Game News Bethesda to develop and publish Fallout 3?

[Spazmo]

Tags: Bethesda Softworks; Fallout 3; Herve Caen

A <a href=http://www.bethsoft.com/news/pressrelease_071004.htm>press release</a> appearing on the <a href=http://www.bethsoft.com/index.html>Bethesda Softworks</a> website is announcing that Bethesda, makers of the... debatable Morrowind, have <b>licensed Fallout from Interplay and plan to develop and publish their own Fallout 3</b>. Here's the press release:
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<blockquote>July 10, 2004 (Rockville, MD) -- Bethesda Softworks® announced today that it will develop and publish Fallout 3 -- a sequel to the highly popular Fallout role-playing game franchise. Bethesda acquired the rights to the Fallout franchise from Interplay Entertainment Corp. (OTC Bulletin Board: IPLY) in a deal that awards Bethesda unrestricted worldwide rights to the Fallout franchise on the PC, home consoles, handhelds, and other media, with the option to develop and publish additional sequels.
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“We’re extremely excited about this opportunity and what it means both for Bethesda and for Fallout fans around the world,” said Vlatko Andonov, president of Bethesda Softworks. “Fallout is one the great RPG franchises. Millions of Fallout games have been sold worldwide, and fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of a Fallout 3 title. Bethesda’s proven expertise in this genre, building on our experience and the tremendous success we have enjoyed with our cutting-edge Elder Scrolls® series, will enable us to create the next chapter of Fallout that is worthy of the franchise.”
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Originally released in 1997, Fallout places a player in the role of a Vault-dweller, who ventures from his secluded, underground survival Vault into a post-apocalyptic world of mutants, radiation, gangs and violence. The game has been widely hailed as one of the outstanding role-playing games and video games of all time with its unique gameplay, style, and setting.
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Commenting on this development, Interplay Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Herve Caen said, “This is a good agreement for both companies and for gamers. Although several parties had a high level of interest in licensing Fallout, we are most impressed by Bethesda’s execution of role-playing titles. Bethesda is an ideal steward of the Fallout franchise.”
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Fallout 3 will be developed by Bethesda along with the next chapter of The Elder Scrolls, both under the direction of Todd Howard, executive producer of The Elder Scrolls. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind® won every national and international award of note in 2002, including Game of the Year and RPG of the Year, and is one of the best-selling games ever released on Xbox.
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“We are overjoyed,” said Howard. “Fallout is one of my favorite games, and we plan to develop a visually stunning and original game for Fallout 3 with all the hallmarks of a great RPG: player choice, engaging story, and non-linearity.”
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Future announcements about the release of Fallout 3 will be made as work on the title progresses.</blockquote>
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This had better be some kind of sick joke. Fucking Bethesda is worst fit I could possibly imagine to make Fallout 3. I honestly feel a bit sick.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgdot.com">RPGDot</A>

 

[plin]

holy shit man. Didn't see that coming.

too bad it's not april fools...

 

[Transcendent One]

Bethesda, you mean that same company behind shit like Buggerfall and Marrowind?

Dear God.

 

[Jed]

Goodbye dialog trees...

 

[plin]

You never know, they could do it justice. If it's one of his favorite games, I would think he knows why people love it so much.

 

[mathboy]

“This is a good agreement for both companies and for gamers. Although several parties had a high level of interest in licensing Fallout, we are most impressed by Bethesda’s execution of role-playing titles. Bethesda is an ideal steward of the Fallout franchise.”

Says the guy who thought FOBOS was a good idea.

 

[Flink]

Holy CRAP! I almost had a heart attack... I think I'd better go lie down...

 

[Araanor]

What. The. Fuck.

Seriously.

 

[Spazmo]

This is worse news than FOBOS. I mean, Bethesda can feel free to go and make their own really shitty games, but could they please keep their hands off Fallout?

 

[Volourn]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Flink]

It's time, ones again, for the Fallout fans to take a big quaff of ye olde pig urine...

 

[undead dolphin hacker]

This is fucking awful. Idiots who loved shit-eating titles like Morrowind and KOTOR are cheering over this--if that's not proof enough that this sucks an unshaved arab transsexual's cock, I don't know what is.

 

[Volourn]

"Idiots who loved KOTOR are cheering over this"


Liar.

 

[Spazmo]

Let's not get derailed here--the point is that Bethesda sucks.

I bet Herve went for this knowing full well it'd piss the fans off. I can easily picture him signing a contract and then muttering, "From hell's heart, I stab at thee, fan community!"

 

[Barghest]

Although several parties had a high level of interest in licensing Fallout, we are most impressed by Bethesda’s execution of role-playing titles. Bethesda is an ideal steward of the Fallout franchise.”

The right fucking people to produce another XBox twitch-fest RPG-lite abortion then? Have Bethesda been taking the dirty Microsoft $ then for this title?

 

[Transcendent One]

Fallout 3 will be like webpages of the Wikipedia encyclopedia *shudder* I think I'm starting to get a fever. Maybe it's just hot outside.

 

[Barghest]

This thread is just going to go on & on & on etc etc...

 

[evilmonkey]

the final exit is always a valid opinion here - don't play it.

I've said it, and others have said it - what ever happens FO3 wont be in the spirit of FO1, and it would be better of to let it die - and why not just let it die, even if others cashcows the name.

 

[mr. lamat]

if it's got the same mod capability as morrowind, there's a chance it might not be total shite.

chance. small chance.

i will hope for something decent.

 

[Araanor]

Spaz, the first paragraph says they actually acquired the rights to Fallout, not licensed it. Ack.

A pox on the twisted black soul of Herve. I can see him doing it just to spite us.

EDIT: All right, seems I read too much into it. IPLY statement is more exact.

 

[DemonKing]

(OTC Bulletin Board: IPLY) in a deal that awards Bethesda unrestricted worldwide rights to the Fallout franchise on the PC, home consoles, handhelds, and other media, with the option to develop and publish additional sequels.

Does this mean Herve can continue development of F.O.O.L internally from his shoebox somewhere in the middle of the road?

Commenting on this development, Interplay Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Herve Caen said, “This is a good agreement for both companies and for gamers. Although several parties had a high level of interest in licensing Fallout, we are most impressed by Bethesda’s execution of role-playing titles. Bethesda is an ideal steward of the Fallout franchise.”

LOL - so Herve wants us to beleive that he went for the company which was the best fit for the game rather than the one that anteed up the most $$$.

Also has FO really sold "millions" of copies? Maybe between 1-2 million max. if you count Tactics (and even if you exclude the 16 copies of FOBOS sold).

Frankly of all the CRPG companies out there Bethsheba is the worst fit imaginable IMHO. Even Bioware would do a better job. I guess Obsidian and Troika just didn't have the resources to licence it themselves.

Let's pray Bethsheba contracts one of these two companies to work on it.

 

[evilmonkey]

dare we hope on a X-Box exlusive game, so that this site if anything find it self to cover it? :&

 

[Vault Dweller]

Just when we thought that things couldn't get any worse.....another crime committed by fucking Herve.

"Although several parties had a high level of interest in licensing Fallout, we are most impressed by Bethesda’s execution of role-playing titles" means many parties tried to buy it but we have managed to squeeze the most out of Bethesda.

 

[Transcendent One]

Even Bioware would do a better job

Bioware at least will have real dialog rather than a Fallout-themed wikipedia

 

[Volourn]

I quit.