Are Bethesda Fallout promotional videos canon? Are the games themselves canon? Discuss!

[rusty_shackleford]

fallout's vats has no bearing on plot or universe

*ahem*
akshually

 

[Efe]

Prepare for the Future was an advertising campaign created by Bethesda Softworks to promote the release of Fallout 3

You're right but that's not in-game... so yea

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

Prepare for the Future was an advertising campaign created by Bethesda Softworks to promote the release of Fallout 3

You're right but that's not in-game... so yea

For a Bethesdatard any argument is good if it benefits Bethesda. Don't expect any logic or good faith from them.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Why would it matter less just because it's not in the game itself? That's a retarded argument, it's an approved piece of Fallout material published by the people who own Fallout ergo it's canon until they say it's not.
That's as dumb as saying the graphic novel written by Avellone for New Vegas is non-canon because it's not in the game itself.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

Because if you want mechanics to be a part of a word/setting/lore, so you can avoid having a ludonarrative dissonance, you want this to be a part of the actual game? In the age when people are unhappy, when the premise of the setting isn't expressed through quest design, when people rightly call lore dumbs a lazy way of pretending to have an unique setting, you come and say that having this in marketing materials is good enough. This sounds more like a parody of your position, than a real thing. The only positive of your argument is that no one can strawman it.

You are worse than people who say that the bad movie isn't bad, because everything is explained in the tie-in book.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Because if you want mechanics to be a part of a word/setting/lore, so you can avoid having a ludonarrative dissonance, you want this to be a part of the actual game? In the age when people are unhappy, when the premise of the setting isn't expressed through quest design, when people rightly call lore dumbs a lazy way of pretending to have an unique setting, you come and say that having this in marketing materials is good enough. This sounds more like a parody of your position, than a real thing. The only positive of your argument is that no one can strawman it.

You are worse than people who say that the bad movie isn't bad, because everything is explained in the tie-in book.

You realize I'm not the person who actually made the video, right?
Go take your issue up with bethesda.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

You said that it has a bearing on plot or universe.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

You said that it has a bearing on plot or universe.

It clearly does because Bethesda took the time to provide an in-universe explanation of how it works.
I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but disagreeing with something doesn't make it not true.

 

[Efe]

it is not a chosen one power because its supposedly available from pip boy though on the other hand you dont see anyone else use/reference it.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Are you guys ok? Do you need help understanding English?

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

You said that it has a bearing on plot or universe.

It clearly does because Bethesda took the time to provide an in-universe explanation of how it works.
I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but disagreeing with something doesn't make it not true.

This video being in-universe is only aesthetic. When people want an in-universe explanation they want it being provided in game, being referenced/ used by characters and being expressed in quests/mechanic.

Competent designer would create a quest in which you help other vault dweller whose VAT systems were damaged.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

You said that it has a bearing on plot or universe.

It clearly does because Bethesda took the time to provide an in-universe explanation of how it works.
I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but disagreeing with something doesn't make it not true.

This video being in-universe is only aesthetic. When people want an in-universe explanation they want it being provided in game, being referenced/ used by characters and being expressed in quests/mechanic.

Competent designer would create a quest in which you help other vault dweller whose VAT systems were damaged.

It's an officially published piece of Fallout material by Bethesda. You not liking it doesn't make it not exist.

I don't know how else to explain this, do you need a translator?

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

Explain to me Rusty. If a company has a PR event with cosplayers dressed as in-universe characters, do you consider this a part of the series universe? When cosplayer playing a character makes jokes with devs, is this a part of a given character characterization and should be treated on equal footings as a part of character story/characterization with the character portrayar in the game? If there is a story inconsistency in the game, but the cosplayer gives an in-character speech at the PR event that resolves the inconsistency, should we now pretend that this inconsistency doesn't exist in the game?

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Explain to me Rusty. If a company has a PR event with cosplayers dressed as in-universe characters, do you consider this a part of the series universe? When cosplayer playing a character makes jokes with devs, is this a part of a given character characterization and should be treated on equal footings as a part of character story/characterization with the character portrayar in the game? If there is a story inconsistency in the game, but the cosplayer gives an in-character speech at the PR event that resolves the inconsistency, should we now pretend that this inconsistency doesn't exist in the game?

If the cosplayer is reading out lines that were approved by the people who own the IP, then yes, it's now part of the game's lore.
This is also called acting if you weren't aware. We even have people do it in front of cameras sometimes.

