Bethesda Wants Fallout MMOG Rights Returned

[Andy Chalk]

Bethesda Wants Fallout MMOG Rights Returned

Bethesda [http://www.interplay.com/] over the rights to develop a Fallout MMOG.

After selling the Fallout IP [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/70622] to Bethesda in April 2007, Interplay licensed back the rights to develop a Fallout-based MMOG. But the deal came with conditions: "Full scale development" had to begin within two years and the game would have to be launched within four years of that date. If not, Interplay would forfeit its rights to the title.

Those two years have gone by and now, according to an April 15 Securities and Exchange Commission filing [http://yahoo.brand.edgar-online.com/displayfilinginfo.aspx?FilingID=6543575-1076-225118&type=sect&dcn=0001170918-09-000147] by Interplay, Bethesda wants the license back. Interplay appears to be making progress on the game - or at least on Project V13, which everyone assumes is the Fallout MMOG - but Bethesda is claiming that full-scale development is not underway and that "certain funding" for the game has not been secured, thereby violating the terms of the agreement. Interplay, naturally, disagrees.

"Interplay recently received notice that Bethesda Softworks, LLC ("Bethesda") intends to terminate the trademark license agreement between Bethesda and Interplay which was entered into April 4, 2007 for the development of a Fallout MMOG," the filing reads. "Despite the fact that no formal action is currently pending, Bethesda claims that Interplay is in breach of the trademark license agreement for failure to commence full scale development of same by April 4, 2009 and to secure certain funding for the MMOG. Interplay adamantly disputes these claims. Although the potential damages are currently unknown, if Bethesda ultimately prevails and cancels the trademark license agreement, Interplay would lose its license back of the Fallout MMOG and any damages resulting therefrom are unknown at this time."

Interplay managed to inXile [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/86443], saying, "The future of the - well, I don't know if I want to go there. [inXile] was a more stable opportunity."


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[[Gavo]]

Fallout MMO? Interesting.... I hope Bethesda makes it.

 

[brithou11]

If Bethesda does make, who knows when it will finally be out! (Don't forget about the Elder Scrolls MMO they are currently working on)

 

[asinann]

Interplay should make it, they already started it and they won't bow to pressure from the whiny people to not allow us to shoot people in the nuts or to kill certain NPC's because "it wouldn't be right."

 

[throwitinthetrash]

Companies aside, the idea of a fallout MMO seems... odd...
Simply, MMOs support large groups of people, and to ever see 30+ people in a cluster in any fallout setting seems to contradict the premise of the game, post-nuclear holocaust with a general every man for himself feeling.

 

[uppitycracker]

I gotta say, I'd much rather have Interplay working on this than Bethesda. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved Fallout 3, but I just get the impression that Bethesda couldn't do as good a job as Interplay, especially with an original designer on board. Seems like a greedy move for Bethesda to try and take this. Sure they own the IP now, but it belonged to Interplay first. I really, really hope this continues as originally planned.

 

[SmilingKitsune]

I just find it a bit odd to have two seperate developers working on the same series, there'll be all sorts of inconsitencies.

 

[Parallel Streaks]

I have lost faith in Humanity. They're going to put the god-forsaken Oblivion "magic", or more accurately curse into another otherwise peomising looking project. I hate Bethesda, they sold their souls after Morrowind.

 

[Tech Team FTW!]

My problem with a Fallout MMO is that there is basically no way to make it work and make it live up to the standards of Fallout 3.

One of the best aspects of Fallout 3 was wanderring the wastes alone. If you have fifty thousand people in it at once, large groups will just form so that players can travel wherever they want, stomping on anything that gets in their way.

 

[ShadowKirby]

Interplay should make it, they already started it and they won't bow to pressure from the whiny people to not allow us to shoot people in the nuts or to kill certain NPC's because "it wouldn't be right."

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23231
"In its 2008 10k filed yesterday, however, Interplay says its cash balance as of December 31, 2008 was "approximately $0." Moreover, it's burdened with a working capital deficit of about $2.4 million, and the company says it may liquidate assets or pursue bankruptcy."

I doubt they'll make it.

 

[CosmicJester21]

I gotta say, I'd much rather have Interplay working on this than Bethesda. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved Fallout 3, but I just get the impression that Bethesda couldn't do as good a job as Interplay, especially with an original designer on board. Seems like a greedy move for Bethesda to try and take this. Sure they own the IP now, but it belonged to Interplay first. I really, really hope this continues as originally planned.

I agree completely, also Bethesda is inexperienced when it comes to MMOs so it could tank horribly

then again SoE keeps running their games into the ground and they have been doing MMOs for forever

 

[oliveira8]

Yeah people the thing is Bethesda wouldnt probably not even make a Fallout MMO...Thats not what Bethesda wants from here. Bethesda wants to own again the Fallout IP for it self. To make whatever they want from it. From Fallout Kart to Fallout Smash Brawl.

 

[ThaBenMan]

Meh, even if it never gets made, Fallen Earth looks like pretty much the same thing. I didn't even really want a Fallout MMO in the first place.

 

[shial]

I agree completely, also Bethesda is inexperienced when it comes to MMOs so it could tank horribly

And what MMOs has Interplay ever made? Bethesda has proven what it could do with Fallout so its just as qualified as Interplay.

There are two scenarios I think are likely, the first is that Fallout 3 was wildly more successful than they ever thought and they are thinking a Fallout MMO could be the next World of Warcraft and want the money for themselves.

The second is they are scared that Interplay's current status and history (They did blow up before) means development will drag on and then be lost and leave them years behind on developing the MMO IP. That one guy leaving because he thought it was unstable is a good indicator that this second option might be the case.

Yeah people the thing is Bethesda wouldnt probably not even make a Fallout MMO...Thats not what Bethesda wants from here. Bethesda wants to own again the Fallout IP for it self. To make whatever they want from it. From Fallout Kart to Fallout Smash Brawl.

Bethesda does own Fallout, they just licensed Interplay to make an MMO. Interplay sold the Fallout IP back in 2007 for about $56million. Interplay then went from 59M in debt to 3M in debt. The conditions on the MMO show that Bethesda had its doubts that Interplay could do it and wanted an Ace in the Hole. Bethesda could make all those other games if it wanted to.

 

[Monkz.]

I just can't see V13 being that great tbh. it has soo much potential it'll be hard to fulfil it.
Been watching the project for a while now and will continue.

 

[vamp rocks]

this will be the next WOW!!! except cheaper and actually good

if bethesda makes it..

 

[SmugFrog]

Companies aside, the idea of a fallout MMO seems... odd...
Simply, MMOs support large groups of people, and to ever see 30+ people in a cluster in any fallout setting seems to contradict the premise of the game, post-nuclear holocaust with a general every man for himself feeling.

Not if they make the world large enough. Sure, there may be certain areas of the world where people will congregate; but why wouldn't the survivors group together anyway? The first 2 games had pretty good size towns with a lot of NPCs.

 

[xXGeckoXx]

Personally id rather the game be in the hands of Bethesda. What they did with F3 was nothing short of spectacular

Same here. So far one of the best things about fallout 3 is the way they adopted the fallout series and the way that interplay cooperated and let it go for money. That was good news. That was a good developing environment.