interplay
Latest
Black Isle's Fallout 3 tech demo released
The old footage from a few days back was not enough to satiate old fans of the Fallout series. Fan site No Mutants Allowed is not done giving us goodies about Black Isle's rendition of Fallout 3, codenamed Van Buren, and has released the tech demo for the old version.The download is only 241 MB and purportedly bug-laden and missing turn-based combat. Still, it's likely the last chance die-hard Fallout purists will get a taste of the post-apocalyptic franchise with the old engine. (Not everyone at Bethesda enjoys the Fallout engine, mind you.) NMA has also posted a guide for those working with the tech demo. For those interested enough to take it for a spin, let us know what you think.
Today's most if-it-happened video: Fallout 3 footage
No Mutants Allowed shows us footage of Black Isle's canceled Fallout 3 in today's video pick. The segment isn't flashy, but it gives a good sense of what Fallout 3 could have been (hint: similar to Fallout 2, in a good way). Bethesda currently owns the Fallout IP and working on its own version of Fallout 3, with a projected release to be determined.So before you look forward to Bethesda's -- and possibly even Interplay's --- version of Fallout, take a moment to watch what could have been. See the video after the break.
Great Geiger! Bethesda buys Fallout IP
According to an SEC report filed today, the revered Fallout franchise has been sold to Bethesda Softworks, currently in the midst of developing Fallout 3. Uncovered by Fallout fansite, No Mutants Allowed, the document states that the radioactive IP was purchased from Interplay for the princely sum of $5.75 million -- roughly a mountain's worth of post-apocalyptic bottle caps. Bethesda had been developing their Fallout sequel as licensee, not property owner.This change of ownership sees original IP-holder, Interplay, becoming a licensee to Bethesda and paying the Elder Scrolls developer a 12% royalty on net sales derived from an upcoming (and still entirely nebulous) Fallout MMO. Interplay's license requires them to begin development within two years of the date of agreement, secure a minimum of 10,000 subscribers and offer a product that complies with "the quality standards of Bethesda." Purchasing the Fallout IP outright certainly reflects positively on Bethesda's dedication to the franchise -- it's their property they risk messing up now -- and highlights plans well beyond "Morrowind with Mutants." (Next, would someone be so kind as to rescue the Freespace IP from Interplay?)[Via Gamasutra]
Boardroom guys: Let's make a Fallout MMO
According to a November SEC filing, battered software publisher, Interplay, imagines a wonderful future with gamers paying it $160 million per-year beginning in 2011. The one product that could relaunch the company: a Fallout MMO.In the SEC document -- with typical financial disclaimers saying the projection may never be realized -- Interplay hopes a $75 million Fallout MMO production of will save the farm. (A large part of that figure includes marketing.) The company intends to sell common stock to generate a significant part of that budget -- that's why this filing exists for us to drool and scribble notes in the margins.While the product may eventually be created, give it at least a few months before getting excited; Interplay hopes development begins in early in 2007. And even then, you'll have to wait until Q3 2010 before the company intends to launch; three-and-a-half years in production seems optimistic. Keep the skepticism setting on high.[Via Inside Mac Games]
Out of this World remastered with high-res graphics
A high resolution version of Eric Chahi's 1991 masterpiece Out of this World (that's Another World for gamers outside North America) has become available for the Windows platform and can be downloaded here. The shareware demo can be unlocked for 7€ (about $8.50). The project, hosted at www.anotherworld.fr, appears to be the work of Magic Productions, the group responsible for porting Out of this World to the Symbian cell-phone operating system last year.The remastered version is Windows only, but Mac users know what they can do. This looks beautiful ...[Via Waxy]
