Fallout 4 Teaser Site Welcomes You To The Institute

[Andy Chalk]

Fallout 4 Teaser Site Welcomes You To The Institute

The purported Fallout 4 teaser site at TheSurvivor2299.com is sporting a couple of rather disturbing new messages.

You've no doubt heard by now that Pete Hines, Bethesda's VP of public relations, said Fallout 4 isn't working on Prey 2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/130289-No-Fallout-4-Announcement-at-VGX-Says-Bethesda], so take it for what it's worth.

Legitimate or not, the teaser has been a lot of fun so far and it's not over yet. The site recently posted another encoded update and a new morse code message, both of which have once again been translated by the beautiful minds at Reddit. The message in text on the site translates to, "I am sorry to inform you, but I'm afraid they're dead. Your life support system is just fine. Welcome to The Institute. The only safe place to be in this world."

The morse code message is somewhat trickier to put together. The message is, "Clg BR EMRG Is OVR We Ar OTNB WT AmO STH AtK CMP WA DD N WY OU All UNT CD 512Ø EVAC Z Y X YUr NXT" but what that actually means isn't clear. "Calling Black Row" seems obvious enough, and from there Reddit takes it as either "Emergency is over" or "Emergency! It's over," which seems somewhat less likely. "We are [either 'On the North Bridge' or 'Outnumbered,' which seems more likely to me] without ammo. Something attacked camp. We are doomed [maybe?], no way out, all units [and then another questionable bit, either 'confirmed dead' or 'code'] 5120: evacuate. Z Y X, you're next."

The "5120" bit may reference the "-TBNLS 5120-" that ended an earlier message [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/130137-Fallout-4-Teaser-Site-Heats-Up-With-Nuclear-Winter]. No clue what the "Z Y X" means, and like that other message, how this one is interpreted - "Emergency is over" or "Emergency! It's over" - leads to two very different conclusions. And "You're next" - threat or promise?

There's no question that Hines' statement rather strongly implies that this is not a legitimate Fallout 4 tease, but it's also worth remembering that the VGX awards happen on December 7, while the countdown won't hit zero until December 11. And even if it is a hoax, it's been a great one so far and I'm looking forward to more. I also have an unsolicited suggestion for Bethesda: If it does turn out that someone is faking us out with this, hire him.

Source: Reddit [http://thesurvivor2299.com/]


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[RaikuFA]

This isn't for Fallout 4. It's for Half Life 4. They're skipping three.

 

[Broken Orange]

I do not approve of the clickbait title of the article. The internet masses are just assuming that this is Fallout 4. As far as we know, it's for the Fallout MMO or just an elaborate fan prank. Why Bethesda wouldn't just kill the rumor if it really is a fan prank, but we don't know yet.

EDIT:go to the website and you will see it was a ducking hoax.

 

[hentropy]

I was sort of disappointed when I heard it was basically going to be in The Commonwealth. I mean, I know it's been teased in FO3 but it just doesn't seem like an interesting enough locale on its face. I would just hate for it to become like Oblivion, an otherwise good game that didn't have quite as much long-term appeal because of the blandness of its world.

I might be jumping to conclusion, though. The whole idea of the Institute being a preserved place might be interesting, but if it's just one big Vault it will probably lose much of the interest.

 

[sirjeffofshort]

I was sort of disappointed when I heard it was basically going to be in The Commonwealth. I mean, I know it's been teased in FO3 but it just doesn't seem like an interesting enough locale on its face. I would just hate for it to become like Oblivion, an otherwise good game that didn't have quite as much long-term appeal because of the blandness of its world.

I might be jumping to conclusion, though. The whole idea of the Institute being a preserved place might be interesting, but if it's just one big Vault it will probably lose much of the interest.

I actually grew up in Mass before moving to L.A. and even though I absolutely hate my home town and its surroundings, the idea of a Fallout game set there strikes me as almost the exact opposite of bland. In my mind it would have the feel of a cross between Fallout and Skyrim.

The references to Quabbin are interesting as well as that is well know in Mass as a town that the state actually evacuated and flooded on purpose to serve as a large part of Western Mass's reservoir. The entire town (or at least the foundation of it at this point) is still down there, under the water to this day. Not sure if you still can, but growing up, during particularly dry seasons you used to be able to see the church steeple sticking out of the water.

I personally would love to see a fallout that took place in a slightly preserved area of the U.S. I could see exploring underwater ruins, treetop towns of survivors, mountain caves full of muties as well as, just a few miles away the ruins of larger cities like Springfield or Holyoke... could be interesting stuff.

Anyways, not trying to drive your points into the ground or anything, if this even is a game tease it could go any which way at this point. I just think there's a lot more potential there than most people would give credit.

 

[martyrdrebel27]

And even if it is a hoax, it's been a great one so far

You mean it's been fun to decode Morse code messages or watching a clock tick away? There has been better and this is far too simplistic. The fact that Fo4 was going to come out (at some point) isn't new, it's old news.

does it hurt being that cold and jaded? Like, on the inside? I imagine it feels like standing barefoot in a damp cave.

just enjoy the ride.

 

[hentropy]

I was sort of disappointed when I heard it was basically going to be in The Commonwealth. I mean, I know it's been teased in FO3 but it just doesn't seem like an interesting enough locale on its face. I would just hate for it to become like Oblivion, an otherwise good game that didn't have quite as much long-term appeal because of the blandness of its world.

I might be jumping to conclusion, though. The whole idea of the Institute being a preserved place might be interesting, but if it's just one big Vault it will probably lose much of the interest.

I actually grew up in Mass before moving to L.A. and even though I absolutely hate my home town and its surroundings, the idea of a Fallout game set there strikes me as almost the exact opposite of bland. In my mind it would have the feel of a cross between Fallout and Skyrim.

