First Fallout MMORPG art surfaces

To boost arguments in Bethesda lawsuit, Interplay releases concept shots for its Masthead-developed postnuclear role-playing game.

Sporting the latest in irradiated fashions…

One week after it countersued Bethesda Softworks over the Fallout massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Interplay has fired another shot over its former ally's bow. To bolster its contention that it is actively working on an MMORPG set in the postnuclear role-playing game's universe, the company released the first concept art for the game, code-named Project V13.

Project V13 lead system designer Chris Taylor*, an original Fallout developer who was rehired in September 2008, posted four concept art paintings on the official Interplay forums (registration required)."Keep in mind that this is concept art. It's not finalized art, but it will give you a feel for what we are aiming for with V13," cautioned Taylor.

Cacti are well suited to the apres-apocalypse.

The four shots show that Interplay and Earthrise developer Masthead, which is codeveloping Project V13, are departing somewhat from the original Fallout's aesthetic. The "Survivor" image shows a surprisingly well-groomed wasteland wanderer sporting three weapons--two energy pistols in his hands and a shotgun of sorts on his back. The other three shots show various parts of the apres-apocalyptic landscape, including a desert, a factory, and an airplane junkyard.

This flight is still delayed?

The release of the Project V13 shots is the latest chapter in the increasingly ugly legal battle between Bethesda and Interplay. In September, the Fallout 3 developer-publisher filed suit against the formerly major publisher that released the first Fallout games in the late 1990s.

The suit stemmed from a 2007 deal that saw Bethesda buy the Fallout IP outright and then license the rights to make a Fallout-branded MMORPG back to Interplay. Bethesda claims Interplay violated that deal by deceptively selling the original Fallout games as the "Fallout Trilogy" and misleading customers that it contained Fallout 3.

12,126 days without a civilization-ending nuclear accident.

Bethesda also accused Interplay of not raising the MMORPG funding required by the contract. After announcing its intention to terminate the MMORPG deal in April, Bethesda pointed to a June 30 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that revealed that Interplay only had $2.54 million in debt and only $16,000 in cash assets. That figure was far short of the $30 million required by the agreement.

In its countersuit, Interplay accused Bethesda of 10 counts of breach of contract, including violating the terms of the trademark licensing agreement (TLA) and asset purchase agreement (APA) entered into in 2007. It is seeking to retain limited licensing rights for Fallout, including those for a planned pen-and-paper RPG, or to have the 2007 agreement nullified and have the entire Fallout IP return to Interplay.

*Not to be confused with Gas Powered Games' Chris Taylor.

383 Comments

  • -Six-Shooter-

    Posted Feb 9, 2010 12:38 pm GMT

    Bethesda did a great job on Fallout 3 and the DLC's, whilst not creating a multiplayer function, i say; bethesda has proven/earned their rights to make a sequel if you look at the selling-stats of F3...

    BTW: you can go BLAH-ting about how good F1 and F2 where/are, but the perspective of the past is not helping to create new and innovative gameplay.. like multiplayer, the VATS or anything for that matter.. (it's hard to think outside the box, especially in game-world)

  • -Six-Shooter-

    Posted Feb 9, 2010 12:38 pm GMT

    Bethesda did a great job on Fallout 3 and the DLC's, whilst not creating a multiplayer function, i say; bethesda has proven/earned their rights to make a sequel if you look at the selling-stats of F3...

    BTW: you can go BLAH-ting about how good F1 and F2 where/are, but the perspective of the past is not helping to create new and innovative gameplay.. like multiplayer, the VATS or anything for that matter.. (it's hard to think outside the box, especially in game-world)

  • joker0711

    Posted Feb 8, 2010 9:02 pm GMT

    I'm not a huge fan of MMORPGs (Everquest or WoW), but once you give it a Fallout theme, I'm all over it. I think this would be amazing. I'd like to see Interplay make it, but I just hope it gets done and gets done well.

  • sethbouldin

    Posted Feb 8, 2010 5:10 pm GMT

    @tki_raziel

    "everything like in all Bethesda RPGs scales with player level"
    That ill-researched statement made me lose all interest in what you had to say.

