Interplay Claims It Could Take Back Fallout

[JWAN]

Bethesda needs to honor its agreement with Interplay whilst Interplay needs to make Descent 4

Bethesda isn't the one that failed to honor the agreement.

Myself and quite a few others have already pointed this out - Interplay did not hold up their end of the bargain. Which makes me wonder what grounds people seem to think Interplay actually is standing on.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/106812-Interplay-Calls-Bethesdas-Fallout-Claim-Absurd
Bethesda only gave them the ability to use the trademark? Neither side is right in this case because they both have such a clusterfuck of trademarks and minor legal disputes flying around that it no longer makes any sense. Which is why Bethesda should admit that interplay owns more than just the trademark and drop it whilst interplay makes Descent 4.
Bethesda's interpretation requires Interplay to develop and release an MMOG under the Fallout name, but unrelated to the Fallout brand," Interplay said in a court filing made on January "First, this is not only absurd, but is specifically prohibited [emphasis Interplay's] by the agreement because Interplay was only granted a 'license and right to use the Licensed Marks on and in connection with its Fallout-branded MMOG... and for no other purpose'."

 

[Snoodles]

Interplay are just talking themselves up for the sake of funding. Hopefully they won't get anywhere.

Fallout 3 & NV in my opinion are great games, and I hope Bethesda keeps control over them.

 

[Fuselage]

Go on, Interplay, get that license back and make good story-telling a feature again!

Except that all the good writers and awesome people who made Fallout 1 and 2 are now at Obsidian.
The makers of Fallout: New Vegas partnered with Bethesda game studio.
Yeah.
Its probably better to keep Fallout with Chris Avellone then the shell that used to be Interplay.

 

[RicoADF]

I f Interplay is permitted to "take back" the fallout franchise through legal miandering, doesn't that mean that they have to pay bethesda back the Millions they got in the IP sale in the first place, PLUS interest?

seriously this could bankrupt an already troubled and stalled video game company, and then Bethesda will merely buy up interplay's assets for penny's on the dollar. this is a No-Win Situation for Interplay

Well yeah, part of the deal was they get to make the mmo, but that right came with conditions that they supposedly broke

that main condition was "you got to get the money to develop the game yourself, and you gotta keep us posted regularly, and if we do not like your progress, we reserve the right to pull the plug.

it is debatable whether or not Interplay had the right to outsource to Masthead after they found they could not fund V-13 themselves, Which was where this whole thing started.

IF Interplay is right, then no they wouldn't have to pay back because they were payed to allow 3 games to be made by Bethesda, basically they rented the IP. They would allow them to make those 3 then no allow Bethesda to renew the IP rent. Tbh I dont get why Bethesda doesn't just buy Interplay out.

 

[Booze Zombie]

Except that all the good writers and awesome people who made Fallout 1 and 2 are now at Obsidian.
The makers of Fallout: New Vegas partnered with Bethesda game studio.
Yeah.
Its probably better to keep Fallout with Chris Avellone then the shell that used to be Interplay.

Well, Interplay doesn't have Charles Cuevas making games for them... gotta be up from there, I guess.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Ohh this is funny, two big companies acting like children...

Maybe they both need a time out. ¬__¬

 

[thiosk]

Fuck interplay.

They murdered fallout after fallout 2.

 

[Flig]

Really, this whole thing just started with the guys from Bethesda being dicks.

Part of the deal when they bought the IP was that Interplay was gonna make an MMO. I don't understand why all of a sudden they aren't going to let them do it anymore. They aren't risking any money by letting them make it. They didn't give Interplay any capital to make it, the MMO is fully funded by Interplay. If it's good, Bethesda gets fanbase for one of it's major IPs and more advertising for the next Fallouts. If it's bad, it fades into obscurity, Interplay folds, and Bethesda is unaffected. And yet they still felt like being dicks and blocking Interplay's right to make this game.

Given all of this Interplay has every right to revoke the deal. And Bethesda's quote at the end there makes Hines look like a spoiled baby going through the "mine" phase.

 

[Starke]

Really, this whole thing just started with the guys from Bethesda being dicks.

Part of the deal when they bought the IP was that Interplay was gonna make an MMO. I don't understand why all of a sudden they aren't going to let them do it anymore. They aren't risking any money by letting them make it. They didn't give Interplay any capital to make it, the MMO is fully funded by Interplay. If it's good, Bethesda gets fanbase for one of it's major IPs and more advertising for the next Fallouts. If it's bad, it fades into obscurity, Interplay folds, and Bethesda is unaffected. And yet they still felt like being dicks and blocking Interplay's right to make this game.

