Slashdot Mirror
Bethesda Licenses Fallout Franchise, To Make Fallout 3
An anonymous reader writes "According to an official press release, Bethesda will now develop and publish a brand-new version of Fallout 3, after the company 'licensed the rights to the Fallout [videogame] franchise from Interplay... with the option to develop and publish additional sequels.' Interplay, who is presumably licensing out its IP due to recent financial difficulties, is keeping the rights to its theoretical Fallout MMO concept, however, and this new attempt at Fallout 3 from the Morrowind developers doesn't look to be using code/assets from the previously half-completed Black Isle version."
Heh, that is cool. It would be nice to see what exactly they are going to do with Fallout, considering what a good job they did with morrowind.
THANK GOD. We Fallout fans just want more Fallout. Not some crazy hypothetical MMO that will probably not even be fun (assuming they even finish it before they go bankrupt)
& I wish I knew the password to your heart . . . &
I'd have rather seen Obsidian Entertainment pick it up, but Bethesda should do a good job with it.
Rob
I really wanted to see someboyd like Obsidian get their hands on Fallout III, since they already had a lot of the talent from Black Isles. I'm not going to get too excited with Bethesda behind the wheel. They've never disappointed me (in fact, they've uusally exceeded my expectations) in the Elderscrolls series, but I don't know how well they can shift from that to Fallout. Morrowind had great story behind it, and the open-endedness was above and beyond either of the Fallout games. I hope they can keep that level of depth, but fit it into the coarser feel of Fallout. Then the gameplay... When Black Isle had talked about making Fallout 3 real-time, a lot of people on the messageboards were upset, and wanted them to keep a system simmilar to the first two Fallout games. Especially after Brotherhood of Steel, I don't see many fans -myself included- of the series being very open to a shift to first-person like Morrowind. Especially with the sort of weapons that Fallout is based on, it'd be a very fine line between RPG and FPS.
It's not like any of Bethesda's other games have been released in Mac versions. :(
The market does seem to be saturated with crap, but how wrong could they possible make it?
An Education is the Font of All Liberty
You knew you were in for a treat when you fired up Fallout: the kitschy black and white TV airing 50's style media slowly zoomed back and back and back, all to an optimistic tune, revealing finally a desolate cityscape devestated by nuclear war.
The game certainly took a number of popular concepts in the bleak future of a post-nuclear holocaust, but it did it with such style that you could ignore many of the familiar sci-fi memes. It was just a heck of a lot of fun to play, to discover what actions would lead to widescale changes in what were the remnants of California.
Although by the time Fallout 2 came out there were vast advances in graphics and sound, the game didn't take advantage of them, re-using the same engine from before. And that was OK, actually, because while others pushed for so much in 3D goroud shaded volumetric fullbrights with translucent starbright shadows and supercharged texels, the folks at Interplay concentrated on story. (OK, they threw in some excellent voice talent, too.) And it, too, was a damn good game.
I wonder what directions Bethesda will take with the franchise.
I hope it's not as buggy as Fallout and Fallout 2. I really liked the concept behind those games, but I couldn't get myself to finish them because every time I tried, I got too angry at the BIG OBVIOUS HONKIN' BUGS they had, and abandoned.
Click me, you 'tard!
Fallout where you can fall through the floor!
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
I still have to get through Wasteland.
Bethesda is developing Fallout 3. Interplay is developing the Fallout MMORPG. Therefore, it is certain that Fallout 3 is not the Fallout MMORPG.
Thank you so much Bethesda for giving me a reason to remain alive. I was fresh out of reasons, but now I can't die until after I have played Bethesda's version of Black Isle's Fallout 3. Now if someone would just (finally) come out with an Ultima Underworld III and Planescape: Torment II.
Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.
So, now we're going to get a game that won't run on C3s (Cyrixes), will have millions of NPCs who sound alike, and will have us falling into the void every time we bump into a corner.
----- Wtcher Dragon, UDIC
I don't play any other games but Fallout. I love blasting things away with the .223. I play on the highest difficulty with the wimpiest characters, building them up slowly until Enclave patrols tremble when they see me. I *love* taking out these patrols with the hunting rifle. Sometimes, just for fun, I see if I can take out everyone in New Reno with the pipe rifle. I play for hours, killing things. And I still can easily separate game from reality, well at least most of the time.
What is it with you 2d vs 3d fanatics? A good game is a good game regardless of the perspective. And please describe the "fallout feeling". Fallout was good because it was a Black Isle game and because the designers were superb. The only problem with true 3D is the art is just not there yet. The 3D creatures just don't look as realistic or interesting. Still if anyone could pull it off it would be Bethesda.
And you can bet that it will be 3D and that it won't be a Doom clone or fps because of it. I just hope Bethesda doesn't forget about having a story as they have done all to often.
Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.
I've been a big fan of FRANCHISE ever since FIRST RELEASE way back in FIRST RELEASE DATE. I love how FRANCHISE revolutionized GENRE with INNOVATIVE QUALITY #1 and INNOVATIVE QUALITY #2.