  • tki_raziel

    Posted Feb 6, 2010 2:12 pm GMT

    Good job with fail dialogues based on skills? Have u played first Fallouts to see the options u had when u talked with some1? There is no limit to inventory u can carry ammunition for an entire enemy base. Game has no challange, everything like in all Bethesda RPGs scales with player level, like the world evolves because of u, not u evolving because what happends in the world, there are no proper towns in F3 everything is a mess humanity didnt evolve a bit, game is more like a zombie shooter, u shoot ghouls in metro tunnels for X hours. Few quests worth mentoning and few moments in game have a real feeling. I hope Obsidian does something more from Fallout then the joke of Fallout 3, but probably not much because Bethesda wont let them to do it their way.

  • robulastage

    Posted Feb 6, 2010 12:16 pm GMT

    The shooter aspect of Fallout3 was extremely clunky and unrefined. VATS did the shooter aspect of the game a huge favor. Other than how clunky the shooting is, I say Bethesda did a great job with it, and I'd like to see them run further with the franchise.

  • tki_raziel

    Posted Feb 6, 2010 7:22 am GMT

    Bethesda only destroyed everything was good in Fallout and used the name to make a crapy FPS for console players. Fallout 1&2 cant be beaten by VATS and graphics. Too bad Interplay dosent have any financial power anymore, anyway the Fallout license landed in the wrong hands.

  • otanikun

    Posted Feb 4, 2010 9:53 am GMT

    Stop Interplay, give it to Bethesda

  • SuperYeti22

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 3:39 pm GMT

    @Chrisjag92

    Maybe so Interplay made the franchise, but when Bethesda bought the franchise, and made Fallout 3, they did a way better job doing it. After Bethesda's hard work on Fallout 3, Interplay is going to shoot it in the face by turning it back into the old crap that was fun in the 90's while it lasted, but not anymore these days

  • Sperataca

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 8:49 am GMT

    i dont see why they have to fight about this crap. its frikkin fallout agreat game universe with a huge and really easily expanded universe. Also why doesnt bethesda offer to buy them out? i am sure they could pull somthing togethere to make a offer. interplay only has 16,000 in assests? it just seems that they want to continue making great games which they did back in the day so why no continue there legacy? all in all i would rather see them both contibuting to make a better game for every one that scwabbiling over a dead corpes like some super mutes

  • Heythatsmychair

    Posted Jan 14, 2010 6:27 pm GMT

    I would like to see a Fallout game like the old one be brought to XBLA. Something like Alien Breed Evolution but Fallout.

  • CTC24

    Posted Dec 27, 2009 8:55 pm GMT

    So Interplay is accusing Bethesda of stupid reasons, just to get their beloved "Fallout" back? If they do get the title and rights back their already in debt so its just going to sit there for a long time until they pay off the debt and raise money to make a new Fallout game. I say that's stupid, they gave it to Bethesda and they made an excellent game of that title, so why take it back? I would be on their side if they weren't in debt and had a decent amount of money in their pockets to make another great game.

  • Glaice

    Posted Dec 26, 2009 12:07 am GMT

    Why does Interplay have to market v13 as a Fallout game at all? It could be Wasteland, or some variant thereof, which Bethesda would not own the IP to and allow Interplay to do their own thing. By doing that, I'm sure that Chris could go back, remembering what the first games were all about, remain true to lore (which to speak of was really just a loose idea based on Wasteland anyways) and make a fantastic game, all the while letting Bethesda continue on their path. All this suit and counter suit looks more like a chest thumping contest or teenage drama to me anyways!

  • Neogenic

    Posted Dec 21, 2009 12:56 pm GMT

    I am also neutral here. Fallout 3 is an awsome game, no matter how you look at it. It's not perfect, but what game is? I never played the original Fallout series, but i do know that Interplay made some awsome games in their day (My favorite was Messiah), so i'll bet the original fallout series is great. Anyway, i hope that Interplay can continue this MMORPG. It sounds fun.

