrees, obviously, and says it still holds the rights to develop the title with Masthead Studios, even though it failed to commence the stipulated full-scale development by April 4, 2009. Gamasutra has more info on the lawsuit, which also mentions Interplay's licensing of the original Fallout games for digital distribution through services such Steam, GOG.com and GameTap. Bethesda says this has caused "immediate, substantial, and irreparable harm." But, hey, it's not all frowns and sad faces. Above this text is a neat piece of concept art for Project V-13 from Natiq Aghayev. Man, we never thought post-apocalyptia could look so good. Source - Court documents [Via VG247] Source - Gamasutra [image credit]
David Hinkle09.11.2009Bethesda and Interplay lock legal horns over Fallout MMO
In a month of lawsuits, another one has hit the table. This time the participants are Bethesda Softworks, best known for The Elder Scrolls series of games and the recent hit Fallout 3, and Interplay, the original holders of the Fallout license.The lawsuit stems from the longstanding agreements between the companies regarding the Fallout IP. Namely Bethesda was allowed to take the rights to the IP except for the case of a Fallout MMO, which would be under the control of Interplay. Interplay would keep these rights as long as they secured funding for the game and began production by April.Bethesda is asserting that Interplay has breached their agreement, citing that development on the title (which has been hidden under the thinly disguised title "Project V13," standing for "Vault 13," a shelter in the Fallout universe) has not yet begun. Interplay asserts that it still holds the rights to develop Project V13 with the assistance of Masthead Studios, the group behind the upcoming post-apocalyptic sci-fi MMO Earthrise.Want more info? The legal documents regarding the suit have been unearthed, and are ready for your perusal.[Via VG247]
Seraphina Brennan09.11.2009Good Old Games offers buy one get one free deal on Interplay titles
To celebrate the one year anniversary of its inception, digital classic games retailer Good Old Games is offering a pretty sweet buy-one-get-one-free deal on select Interplay titles. There are 12 games available for $5.99 a piece, and the deal can be extended to as many pairs as you feel like purchasing. For instance, for just $11.98, you can pick up Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics and the Redneck Rampage Collection -- though this particular bundle would likely serve as an apt diagnosis of some form of schizophrenia.
Griffin McElroy09.02.2009Interplay 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.]
David Hinkle08.20.2009New Earthworm Jim less new than expected: it's a remake
Sega recently announced that due to a licensing issue with Interplay (a result of the newly announced Gameloft/Interplay Earthworm Jim game), Earthworm Jim would no longer be an option for a new Genesis XBLA game. The company then removed what was at that point the clear winner from its XBLA poll.Why would a new Earthworm Jim prevent the release of an old one? Because the new one, G4TV's The Feed reports, is a remake and not an original game. That means it isn't the Earthworm Jim 4 announced last year, and that the same game will be available on both Virtual Console (the Genesis version was released on VC in October) and WiiWare. [Image credit]
JC Fletcher08.19.2009Groovy: Interplay and Gameloft making new downloadable Earthworm Jim
Interplay has announced a new Earthworm Jim for PSN, WiiWare, XBLA, and mobile platforms. Well, specifically, it announced that Gameloft will develop and publish a new Earthworm Jim game on those platforms. Which is ... considerably less exciting than if original creators Shiny Entertainment (now a part of Double Helix) were to return to the franchise. However, it is possible that this is the "Earthworm Jim 4" project for which creator Doug TenNapel was hired to consult -- which would be very groovy indeed. The recent XBLA Genesis poll proved that there is a sizable Earthworm Jim fanbase, a fact that must have delighted executives at Interplay and Gameloft as they prepared to make this announcement. We didn't realize there are still that many Earthworm Jim fans in the world after Earthworm Jim 3D -- a game with which we hope this new release has nothing in common. Earthworm Jim will debut on XBLA in the "last quarter of 2009," and will remain exclusive to that platform for one month. [Image credit]
JC Fletcher08.17.2009NintendoWare Weekly: Adventure Island: The Beginning, Bubble Bobble Plus!, another clock
Another strange week for DSiWare arrives, as Photo Clock appears on the store, doing little more than charging two dollars for limited functionality additions to the DSi. If you were looking for a good alarm for the DSi, this could be your week! Thankfully, American Popstar: Road to Celebrity is picking up the slack and ... wait, American Popstar? What?! Forget it, DSi! We're sticking with the Wii and snagging the remake of an 8-bit classic in Adventure Island: The Beginning instead. As always, jump past the break for all the messy details.%Gallery-64114%
Ben Gilbert05.25.2009Interplay still out of money
It seems that selling off the Fallout IP hasn't reversed Interplay's fortunes -- nor has ... planning to make a Fallout MMO. According to a recent SEC filing, the publisher ended 2008 completely broke. But don't worry! Interplay has a plan: Get more money from somewhere. "We continue to seek external sources of funding," the company stated, "including but not limited to, incurring debt, the selling of assets or securities, licensing of certain product rights in selected territories, selected distribution agreements, and/or other strategic transactions sufficient to provide short-term funding, and achieve our long-term strategic objectives." We assume that those long-term strategic objectives would include paying off the new debts incurred in order to provide short-term funding.The document does mention that the publisher continues to work on "the development of a MMOG code named: "Project:V13" (the alleged Fallout MMO) as well as "sequels to some of our most successful games, including Earthworm Jim, Dark Alliance, Descent and MDK." All decent reasons to hope the company doesn't tank. [Via VG247]
