Fallout Online

Fallout Online
The updated logo for Fallout Online The updated logo for Fallout Online
Developer(s)	Masthead Studios Interplay Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Interplay Entertainment
Engine	Earthrise Engine
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release	TBA 2012
Genre(s)	MMORPG, Science fiction
Mode(s)	Multiplayer

Fallout Online (also known under the codename Project V13 or FOOL) is an upcoming massively multiplayer online video game (MMO) set in the Fallout world that is being developed by Masthead Studios and being published by Interplay, with members of the Interplay team assisting develpment. Chris Taylor and Mark O'Green, two of the creators of the original Fallout, are among the developers. Jason Anderson, one of the other makers of Fallout, was involved in the project between 2007 and 2009, but has since left the team. Interplay's rights to developing and publishing this game have been the subject of a legal dispute between Bethesda Softworks, the current owner of the Fallout franchise, and Interplay. The current legal status of the court case is pending and in the prediscovery phase.

Gameplay

Like other MMO's, Fallout Online is likely going to have quests that are accessed from NPC's. As revealed by Interplay, they have created a large and multi-part "game-worldwide meta-puzzle". This meta-puzzle includes the puzzle structure, code system, and planned locations, which is designed to foster cooperation and competition among players for an extended time period.

Plot

Setting

It was revealed that for the in-game, Interplay had mapped out approximately 65,500 square miles of terrain which had textures, with objects and characters implemented into it. Several game zones had been blocked out with textured and populated 3D objects. The initial starting zones for each player character race have also been designed, making it so that each character of a different race has a different story to start with. Computer models for many types of creatures had been designed and the 3D geometry and textures created and some NPC's have been created to live in the game. Fallout Online combat, leveling, character development, item crafting, skills have already been written and tested. Interplay has revealed that it has created player-run towns (towns controlled by players), guild centers and social centers for players to interact in. So far, only the ghoul character has been revealed as a playable race.

History

Black Isle Studios

According to Feargus Urquhart, when Brian Fargo was still the president of Interplay, Fargo proposed a possible Fallout MMO to be made by Black Isle, but Urquhart refused: "The reason at the time, because I would have loved to have made a Fallout MMO, was that I believed that Interplay was just not in a situation where they had the resources to do it. When you go off to do an MMO it's going to cost $100 million before you get it on the shelf; you've gotta buy servers and you've gotta have service people, and you have to have Game Masters. It's an undertaking, and on top of that, it means that you do have to do all that stuff so what else are you going to focus on? What other games are you going to be able to make?" At one point, Fallout Tactics developer Micro Forté was also contracted to develop Fallout Online but the project was eventually cancelled.

Interplay - Masthead Project

In November 2006, Interplay, headed by Herve Caen, filed a Form 8-K filing to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding a potential Fallout massively multiplayer online game. In April 2007, Bethesda Softworks, the developer of Fallout 3, purchased full rights to the Fallout IP for US$5.75 million. While Bethesda now owned the rights to the Fallout MMO IP as well, clauses in the purchase agreement state allowed Interplay to license the rights to the development of the MMO. Specific requirements were stated in the agreement that if not met, Interplay would immediately lose and surrender its license rights for Fallout. Development must have begun within 24 months of the date of the agreement (April 4, 2007), and Interplay must have secured $30 million within that time frame or forfeit its rights to license. Interplay would furthermore need to launch the MMOG within 4 years of the beginning of development, and pay Bethesda 12 percent of sales and subscription fees for the use of the IP.

On August 1, 2007, ZeniMax Media Inc., parent company of Bethesda Softworks, announced the creation of ZeniMax Online Studios. The division would be headed by Matt Firor, a well-known expert in the field of online gaming, and would focus on the Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMO) market segment. It might work on a Fallout MMO in the future, if Interplay fails to gather enough money for their Fallout Online project.

In November 2007, Interplay reopened in-house development and hired Fallout developer Jason D. Anderson as creative director for an unannounced MMO. Given the aforementioned facts, it is most likely that the game Anderson was working on is Interplay's Fallout MMO, given that he was the contact name of Interplay's jobs appliance and that Fallout was referred in the job requirements. In March 2009, Anderson left Interplay and joined InXile Entertainment.

On June 30, 2008, it was announced that Interactive Game Group, LLC (created by Frederic Chesnais, former Chief Executive Officer of Atari, which now also owns MicroProse) purchased 2,000,000 shares of Interplay stock, as consideration for entering into a game production agreement, likely related to Fallout Online.

On April 2, 2009 Interplay announced a binding letter of intent with Masthead Studios, a Bulgarian-based developer, to fund the development of Project V13. Masthead and Interplay teams will work together under the direction and control of Interplay to complete development of the project. On June 15, 2010, the game was officially announced as Fallout Online. The game will be co-developed between Interplay and Masthead Studios, it will use Masthead's Earthrise Engine, use on Masthead's first game, Earthrise.

Legal Dispute

On April 15, 2009, it was announced that Bethesda Softworks moved to rescind the Fallout MMORPG license. Interplay received notice from Bethesda that it intends to terminate the trademark license agreement, claiming that Interplay is in breach of the agreement for failure to commence full scale development by April 4, 2009 and to secure certain funding for the game. Interplay disputes these claims.

On July 15, 2009 Interplay's Project V13 developer Chris Taylor posted a reply on the Interplay website "Project V13" Forum thread refuting the claims that Interplay lost the rights to the Fallout MMORPG.

On September 8, 2009 Bethesda filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Interplay in the Maryland District Court.

On December 10, 2009 the Maryland District Court decided to deny Bethesda's request for preliminary injunction. Interplay is therefore able to continue development on the project until the case is finished.

Bethesda claimed that Interplay had only licensed the Fallout name to use for their game and could not use any of its assets. Interplay counteracted this claim by stating that they did not license the name to make an online poker game named Fallout. They stated that what Bethesda was claiming was comparable to having a Snow White movie and the princess not appearing in it at all. Interplay further stated that if Bethesda refuses to let them complete Fallout Online, then they will be able to release only one more Fallout IP with its DLC's before the rights revert back to Interplay, a notion that will give Interplay the full rights to Fallout Online and the rest of the Fallout Series.

It was then revealed that prior to April 9, 2009 that Interplay had employed game designers, writers, and artists who had substantially completed the Fallout Online game design, including an online "wiki" dedicated to the games development, which when printed and produced to Bethesda's counsel as it existed on April 4, 2009 consisted of nearly 2,200 pages. Prior to April 4, 2009, Inteprlay had created substantial concept art, solidifed its technology plan by licensing a game engine and development tools set from Masthead Studios that would have cost Interplay millions of dollars to develop from scratch. Also as of April 4, 2009, a playable game space existed based on Interplay's concept art and developed by Masthead. Multiple users from Europe and the U.S. could log into and interact within the game. For the game, Masthead is currently revising and improving its technology, this includes its game engine, tools and network software.

Development Team

Interplay

• Chris Taylor - Lead Systems Designer
• Mark O'Green - Designer
• Serg Souleiman - Art Director
• Jeff Clendenning - Lead Concept Artist
• Natiq Aghayev - Freelance Concept Artist
• Caleb Cleveland - Freelance Concept Artist
• Jason D. Anderson - Creative Director (2007–2009)

Masthead

The team from Masthead working on the game has not been revealed as of yet. Members from the Interplay team travel to Bulgaria to co-develop the game and communicate directly with the Masthead Team.

External links

• Official website