  • hydn631

    Posted Dec 19, 2009 10:50 am GMT

    Im in nuetral position here, fallout 3 was great in every aspect except the awful combat so in a sense bethseda did a good thing. But then again Interpay started fallout and made amazing games and are sadly declining. Maybe interplay could make combat, cause bethseda, they havent made a good comabt system in any of their "award winning" rpgs yet.

  • Crush_Project

    Posted Dec 16, 2009 10:07 pm GMT

    lol yeti, and the guys that changed the entire format from a tactical 3rd person to a lame and typical 1st person shooter didnt ruin the title? How bout when they changed VATS to be the biggest noob invention in the history of gaming? and you people love them for it.

    And as stated below, they took out all the humor that made the game what it was. The ending is painfully static etc. I can go on and on about how bethesda did exactly the opposite of what your saying and ruined the title. Imo bethesda would have been better off starting their own title.

  • xEpiphoneSG

    Posted Dec 9, 2009 2:39 pm GMT

    also

    @SuperYeti22

    I completely agree with you...

    It is like picking up a toy that a little kid wasnt even using, and then when you walk away he throws a tantrum because he wants it back!...haha funny stuff

  • xEpiphoneSG

    Posted Dec 9, 2009 2:35 pm GMT

    if it happens then hope that it is bethesda and they are cool enough to make it for Xbox 360 and PS3 (well i dont care bout PS3) ...

  • bagelnbutter

    Posted Dec 7, 2009 2:57 pm GMT

    i think they should try a mmorpg for the game itd be kinda cool

  • und3roath

    Posted Dec 2, 2009 8:32 pm GMT

    no i thinkbethesda should get it they have the funds and weather people loved or hated fallout 3 it made a ton of money!! i personally have liked all fallout games so i am a little sad interplay and bethesda arent friends any more.

  • maelstrom

    Posted Nov 26, 2009 7:02 pm GMT

    Whatever...the new Fallout was completely devoid of the dark humor and quirky design that made the original Fallout games so likable. Breach of contract be damned...I'm backing Interplay in this situation because I actually played the original Fallout games, and even though I liked Fallout 3, it just wasn't the same experience that I remember from the 90's. Granted this will be an MMO, but I would like to see what the original team comes up with.

  • Australians

    Posted Nov 24, 2009 1:02 am GMT

    well interplay was good in the 90s but not they have lost it hell they use to have some great games in the early 90s

  • pzio

    Posted Nov 23, 2009 4:13 pm GMT

    I think Interplay is definitely a washed out company who is vying for attention so people will notice them again, but I hope they resolve their differences with only some licensing rights of Fallout going to Interplay. I think Bethesda was a little too hard on them with the whole deadline deal, as they have so much debt right now that it would take a long, long time to get out of it, especially with the economy the way it is these days. I think an original-style Fallout MMORPG should happen, along with an iPhone port of it

  • SuperYeti22

    Posted Nov 17, 2009 7:06 pm GMT

    This is f****** stupid. Interplay will destroy Fallout. Interplay is like a 3-year-old having a tantrum. "We wanted to make a fallout game of our own, but you didn't like it, so you tried to take away privliges(I probably spelled this wrong. Hey, sue me!) and the fallout universe, so we're going to take back the fallout universe and completely ruin it! Waaah!" Interplay should take a fallout gun and fire it... while shoving it down its pants!

  • GreaseyJuggler

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 12:42 pm GMT

    Do i detect a hint of jealousy there Interplay?? Way to backpedal.

  • ImmortalityX

    Posted Nov 12, 2009 3:38 am GMT

    woww interplay sounds like a poor company crying for help lol
    they're definitely sueing Bethesda because they handed their rights to Fallout to a way more creative company and saw what they COULD have done with it, they probably just feel retarded for giving it away!

    now they cant take it anymore and want their franchise back even though they'll turn it straight to ruin with them behind it's developing wheel.
    (i mean you've seen their games.. -_- )

    how does interplay expect to win this?
    they didnt follow contract with Bethesda because they were in debt! AND they've been selling Fallout(interplay) games when they sold their rights to Fallout years ago...

    I hope Bethesda pulls through, cause they made this game badass and it has taken up tons of my time lmao good luck Bethesda, dont let the system f''''k you!!

