Interview Pete Hines Q&A about Fallout 3 on GameSpy

[Sol Invictus]

OMG! So useful of an interview. "Too early to tell' was the phrase du jour in that interview. Geez.. Even BIO had more useful info when they first announced Dragon Age. LMAO

LMAO except all Bethesda was announcing is that they acquired the rights to the game LMAO

Learn to read, you dumb fuck.

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.

“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.”

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.

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.”

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.

“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.”

Future announcements about the release of Fallout 3 will be made as work on the title progresses.

You illiterate fuck, you might want to pick up on that comprehension skill. I've heard many things about its usefulness.

 

[Seven]

Fuck that, confirms its gonna be some kinda of FPS/3PS.

Umm... how exactly? Not that it isn't possible, just.. well how do you get 'first person' or 'third person shooter' out of that? Given how they do things, I would expect a Morrowind/Daggerfall style engine with ranged weapons and technical ability replacing most of the magic system.

Can you not read?

 

[DemonKing]

Consoles + 3D perspective = crap, IMHO.

The only 3D CRPG game I've played with decent turn-based combat was Wizardry 8, and I doubt FO3 from Bethsheba will be like that at all.

More likely we'll get to "enjoy" Morrowind-style "real-time" combat against the same re-spawning set of half a dozen or so beasties over and over again.

Sigh - I almost feel sorry for the fanatical FO fans...

 

[TFVanguard]

Can you not read?

Yes, and that involves not adding shit into the text that just ain't there. All we know is that Bethesda, which specializes largely in 3D games, wants to make a 3D engine for Fallout III - probably a lot like Morrowind, but not for certain. That does not neccessarily mean Fallout III will be the next Halo or Doom.

In other words, you're leaping.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Can you not read?

Yes

Priceless.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

I still say we're boned.

 

[StraitLacedDeviant]

Ask not for who the bone, bones, it bones for thee.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

That's a lotta bones.

 

[Sol Invictus]

We're not boned. Just play a different game. Don't endorse Morrowind-with-guns. I for one have no plans to endorse it now, or ever. In fact, I'll just stick to my endorsement for Vampire: Bloodlines, Guild Wars (What?), Restricted Area, Dragon Age, The Witcher and KOTOR II. There's lots of other games out there. This isn't the end of the world. As far as I'm concerned, Fallout should have been laid to rest a long time ago. What gets me worked up is the raping of its corpse - even more than FOBOS, because FOBOS was never actually 'set' in continuity. E.g. It didn't assume the title of "Fallout 3".

 

[corvax]

We're not boned. Just play a different game. Don't endorse Morrowind-with-guns. I for one have no plans to endorse it now, or ever. In fact, I'll just stick to my endorsement for Vampire: Bloodlines, Guild Wars (What?), Restricted Area, Dragon Age, The Witcher and KOTOR II. There's lots of other games out there. This isn't the end of the world. As far as I'm concerned, Fallout should have been laid to rest a long time ago. What gets me worked up is the raping of its corpse - even more than FOBOS, because FOBOS was never actually 'set' in continuity. E.g. It didn't assume the title of "Fallout 3".

i don't know...you're endorsing vampire: bloodlines but not fallout 3
first of all it's immature to come to conclusions that fo3 will be mw with guns...most likely that will not be the case...as far as vampire goes...well it's first person, it's action oriended, it's real time, oh but wait it's made by troika...that should make everything o.k.

my premature guess is that fallout 3 is much closer to bloodlines than to mw with guns...

 

[manco]

We're not boned. Just play a different game. Don't endorse Morrowind-with-guns. I for one have no plans to endorse it now, or ever. In fact, I'll just stick to my endorsement for Vampire: Bloodlines, Guild Wars (What?), Restricted Area, Dragon Age, The Witcher and KOTOR II. There's lots of other games out there. This isn't the end of the world. As far as I'm concerned, Fallout should have been laid to rest a long time ago. What gets me worked up is the raping of its corpse - even more than FOBOS, because FOBOS was never actually 'set' in continuity. E.g. It didn't assume the title of "Fallout 3".

Yeah, this new dev, probable new gameplay style, smacks of when old 80's bands still tour, but like half the band (and always the singer) are dead. FO3 = Guns n roses with buckethead.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

Well, I dont have much experience in the Vampire games, but the reason we're bitching about Morrout is because it was originally a great isometric view game, now being made into a FPS. Also, Troika has a great history with Dialogue options. Look at arcanum.

 

[suibhne]

my premature guess is that fallout 3 is much closer to bloodlines than to mw with guns...

Even if you end up being right, what difference does that make? Do you think that the Vampire: Bloodlines treatment would be appropriate for the Fallout setting?

 

[Seven]

Yes, and that involves not adding shit into the text that just ain't there. All we know is that Bethesda, which specializes largely in 3D games, wants to make a 3D engine for Fallout III - probably a lot like Morrowind, but not for certain. That does not neccessarily mean Fallout III will be the next Halo or Doom.

In other words, you're leaping.

I beg to disagree:

IGNPC: Can we expect something similar to the work done on Morrowind, in terms of that style of game experience?

Pete Hines: Again, it's early to say, but it wouldn't be a leap of faith to say that we plan to use technologies in development otherwise. You could make some fairly safe leaps of faith that it would be similar in style. We're not going to go away from what it is that we do best. We're not going to suddenly do a top-down isometric Baldur's Gate-style game, because that's not what we do well.