The references to Quabbin are interesting as well as that is well know in Mass as a town that the state actually evacuated and flooded on purpose to serve as a large part of Western Mass's reservoir. The entire town (or at least the foundation of it at this point) is still down there, under the water to this day. Not sure if you still can, but growing up, during particularly dry seasons you used to be able to see the church steeple sticking out of the water.

I personally would love to see a fallout that took place in a slightly preserved area of the U.S. I could see exploring underwater ruins, treetop towns of survivors, mountain caves full of muties as well as, just a few miles away the ruins of larger cities like Springfield or Holyoke... could be interesting stuff.

Anyways, not trying to drive your points into the ground or anything, if this even is a game tease it could go any which way at this point. I just think there's a lot more potential there than most people would give credit.

I don't mean to say your hometown isn't interesting either, but the last two Fallout games have been placed in Vegas and DC, that's the standard that has been established in the past, and it's a rather high bar. It just seems someone in a nice suit mandated that it had to be in a major metropolitan area in the US. I would feel the same way if it were NYC (even moreso in that case), Philly, or most major cities. The early buzz about it possibly being somewhere in Europe was something that got me excited, even it were just London.

Not saying it's impossible at all the make The Commonwealth interesting, I'm just saying it doesn't get me as excited as other possibilities, especially if Bethesda makes a lot of the same mistakes as they did with FO3. The interesting, explorable world was more or less the only thing making that game great, and if the Commonwealth is just another boring green landscape with some trees and ruined buildings with Super Mutants for some reason then it's sorta hard to get excited about it, even if I can explore an old, ruined Fenway.

 

[Andy Chalk]

You mean it's been fun to decode Morse code messages or watching a clock tick away? There has been better and this is far too simplistic. The fact that Fo4 was going to come out (at some point) isn't new, it's old news.

Yes, actually. And the speculation about what it might mean, and whether it's real or a hoax, and where the game will be set and what it will be about if it is real, and who's behind it and why so much effort is being put into it if it isn't. There's lots about this that you can have fun with. You can also choose to not have fun with any of it, but... why?

Also, yes, that Fallout 4 is coming isn't "news," in the same sense that a new Halo is being made, or a new Mario game, or a new WoW expansion, is also not news. Nobody actually thinks for a moment that a game publisher will abandon a successful and popular franchise in order to concentrate on new and exciting creative endeavours. But I suspect that when Bethedsa does finally say, "HEY YES WE ARE DOING THIS WOO WOOOOO," most Fallout fans will want to hear about it.

 

[Pyrian]

Nobody actually thinks for a moment that a game publisher will abandon a successful and popular franchise in order to concentrate on new and exciting creative endeavours.

Isn't that pretty much Valve's modus operandi?

 

[Andy Chalk]

Isn't that pretty much Valve's modus operandi?

I suppose that depends on whether or not you really believe that it's given up on Half-Life, and to address the original point, whether or not you'd considered it "newsworthy" if and when it officially acknowledges that Half-Life 3 will be out in late 2015.

 

[sirjeffofshort]

I don't mean to say your hometown isn't interesting either, but the last two Fallout games have been placed in Vegas and DC, that's the standard that has been established in the past, and it's a rather high bar. It just seems someone in a nice suit mandated that it had to be in a major metropolitan area in the US. I would feel the same way if it were NYC (even moreso in that case), Philly, or most major cities. The early buzz about it possibly being somewhere in Europe was something that got me excited, even it were just London.

Not saying it's impossible at all the make The Commonwealth interesting, I'm just saying it doesn't get me as excited as other possibilities, especially if Bethesda makes a lot of the same mistakes as they did with FO3. The interesting, explorable world was more or less the only thing making that game great, and if the Commonwealth is just another boring green landscape with some trees and ruined buildings with Super Mutants for some reason then it's sorta hard to get excited about it, even if I can explore an old, ruined Fenway.

No worries, I'd be among the first to say that my home state is fairly uninteresting haha. I was just saying topographically it offers a number of interesting possibilities that could be an interesting yest slight divergence from the established 'vast wasteland' aesthetic.

That said, I absolutely agree that it would be much more interesting to see the series carry over to other cultures and communities. A Fallout based in the ruins of some overseas place (perhaps even seeing the other side of the coin, where we have a game that shows what is going on in the country {was it Russia? I'm not well versed on Fallout lore} that was on the receiving end of OUR Nukes) would be incredible. I've always said I'd like to see more games utilize the settings of European countries (if there is ever a Left 4 Dead that takes place in Spain or Italy I will have to quit my job to play it). The architecture, city planning, and a fantastic melding of old world relics with new world structures leaves a lot of untapped possibilities.

Haha, sorry about my rants, I just love talking about the design possibilities of this stuff.

 

[sirjeffofshort]

Bethesda should give you a writing position.

Haha, if there's any Bethesda higher ups in the house, I'm down.

 

[Mike Kayatta]

Bethesda on Twitter: "PSA: If you don't hear it through an official channel like this, assume all rumors and speculation are false."

 

[Pink Apocalypse]

hire him.

Really?

You know for sure a man is doing this? Don't withhold from us, what else do you know?

 

[Kross]

hire him.

Really?

You know for sure a man is doing this? Don't withhold from us, what else do you know?

Apparently that Tunnel Snakes RULE! [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0ximxe4XtU]

 

[otakon17]

You guys should update this, it was a fake out. A "rickroll" of Fallout flavoring, all there is now is a message "That's it Tunnel Snakes" and the video "Tunnel Snakes Rule!" on it now.

EDIT: Beaten by a minute, bugger all.

 

[DirgeNovak]

Oh well. It was fun while it lasted. I'm sure we'll get our announcement soon.

Big congratulations to the assholes pranksters, though. This was incredibly well though out and researched.