  • fatredfu

    Posted Nov 11, 2009 12:49 pm GMT

    is this going to be a kid's game?
    wtf? these images are crap, too cheery. Welcome to the wasteland of pastels... er wait... no... what?

  • azazazazaz3

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 8:07 pm GMT

    robgam3r see a f****** psycologist

  • nomorepain4u

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 8:05 pm GMT

    what the hell are you talking bout robgam3r. u are f+++++ up. interplay will ruin fallout.screw you interplay go betheda. oh and by the way interplay take these crap cartoonish images and shove em up your a++. they suck.interplay will ruin fallout

  • azazazazaz3

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 8:05 pm GMT

    interplay's gonna mess everything up

  • nomorepain4u

    Posted Nov 9, 2009 5:15 pm GMT

    interplay will ruin fallout

  • nomorepain4u

    Posted Nov 9, 2009 5:15 pm GMT

    screw you interplay go betheda. oh and by the way interplay take these crap cartoonish images and shove em up your a++. they suck

  • nomorepain4u

    Posted Nov 9, 2009 5:14 pm GMT

    what the hell are you talking bout robgam3r. u are f+++++ up

  • hobobobo00

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 7:12 pm GMT

    interplay sucks

  • bagehi

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 12:10 pm GMT

    "We painted 4 pictures!" is not the same as developing an MMO. It has been over 2 years since Interplay "started" the MMO project and all they seem to have to show for it is four paintings. It reminds me of the DECADE spent waiting for Fallout 3 before they sold it to another developer to make.

  • LXIndustries

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 11:46 am GMT

    I certainly hope Bethesda comes out on top of this suit.
    They did and exemplary job on TES and Fallout alike and I can only believe would continue doing so with both franchises.
    I would think that any future Fallout game made by Interplay just would not have the same inpact as one by Bethesda - they seem to have the formula for these games well in hand.

  • MaccyMan

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 9:22 am GMT

    I would rather Bethesda make it. Reason being, interplay doesn't have any goddamn money. You can't make a game without money, and interplay trying to steal the Fallout Franchise back from Bethesda is childish. If they can't MAKE the game why do they think that they can MAKE the game?

  • solatron

    Posted Nov 4, 2009 5:28 am GMT

    @noxian: its pretty newschool? u gotta be kidding me. MMOs are emphasize on quantity over quality. i think you're just a new kid on the block trying to ditch the concept of old school who actually knows nothing of the past.

  • noxian

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 1:32 pm GMT

    @phaedruslives: the problem with that is there's really only ONE original Fallout mind behind this game. there are some people out there seriously overhyping the "omg its the original Fallout makers" angle not realizing one man doesn't make a game studio, no matter how much we like to hype singular personalities these days. Taylor didn't make Fallout by himself and with that having been said the rest of the team is about as new to the franchise as anyone at Bethesda.

    as far as Fallout not needing an MMO, there we're in total agreement. in fact if we were to bring up the REAL oldschool versus newschool conflict, THAT'S more relevent than anything else. most old fans of fallout i've ever known all think an MMO simply doesn't fit the concept of Fallout where your existence was pretty much alone. yes there were towns and such but even with those the original concept was they were few and far between. a far cry from the very notion of massive multiplayer. frankly, the whole idea that every rpg needs to be turned into an MMO is pretty newschool.

  • Petri87

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 12:59 pm GMT

    @Kfoss - Putting Borderlands in the same category as Fallout in an RPG sence is a bit of a streatch. I would call Borderlands a FPS whit RPG elements, NOT an RPG.

    @phaedruslives - If the origional minds behind the Fallout franchise should have a hand in the game then they should have Obsidian do that... ow wait, thay are doing a Fallout game though not an MMO still the closest you will get to have the origional team from Fallout 1 and 2 working on a Fallout game.

  • Kfoss posted Nov 3, 2009 12:02 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Kfoss

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 12:02 pm GMT (hide)

    with out Bethesda Fallout 3 would never have existed and Fallout would remain a dead franchise...as for an RPG who cares.
    Borderlandshas beaten them to it by far...