It's funny that you use the word leaping since he did say that it wouldn't be a leap of faith to make certain assumptions. Technologies already in develpement that's similar inj style to Mirrorwind, and that's not isometric. Hey but then again, you did answer my query with a resounding YES.

 

[corvax]

my premature guess is that fallout 3 is much closer to bloodlines than to mw with guns...

Even if you end up being right, what difference does that make? Do you think that the Vampire: Bloodlines treatment would be appropriate for the Fallout setting?

appropriate - why not?
the best choice - no

obviously something in the likes of fallout 1 would be perfect...however i'm not bummed out because of what is happening...i see too many people pooping in their pants and whining...i see their reasoning but many take it to the extreme

 

[TFVanguard]

It's funny that you use the word leaping since he did say that it wouldn't be a leap of faith to make certain assumptions. Technologies already in develpement that's similar inj style to Mirrorwind, and that's not isometric. Hey but then again, you did answer my query with a resounding YES.

I'm just saying that all the talk of .. well.. anything on how Fallout III will be done is hyperbolic assumption. Okay, we know it's a first person game, we know it will have simularities to Morrowind as far as the engine goes. That's it at this point. there's just nothing there to decry.

But, seriously, no major publishing house these days will put effort into a 'new-school' RPG that isn't /somehow/ real-time (if pause-based, maybe), 3D, and 'personal view' somehow. North American and European developers have this mindset so ingrained in them as their 'formula' that no amount of reality will sway them.

(And since Japanese games still use a lot of old-school methods, and continually out-sell 'domestic' games by orders of magnitude... that point is somewhat validated).

 

[mr. lamat]

as geoff bremer sang: Maginot Line! Maginot Line! Your guns are pointed in the wrong direction!

re: quit being an apologist and use some of your 'cred' to help guide the process. takes the same amount of text and less effort.

 

[DemonKing]

Troika has a great history with Dialogue options. Look at arcanum.

I could insert a comment here about TOEE, but will refrain.

Personally I didn't think the dialog options in Arcanum were anything revolutionary, but they were certainly an improvement on Morrowind.

 

[triCritical]

I could insert a comment here about TOEE, but will refrain.

I believe I can say this without being flamed here. cough * word * couch * count * cough ...

Anyhow, IMO it would be difficult to write anything if big brother makes you limit your essage to 50 words. Imagine if Tolstoy had to keep his masterpiece under 5000 words...

 

[Volourn]

Nonsense. Don't blame the word count limit on the poor QUALITY of TOEE's writing and dialogue. it was crap plain and simple. 1000 steps down from Arcanum.

 

[Briosafreak]

But, seriously, no major publishing house these days will put effort into a 'new-school' RPG that isn't /somehow/ real-time (if pause-based, maybe), 3D, and 'personal view' somehow. North American and European developers have this mindset so ingrained in them as their 'formula' that no amount of reality will sway them.

(And since Japanese games still use a lot of old-school methods, and continually out-sell 'domestic' games by orders of magnitude... that point is somewhat validated).

ToEE had all of those, 4th best selling game for Atari last year and beat NWN expansions. On turn based you had Silent Storm and the expansion coming soon. And japanese "Movies with a few clicks" so called games really sell a lot in the west. Wait no they don`t, except Final Fantasy, if we`re not talking about GBA. There`s always Pokemon Colosseum, that has a "role play" mode... still the fact that FF had some sort of TB combat and yet it sold well should have shown how wrong the assumption of real time with pause is cOOl beanZ.Iit didn`t , shame.

Still like i don`t see any fan from the Elder Scrolls asking for a TB game and would get pissed if their precious combat would be removed, i really can`t see what`s the difficulty in accepting that fallout fans MIGHT ALSO don`t want their game to go downhill and to be made into something else. I really wished i could see the faces on all the ones that are complaining about Fallout fans complaints if Bethesda was going to their boards and say " we`re making Elder Scrolls: a platform saga" exclusevily to the Gamecube- it will be a platfroms game with Mickey Mouse and Donald Rumsfeld playing in the magical kingdmon of Far Far away". It wouldn´t be pretty.

Best of luck to Bethesda, they´ll need it.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Third best selling PC game, Brios.. Behind Enter the Matrix and UT2004.

 

[Briosafreak]

Yep. By the way i saw this post on RPGDot and it reminded me of a creepy flashback i had yesterday:

Does any of this sound familiar to anyone ? I remember some of the original material for what would have been a great ultima 9. Then they lost a bunch of people,changed the design, and we ended up with Ascension.

It was the first thing that come to my mind too yesterday, when i read the "no baldurs gate" comment...

 

[Volourn]

They beat the NWN expansions by one copy. Please prove that statement wrong. Besides, beating expansions proves nothing.

 

[taks]

i suppose TFV would have a valid argument if referring to console games, however... are there ANY TB console games in this genre? well, that is if you get over the stretch to refer to any console games as crpgs in the first place.

TB has it's place, and if there's anything ToEE did, it was to revitalize the TB demand among fans. even the disaster that was PoR2 wasn't enough to take it down forever... i think as long as there are PnP players, too, we will always see such a demand.

taks