This new take on FRANCHISE has a lot of potential, as long as NEW COMPANY understands what made FRANCHISE great in the first place. I hope they don't go the way of LAST ATTEMPT AT UPDATING FRANCHISE and get back to FRANCHISE's great roots. I really liked NEW COMPANY'S LAST OFFERING, so maybe this is good news.
Still, the cynic in me can never trust these things, as I am still feeling burned by STAR WARS. We'll see how I feel on RELEASE DATE.
-3Suns
~~~~
The Revolution will be Slashdotted
Morrowing, the ultimate non-linear cRPG ... you can go anywhere, do anything the game allows you AND NONE OF IT IS INTERESTING.
Id rather have a small world with a lot of detail than Morrowind.
If they use isometric view and allow turn based combat it will be fallout 3, otherwise it will be just another franchise butchered beyond recognition.
RPGs need more variety. The first Fallout was great. It had great gameplay, an interesting story, and most importantly, didn't involve elves, rangers, swords and spells.
It's not that I have anything against Dungeons and Dragons. I just think that a pen and paper RPG doesn't necessarily make a good computer RPG, and that it's great to shake things up a little.
Far too many modern RPGs still have annoyances that just don't need to be there. Why must I play inventory tetris instead of playing the game? Why are my classes always "Fighter", "Paladin", "Ranger", "Wizard" instead of "Inventor", "Lawyer", "Cop"? Why are the races the typical "Elf", "Human", "Barbarian" rather than "Elemental", "Ape-man" or "Grey Alien"?
Fallout 3 may not be a great game. The Fallout franchise has become worse and worse since the first game came out. But, even if it isn't a great game, I'll be really happy to see it come out, because it means variety in a genre that desperately needs it.
I'm not a huge fan of Morrowind because of the rubbery graphics. Fallout 2 has a lower-end graphics setting that lets you imagine what things might look like, without painting too much of it for you. The snarky storyline was what made the game fun, not to mention the evil side of things. Like they had really funny cards that showed what your character was like. The funny cards didn't save Fallout Tactics from ruin, but maybe with a rich storyline in Fallout 3, we may see some improvements to the Fallout franchise. I only hope that they don't use the Morrowind engine for Fallout 3, because Fallout fans are very picky. They should use graphics like Temple of Elemental Evil, and that would be nice enough (sans bugs).
But I'm guessing Fallout 3 will use graphics much like Morrowind. Too bad.
The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
...because games from Bethesda have great plot and wonderful atmosphere (plus great gfx).
In the other, I deeply hope it won't be as bug-ridden as, say, Morrowind...
45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
What you need, my friend, is Progress Quest! It takes the tediousness right out of inventory management, and you can even be a demicanadian robot monk!
... Bethesda is Interplay. Hah! Take that one, Mr. Logic Man!
please oh *please*...
fallout had such a cool atmosphere... even the way that your cohorts were totally out of control had its moments, and being able to view it all from third person made it so entertaining.
first person would ruin it... (mind you I think it *always* ruins a game; I just feel like a blinkered dalek in a neck brace when playing FPS games).
In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
Agreed on that storyline, Morrowind main plot was like what were they thinking. Lucky for them they had some of the best side missions I've ever played and tons of them at that.
LOL, How about Gaithersburg?
From HomeLAN:
HomeLAN - How much input will Interplay have in the development of Fallout 3? Can they say "yes" or "no" to things like game design, story, etc?
Pete Hines - We have complete creative control over the development of the game.
HomeLAN - Will any team members from the previous Fallout games be involved in Fallout 3?
Pete Hines - Too early to talk about stuff like that.
HomeLAN - Ok. Final question..has development of Fallout 3 actually begun and can you give us any idea of a release date?
Pete Hines - I'll take the last one first. WAY too early to talk release dates. Yeah, we've started pre-production on Fallout 3 development.
Also, from Bethesda dev Gary Noonan:
Being a developer at Bethesda, I am also a big Fallout fan. I played all of the titles from FO1 to FOBOS. Not so much a fan of FOBOs or FOT, but I did play them through. To this day, FO1 is still in my top 5 fav games, not just RPGs. The campy humor, the grotesque action, and the integrated pop culture, as well as Pip Boy (can't leave THAT out!) are what allow FO to stand out from other titles. I agree, without these, it is simply NOT FO.
Now, the fact is, this news is just that.... NEWS. I have known about this for some time now, and I have been excited about it since the deal was still in the making. I AM a fan of FO. Who better to have working on a game than a FAN.... someone who knows the game, knows what it's about, knows the mood, knows the setting and atmosphere. Now, as a new development even here in the office, it's still quite a welcoming shock and we are ALL eager to be a part of it. I can't put into words how much I am dying to be a part of it.
So, for all the existing Tes fans, welcome the FO fans. Everyone has their opinions about titles and developers.
For the FO fans joining us, give it a chance. Everyone (well, I really speak for myself) here is excited about this opportunity and it is talked about quite a bit.