And there is no inconsistency. The video I provided is the only time any in-universe explanation was provided, ergo it is the in-universe explanation. If there was a conflicting explanation in-game, it would likely be considered 'more canon', yes. But there isn't.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

Wow. I was actually expecting you to answer NO to my question and then proclaim that my comparison is unfair and ridiculous.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Wow. I was actually expecting you to answer NO to my question and then proclaim that my comparison is unfair and ridiculous.

Yeah, I hold this insane notion that officially published material is canon.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

Do you understand that people want their story to be told in the medium they bought not in some periphery book, marketing video, cosplayer event or officially sanctioned brochure?

Where is the clip of Plinkett shouting, that he doesn't give a shit about prequels explanations coming from the books, when you need it?

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Do you understand that people want their story to be told in the medium they bought not in some periphery book, marketing video, cosplayer event or officially sanctioned brochure?

Where is the clip of Plinkett shouting, that he doesn't give a shit about prequels explanations coming from the books, when you need it?

What does any of that have to do with it being an in-universe explanation?
It is. You might not like how it was presented, but it is.

 

[Ninjerk]

Do you understand that people want their story to be told in the medium they bought not in some periphery book, marketing video, cosplayer event or officially sanctioned brochure?

Where is the clip of Plinkett shouting, that he doesn't give a shit about prequels explanations coming from the books, when you need it?

Tough titty, it's 2021. ConSOOM product.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

The whole argument was about not being there an in-universe explanation in the game. No one cares about explanations hidden in some expanded universe or worse, a marketing ad.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

The whole argument was about not being there an in-universe explanation in the game

...no?

fallout's vats has no bearing on plot or universe

 

[InD_ImaginE]

And there is no inconsistency. The video I provided is the only time any in-universe explanation was provided, ergo it is the in-universe explanation. If there was a conflicting explanation in-game, it would likely be considered 'more canon', yes. But there isn't.

I mean that is exactly the issue. The fact that the only supposed in-universe explanation is in a promotional video.

The fact is VATS is probably just something that was made by the dev to emulate targetting body parts in old FO "Hey guys we can target specific body part in FO2, it's a cool feature" "How to do it in FPS RPG?" "Let's do it like this"

That promotional video is something that's just made to advertise a game feature in the style of "old PSA" to fit thematically with the game. Is it a good advertising gimmick? Arguably yeah. But to say that it is a "lore" especially as there is no lore implication of it in any of the games is kinda silly.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

And there is no inconsistency. The video I provided is the only time any in-universe explanation was provided, ergo it is the in-universe explanation. If there was a conflicting explanation in-game, it would likely be considered 'more canon', yes. But there isn't.

I mean that is exactly the issue. The fact that the only supposed in-universe explanation is in a promotional video.

The fact is VATS is probably just something that was made by the dev to emulate targetting body parts in old FO "Hey guys we can target specific body part in FO2, it's a cool feature" "How to do it in FPS RPG?" "Let's do it like this"

That promotional video is something that's just made to advertise a game feature in the style of "old PSA" to fit thematically with the game. Is it a good advertising gimmick? Arguably yeah. But to say that it is a "lore" especially as there is no lore implication of it in any of the games is kinda silly.

It's implicitly canon by being licensed material published by Bethesda.

I'll even go one step further to trigger the codex: It's more canon than the fallout bible.

 

[InD_ImaginE]

It's implicitly canon by being licensed material published by Bethesda.

I'll even go one step further to trigger the codex: It's more canon than the fallout bible.

This is an incredibly fucking loose definition of what constitutes as lore.

Do you now that Bethesda has published a Fallout Shelter Online mobage for the Chinese and SEA market? https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Fallout_Shelter_Online

Do you know that it officially has collab with other Bethesda games, namely DOOM and Elder Scroll Blade? Bethesda are the IP owners so yeah this is licensed material published by Bethesda acknowledgment.

Can you say that this is canon to Fallout universe?

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Can you say that this is canon to Fallout universe?

if it was intended to be part of the game, then, yes unless specifically noted as non-canon.

But I'm skeptical if bethesda is even aware of what's being published in the game. e.g., compare the contents of the game to the regular Fallout Shelter. If I cared about Fallout canon I'd probably send some emails around, but I don't.

edit:
iirc fallout shelter was supposed to be an in-universe sim