Given all of this Interplay has every right to revoke the deal. And Bethesda's quote at the end there makes Hines look like a spoiled baby going through the "mine" phase.

The reason was, Interplay could make the MMO if they did it quickly. The contract had a timetable that they had to meet. The reason for this is pretty simple, if there wasn't a time table then Interplay could have just had a Fallout MMO as vaporware for years, tying up that aspect of the franchise.

The first part of the timetable was securing funding for the project. Interplay wasn't able to do that on time. Everything since then has been Interplay trying to cling to an aspect of a contract they already defaulted on.

EDIT: I mean this whole "we can simply take back the IP" thing is insane. To do that they'd have to demonstrate that Bethesda was acting in bad faith when they purchased the IP, and then probably have to cough up the money Bethesda paid them for the license.

 

[Zarmi]

I don't see why people call the companies for childish. There is a shitload of money to be had in this franchise, and with the way the gaming developers are going, they need every penny they can get their dirty hands on. It's just fair fighting for survival

 

[Starke]

I don't see why people call the companies for childish. There is a shitload of money to be had in this franchise, and with the way the gaming developers are going, they need every penny they can get their dirty hands on. It's just fair fighting for survival

It probably comes from it being easier to point fingers and call names than make a reasoned argument. I'm just guessing.

As for the second part, yeah, that's why companies exist: to make money. Anything after that is either part of the making money or gravy.

 

[Fuselage]

Part of the deal when they bought the IP was that Interplay was gonna make an MMO. I don't understand why all of a sudden they aren't going to let them do it anymore. They aren't risking any money by letting them make it. They didn't give Interplay any capital to make it, the MMO is fully funded by Interplay. If it's good, Bethesda gets fanbase for one of it's major IPs and more advertising for the next Fallouts. If it's bad, it fades into obscurity, Interplay folds, and Bethesda is unaffected. And yet they still felt like being dicks and blocking Interplay's right to make this game.

The thing is that Interplay does not have the money or talent to make a Fallout based game, Most of the team that worked on Fallout 1 and 2 are now at Obsidian.
Interplay does not really have the money to make a Fallout MMO, Think of Server Costs and Maitnence, Making an MMO is a huge risk that is very expensive and he fact is Interplay don't have enough money to make it.

 

[Nedoras]

Just give the license to Obsidian. They seem to know how to make a better Fallout game then both Bethesda and Interplay.

I completely agree. New Vegas was a bit buggy, but overall it was a great game. It had that certain charm and sense of humor that Fallout always had, but was oddly absent in Fallout 3.

 

[InnerRebellion]

Hmmm. Having been doing an LP of Fallout, and slowly growing frustrated with it, I think Obsidian should actually receive the license. Maybe give Interplay more involvement though.

 

[DragonBorn96]

Tbh Interplay would destroy the franchise. They only just limped in to the metaphorical barn and compared to Bethesda im not sure that they "know" the market where as Bethesda does and thety would just lose a hell of alot of money from lackluster sales because they didn't pay attention and besides im also sure that Bethesda has more than proved themselves worthy of keeping Fallout whether Interplay has no real claim to fame for Fallout.

 

[DragonBorn96]

Change of plan, let Obsidian in, better Fallout = more moneyz

 

[The Funslinger]

After reading this, I sort of want Bethesda to have it more. Not sure I can trust a company who can't count to make a decent game anymore. Hey Interplay, there is this number between three and five, did you know about this? It's called FOUR. Fallout 4 would be next, not Fallout 5.

Despite the name, I think "New Vegas" counts as four.

 

[Faladorian]

Maybe Interplay doesn't realize that Bethesda is way way way better at making their game than they are, and nobody wants Interplay to be making the next Fallout, anyway.

 

[Faladorian]

Change of plan, let Obsidian in, better Fallout = more moneyz

NO! Obsidian sucks at making Fallout games. The only reason I can see why Bethesda would need help from them is more voice actors. That's. It.

 

[Jroo wuz heer]

I just wish someone would program a Fallout game which doesnt crash every 5 minutes? Seriously just employ some decent programmers?

neither of those are questions?
get a better platform? it works fine for me?

see how annoying that is?