And for all, let's keep it cool. As everyone who has been here for a long enough period of time knows, we developers listen to what the fans have to say. The forums are our link to hearing your thoughts and input on aspects of the titles.
(All yanked from No Mutants Allowed).
This is sort of a mixed bag for me. On one hand Bethesda has a history of being ambitious in thier game design and opting for a more open ended game style. On the other hand they consistantly fail when it comes to producing polished game play and up to date technology. Morrowind, while wounderfully ambitious, flat out failed when it came to producing a bug free and polished game. I know a lot of RPG fanatics loved Morrowind, but the simple fact the matter is that the raw gameplay was horrible - and lets not even talk about the anti-piriting technology they put in that literally made the game unplayable. Only the immensity of the world and the open ended game play saved it from its self.
The real question is whether or not Bethesda has learned from thier mistakes. They clearly have the right mentality, but remains to be seen is wheather or not they can actually build a decent engine with decent gameplay mechanics.
Personally, if I had my choice someone would just snag the FarCry engine. The FarCry engine could easily handle the typical Fallout town and then some. Just tweak it to handle RPG aspects and add an overland map. Now you have a solid RPG that is beautiful, full of atomic powered cars, in real time, and has game play mechanics to appeal to a broad audience... but that is just my pipe dream.
Half-Life is a little too far down the scale of pure twitchiness and reflexes vs. strategic thinking and planning.
But people should NOT bash the first-person perspective at all. Done right, it really allows for more impressive graphics, and it doesn't all have to be about how fast you can click.
I've been playing City of Heroes lately, which takes place in a very futuristic city with incredibly nice graphics. The best part is by scrolling the mouse wheel you can move the camera back away from your character into a wide 3rd-person view, or all the way in to a 1st-person. You get to control it. I'd have no problem with something like that.
As to the combat system, City of Heroes is real-time, but every weapon has a limiting recharge time, so no matter how fast you click you have to wait X amount of time for those brass knuckles to cycle, or X+5 for your Red Ryder BB gun. It's first (or 3rd) person, but not a shooter. It's an RPG.
I'd love to play a Fallout game in a system like that. Hopefully they'll do a good job!
I also remember seeing and getting to play a Japanese Dreamcast there, since they hadn't come out in the US yet, and the developers were debating whether they should develop for it (I believe they released a bowling game).
And the CEO showed us the basement, where they shrank-wrap the boxes (looking back, it seems weird that they packaged the games there. I doubt they still do), and the shrink-wrapper almost chopped his hand off, before giving us free copies of Redguard and XCar (I think) right out of a box.
My friend that I went with also shattered the glass table in their lobby while we were waiting.
Seems like just about everyone is assuming that this is going to be just like Morrowind. Read the posts linked in the article above, and you'll see that Bethesda is making it clear that they aren't just going to be sticking Fallout stuff into the Morrowind engine. It's way too early to tell what they're going to do with it, and until we know more, it would be a good idea to avoid jumping to all these conclusions.
Perhaps someone had a particularly nice trip to the "original" Bethesda in Wales (near Bangor)?
Very scenic if you are bar the gouging of the landscape that went on with the slate mines (which are interesting in their own way if you are into that sort of thing).
Actually I suspect its more a reference to the Bethesda pool (Beth-zatha in Hebrew) in Jerusalem, where it is stated in the Bible, Jesus healed a man ("Take up your pallet and walk") who had been ill for 38 years.
Plays violent online games as: Nerfherder76
Yes, the PC version is just as buggy, however, there is one great man who solves all that.
a r 3000 bug fixes, have fun)
http://www.baldurdash.org/TESMW/TESMW.html
(ne
(And yes, its the same guy who fixed all the BG1+2 bugs as well.)
I sure hope that today's game market characteristics will not have some of the most fun traits of fallout removed.
;). You were allowed to shoot kids, and it affected the game.
:P.
Fallout was really an adulty game. It did not have blatant nudity or sex, but your character could sleep with others (no, you didn't see anything) and it affected the story. It also had tons of gore (especially if you picked that special character trait
I can see those things being removed from Fallout 3 because some stuck up executive or investor feels they are 'offensive' (incl. finger quotes and naggy, american voice) and would result in a higher rating and smaller target audience.
Fallout really kicked ass, and if you patched it, bugs were very rare. The things it lacked were more than enough compensated by the wonderfully executed retro 50's style.
Heck, this game had a spiral bound manual! These days you're lucky to get a tiny paper scrap pointing you to the crappy, uninformative PDF on the CD/DVD. I want proper game boxes. Those trapezoid Thief boxes kicked ass.
Gamers across the world are crossing their fingers for Fallout 3 not to suck. The real game fans don't care about Halflife 2 or Doom 3, they care about jewels like Fallout
To: Bethesda
We, the real Fallout fans, would like Bethesda to make Fallout 3 properly, i.e keep the key elements such as:
-isometric view
-Turnbased combat
-the S.P.E.C.I.A.L system
and NOT make Fallout 3 into an FPS released on consoles.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
There are 10 kinds of people in the world; those that understand binary and those that do not.