  • phaedruslives

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 10:02 am GMT

    @noxian: honestly? interplay has its share melancholies, i'll not dispute that, but I would rather some of the original minds behind the first games have a hand in it than not. if bethesda made an mmo it would generic online and would have an even higher level of soul-crushing monotony than the rest of their games. call me an idealist but i don't think michelangelo would have some wealthy up-start make a sequel to david. the real problem here is that there is absolutely no need for a fallout mmo in the first place. although the lifeless npc's that have no relevence or character development would make bethesda the obvious choice for people who want a world thats graphically convincing but hollow (more-or-less every major mmo) i'm an old school guy. in my mind wizardry owns TES but hey thats just me

  • phaedruslives

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 9:49 am GMT

    fallout 3 was flawless? its laughable compared to it fore-fathers. truly, these are godless times lol

  • StarvingPoet

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 9:13 am GMT

    Since they can't figure this out on their own, I shall cut the IP in half and each parent shall get one piece!

  • MinerAvatar

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 2:25 am GMT

    It is amazing shift how you refuse to accept that Interplay might have messed up here. To say Interplays only mistake was to trust Bethesda is just absurd. They knew the terms, their lawyers knew the terms, and they made the deal anyway. No one (ie Bethesda) forced them to make this deal. They were shopping the IP around in the first place because of poor business decisions. I suppose with your logic all the problems from 1998 up to April 2007 are Bethesdas fault too. When they were delisted from NASDAQ in 2002 was that Bethsedas fault? How about the 2003 Black Isle closing, or in 2004 being evicted for non payment of rent? What about Califonia shutting them down for non-payment of workers' paychecks in 2004? How about the $59 Mil debt they were in? Its very clear Interplay is a very poorly run business, why you think them infallible, who knows. Its much easier to blame someone eles than to accept responsibility for your own mistakes. That is what seems to me is really going on here. So please stop with all the pro Interplay rhetoric and talking as if you know what is really going on, you don't. Only the two parties involved know that for sure and its very clear a judge will have to sort all this out. My bet is still on Bethesda winning this in the end however.

  • DJCartmell

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 1:59 am GMT

    At the end of the day Interplay hasn't got the IP anymore therefore Bethesda love them or loathe them do have the rights by law to not like it if :
    1) The original Fallout games are re-released without consent of the IP holder (being Bethesda)
    2) Interplay have not actually made enough progress to actually start the development of the actual game i.e. developing the actual game software (never mind the concept art). The matter is they did not properly start making the game by the deadline and as far as I can see Bethesda as the IP holder has now got the rights to pull the plug on Interplay (as far as the law is concerned the IP holder has more legal power over the creators of the franchise).
    As far as I can see Interplay is a dead duck of a company who can't make a game to save their lives! Not to mention they never cared about fallout they sold it realised what a blunder they made and are desperate to get it back which as far as I and the law is concerned they don't have much legal grounds on the issue. If Interplay get the rights back as far as I'm concerned it's the waste of a franchise giving it back to a company who can't make any games at all!

  • Reuwsaat

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 1:30 am GMT

    I hope Bethesda destroy Interplay, before they launch this MMORPG, and pulverize the game's name, as they did to they're own company. Bethesda is the one who should make this game, not them.

  • Herenr

    Posted Nov 3, 2009 1:21 am GMT

    Seriously, Shift, why do you keep mentioning how Zenimax are crooks, how they tricked Interplay into a deal (LOL) and how they're ruining the sacred Fallout IP? I just find it ironic, particularly after you claimed I was being supposedly "biased." Fact is, Interplay has been losing money for years, was desperate to pawn off one of their more popular franchises- since, as stated, they needed the money-, and haven't been doing anything significant since then. We've gone over, constantly, how Beth owns all the rights to the franchise, which includes all the previous work ( Trilogies included), how much of the original Interplay/Black Isles crew no longer works for Interplay; how laughable 4 concepts screens are for 2 years of supposed work;and how the the deal states, clear as day, that they were supposed to have "secured" $30 mil. In fact, a good number of Black Isles members are now developing New Vegas for Beth.

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