Interplay Pitches Fallout MMO, Despite Dearth Of Cash

Thanks to Yahoo! for reprinting an Interplay press release discussing Interplay's latest financial results, ruminating on possibilities for the embattled publisher. Although "the Company reported a net loss of $.9 million" for the quarter, a relatively small amount, Interplay's detailed financial statement reveals: "We currently have no cash reserves and are unable to pay current liabilities. The Company cannot continue in its current form without at this time obtaining additional financing." However, CEO Herve Caen is bullish about prospects, explaining: "We are now pursuing several options to fund our entry into Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming with titles including Fallout", a positive step, according to "...initial feedback from our investment bank and ongoing dialogue with others in the gaming sector." We've previously covered Interplay's recent financial woes.

Comments

So your idea is...

[Anonymous Coward]

...another MMOG in an already massively saturated market. Thanks Herve, keep on nailing that coffin shut.

FOOL

[UnknownSoldier]

Oh brother...not THAT old topic again..

"FallOut On-Line" aka FOOL

Part of what makes Fallout, Fallout, is its turn-based strategy. That goes away in a MMORPG.

--
The fallacy of government is that it assumes everyone needs to be told how to live.
When it passes more laws until it makes everyone a criminal it has made the mistake of placing the intent on the "Letter of the Law" over the "Spirit of the Law."
"The more corrupt the republic, the more numerous the laws" -- Tacitus, A.D. 55
ALL civilizations eventually collapse. Are you that ignorant and arrogant to assume that yours won't?

Re:FOOL

[ultranova]

Never having played a MMORPG in my life, I just have to offer my expert opinion:

MMORPGs cannot have a plot. A plot implies a clear beginning and end. MMORPGs, on the other hand, are built to go on indefinitely (or untill the cash flow dries).

Furthermore, a plot implies a dynamic world, which changes as a result of events. That, in turn, means that once a quest has been completed, it stays completed, instead of someone else starting it... This is unfeasible, since someone would constantly have to make new quests, and that would mean hiring a tremendous amount of staff.

Hmm. On the other hand, if you had a "world engine" working in the background, and the actual world would reflect that... That world engine would be like a strategy game, with AI manning all the seats. The gameworld would reflect that strategy game, and things happening would generate missions for players (for example, two armies preparing to fight would generate spy missions, a city under siege by enemies would generate sabotage/smuggling missions, and so on). The success or failure of these missions would then affect the outcome of the event, leading to a completely dynamic world where even the weakest of players could influence (very weakly, of course) the course of events... And, of course, there would be room for advancement, all the way up to leading a nation of your own, and moving those armies yourself.

Has this been done in any MMORPG ? Or did I actually come upon a novel idea ?

Amazing idea

[FloodSpectre]

I have an amazing idea. Why not make the fucking game people actually want instead of making all these spinoffs that on one's going to like ? I love the Fallout series, and even enjoyed Tactics, but I'd never buy or sign up for a Fallout Online. If they do it, it'll probably be an even bigger flop than Fallout: BOS, mainly because it would cost them so much more to make...

FUCK THAT SHIT

[Txiasaeia]

Sorry for the profanity, but I've been reading about the slow and painful demise of Interplay for *months* now. They haven't paid their employees in months, they're in debt, they were evicted from their building, they were temporarily shut down by the gov't because their workers' insurance lapses, and NOW they want to take the most popular RPG franchise and turn it into a grab-as-much-cash-as-possible MMO game?

They don't have the cash flow (or capital up front) to sustain an MMOG. They don't have the trust of gamers any more. Hell, all their good employees have left the company (Troika)!

Herve, if you're reading this, YOU NEED TO MAKE FALLOUT 3. This will bring in the cash you so desperately need to keep your company afloat, respect from the industry, and a leaping point to resurrect Interplay. The market is saturated with up and coming MMOGs that are going to suck the online market dry - City of Heroes is here, Matrix Online and World of Warcraft are coming, not to mention EQ2, PLUS all the MMOGs currently ON the market. There's no room for you online, but there are some of us who have been waiting years for a proper and wonderful RPG. You've got the freaking goose that lays golden eggs - out with them already!

Re:FUCK THAT SHIT

[glowimperial]

Hell yeah, they need to make Fallout 3, I would play a Fallout MMO in like 4-5 years, when the market is right, but Interplay needs to make use of the valuable Fallout license ASAP, and save their sorry butts. I can't endorse the idea of making Fallout 3 enough. I just replayed Fallout 1 cause it kicks so much ass. Even had a great ending.

Fishing for Funding

[wev162]

I'd give it even odds that Interplay is just fishing for investments to try and save the farm. Isn't it odd that it is only now after years of cries for a new fallout game they propose one but insert the buzzword "MMORPG"? One has to wonder if they are trying to show potential investors they have a viable product with heavy fan demand (eg. Look at level of interest in a new fallout game over the years, its a license to print money!!! Its one of those "lucrative" MMORPGs like UO or EQ no less!!!) Sounds custom fit for an investor pitch to me. I can't help but think Interplay is completing the slow implosion that has occured over the years with less and less blockbuster projects.

Oh shut up.

[ftgow]

Sure, it would fuck up the franchise. Sure they're doing it for the money. Blah blah blah.

But it would be fun.

Aren't we all sick of the current mmorpg's now? I could care less about elf's and dwarves, and wookies...finding a magic key, or collecting gold coins to by a new sword with a +1 bronze gem that makes me immune to the common cold.

I want an mmorpg where you don't fit things, you fight for survival. Imagine having clans of players, in a DANGEROUS, screwed up after-world, fighting each other just to survive. Imagine leading the warriors of your clans, in the night, to the other guys shack, killing or abducting they're women, slitting the men's throats, stealing they're necessities, ETC, JUST TO live another week! That would be thrilling. And? no/barley any computer npc's. Hell EQ, that warcraft thing (god I hate blizzard, make a Linux port you lazy sluts) starwars.. it's all coop doom with swords and a couple thousand space marines. Coop doom wasn't (that) fun! Dammit, these games remind me of the sims.

In Fallout Online, you band together, traveling the wasteland, salvaging useful scraps, not finding them in chests next to a dead gnome. I'm talking about a SAVAGE online experience, where you can get pissed off, angry, and travel the wasteland, sometimes solely on revenge. Or from an order from your clan leading. You can over through your clan leader (provided it's in the public favor, aka mutiny. You can start your own clan in a shack in the dessert, convert some homeless people, (not that you would start out homeless, but it's a possibility), arm them, and attack a nearby town, in the dead of night, kill a local shop keeper (think shady town), and turn the place into your own military-grade bunker. Advance, take your clan, make it into a battalion. Army. (think brotherhood of steel) Form legions, alliances, with common interests, secretly generated by the world. Forge new technological advantages. Advanced weaponry, hardened armor. Take over.

Or possibly form a neutral facility, helping strangers, in exchange for favors that will help the community etc.

I'm sick of wacking rats with sticks. Gimme a damn gun and shove me in a deadly world. Fallout Online.

"a relatively small amount"

[BortQ]

Uh, $.9 million is actually quite a large amount of money, especially when you have 0 dollars to your name (or company).