JC Fletcher04.17.2009Interplay may lose its license to make Fallout MMO
Well, folks, it's been two years -- two years and 12 days, actually. And now, because Interplay may or may not have entered into "full scale development" of the Fallout MMO it was beholden to start making by, oh, say, 12 days ago, Bethesda Softworks has, unsurprisingly, asked for its property back. Though, according to an SEC filing, no "formal action" has been taken by Fallout IP-owner Bethesda as of yet, the company has apparently made claims that Interplay is "in breach of the trademark license agreement" the two companies agreed upon back in 2007. Rumors that Interplay has been working on a Fallout MMO arose again recently as Earthrise developer Masthead Studios offered Interplay its proprietary tools and technology for use with a project currently in-development, codenamed "Project V13." We would like to point out that while a wiki page on "Project V13" hints heavily at the codename concealing a Fallout MMO in development at Interplay, nothing official has ever been announced. And you'd think Interplay might want to do that if it wanted to keep its "trademark license agreement," no? [Via Big Download]
Ben Gilbert04.16.2009Rumor: Bethesda likely to sue Interplay over inaction on Fallout MMO
We must confess our lack of shock concerning today's rumor that Bethesda could be taking legal action against the previous owner of the Fallout IP. The rumor traces back to the MMO rights for everyone's favorite post-apocalyptic jaunt.Interplay was supposed to have engaged in full-scale development on the Fallout MMO by last Thursday, April 9th and this apparently also included raising the funds for the game as well. We know some sort of movement had been made, but apparently it was too little, too late. That's a tall order for any company to pursue, especially one with a very sordid financial history.Should Bethesda move forward with this and win, we can only assume the company will pursue its own Fallout MMO. Then again, who's to say they haven't been planning for such an occurrence all along? Bethesda was contacted for comment, but declined to do so.
Kyle Horner04.16.2009Masthead Studios lending Interplay a hand with suspected Fallout MMO
The fate of Interplay's long-held plans to create an MMO in the Fallout universe (assumedly heralded under the code name Project V13) has been in peril for quite some time now. Many feared the project would be scrapped when the title's creative director moved on to a different company, though a glimmer of light pierced the darkness yesterday -- Masthead Studios, developers of the upcoming post-apocalyptic MMO Earthrise, will be giving Interplay its proprietary tools and technology for use in Project V13.Given our MMO-obsessed sister site Massively's positive hands-on experience with Earthrise at GDC, we're excited to see how this technology will be used in Interplay's MMO. Of course, there's always a chance that Project V13 has nothing to do with Fallout. Sure, there's plenty of evidence to the contrary, but Interplay could very well be working on an Earthworm Jim MMO, which ... well, which would be just as awesome.
Griffin McElroy04.03.2009Masthead Studios to help create the Fallout MMO?
We all knew that there was a Fallout MMO in the works, thinly veiled under the title Project V13, but now we get word that Masthead Studios will be involved in its development, according to an article at Eurogamer. Apparently, Interplay will still be the official developer of the game, yet they will be using Masthead's technology, tools and resources. Of course we all know and love Masthead Studios for their upcoming MMO (also post-apocalyptic) entitled Earthrise.Project V13 has been in development since November of 2007 and was in the news several times for various staff changes such as the inclusion of original Fallout designers Chris Taylor and Jason Anderson. Anderson has since left, but all signs point towards this "top secret" project being some inception of "Fallout Online". After seeing what Masthead has done with their own game at GDC last week, we're now even more excited about what a Fallout MMO could become.
Shawn Schuster04.03.2009Steam discounts Oddworld, GoG puts Interplay action titles on sale
Steam will be powering some weekend sales to Oddword this weekend, while GoG drops the price on some classic Interplay action titles. Steam has Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus and Oddworld: Abe's Oddyssee for $2.50 apiece, or buy both for $3.75 -- that's less than a gallon of milk (unless it's from Costco, but don't get s-m-r-t).Over at GoG.com, Interplay's action titles like Earthworm Jim (1,2,3D), both MDKs, Shattered Steel and Messiah are on sale for 25 percent off. Considering all those titles are only $6, that makes each of them $4.50. Just make sure to put in the code "ACTION" at checkout to receive the discount. Happy classic gaming![Via Big Download]Source -- Steam weekend dealSource -- GoG weekend sale
Alexander Sliwinski03.20.2009More 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.
James Egan03.18.2009Original 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]
Xav de Matos03.18.2009The Fallout game you'll never play: Brotherhood of Steel 2
Fallout 3 isn't the first console Fallout game, but it certainly feels like it. Series fans have, for the most part, forgotten about the franchise black sheep, 2004's Brotherhood of Steel, for PS2 and Xbox. A sequel to the game was in the works, and according to its design document, would have provided a Fallout experience that appears more closely related to the original PC games than the original BoS or, arguably, Fallout 3.Rock, Paper, Shotgun hypothesizes that the success of Brotherhood of Steel 2 would have repositioned the series as a console-only franchise, and would have prevented Bethesda from getting its hands on the series. Of course, considering the negative reaction to the first BoS title, it's clear why this project never really took off.The 32-page design document is a relic for any Fallout fan to flip through, with tons of never-before-seen art, including images of the always-lovable Pip Vault Boy. The game will never see the light of day, but with this design doc, you can play it on the best console around: your imagination.
Andrew Yoon03.16.2009