The legal battle between Interplay and Bethesda regarding the Fallout MMO is over. After several years of court hearings, a settlement has determined the rights to the Fallout MMO, often referred to as Fallout Online, will belong to Bethesda Softworks.
The legal battle began in 2009 when Bethesda attempted to halt the production of Interplay's Fallout MMO due to breach of contract. Bethesda bought the rights to the Fallout IP from Interplay before making Fallout 3. The rights to the MMO remained with Interplay, along with some merchandising rights. Bethesda felt Interplay violated the conditions of their contract and took them to court.
Back in September of last year, Bethesda was denied a restraining order against Masthead, the co-developer of the Fallout MMO. Bethesda and Masthead ended this matter through another settlement late in December 2011.
The terms for the Bethesda/Interplay settlement state the previous license given to Interplay is now null and void. All rights to the Fallout MMO are now Bethesda's, "effective immediately." ZeniMax, Bethesda's parent company, will pay Interplay $2 million. Interplay has until the end of 2013 to continue selling Fallout Tactics, Fallout and Fallout 2, according to the settlement.
I've been following this legal back and forth for a few years now and I have to say, I'm surprised it took this long to reach a settlement. Lawyers are really expensive. I hope Interplay can continue to develop games after this.
If I had to put money on it (G4 does not condone gambling) I'd say we'll see Bethesda's Fallout MMO on store shelves and Steam queues by 2014. What do you think?
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Jiero
Dick move on Bethesda. I've known fallout since I was a little toddler wandering around the wasteland--and this "battle" against Interplay is just ridiculous. I can now only imagine what fallout 3 would look like if people didn't leave or this battle ever existed. For shame.
Jiero
Dick move on Bethesda. I've known fallout since I was a little toddler wandering around the wasteland--and this "battle" against Interplay is just ridiculous. I can now only imagine what fallout 3 would look like if people didn't leave or this battle ever existed. For shame.
Jiero
Dick move on Bethesda. I've known fallout since I was a little toddler wandering around the wasteland--and this "battle" against Interplay is just ridiculous. I can now only imagine what fallout 3 would look like if people didn't leave or this battle ever existed. For shame.
lala147799
its not that i wouldnt want a fallout mmo, its just i believe they should work on fallout 4 first. i for one hate the elder scrolls series and all its fairies and dragons and unicorns, and am totally for the straighter version of that game with its deathclaws ghouls and radscorpions. so clearly i didnt get skyrimjob. which means my wait has been since 2009, well besides the awesome DLC's. while new vegas is awesome and its DLC's have kept me anticiapating the next and next, i will need something after i mod the hell out of the ultimate edition on my alienware. let the skyrimjob fanboy hatred on me begin.
Aaron82
I feel bad for Interplay.
MDT'Ster
The whole point of an rpg is to feel important. You cant do that in an MMO because then everyone would be the same. Even with a plot like Fallout and Elder Scrolls, where there is a multitude of different ways to go, you can't give the same unique experience that's in an rpg.
I'm not a multiplayer hater, I have months of time playing online, but I leave that to games like Halo, BF3, AC:B(which is better than g4 thinks it is), Gears 3, and MW3. I don't need multiplayer in my most favorite series!
Sesslersprodigy
as long as the game killer obsidian doesnt touch another great game and make it horrible (nights of the old republic: sith lords, and fallout new vegas) then ill be fine.
TheRedBaron1157
I dont believe a MMO would be the best direction for them to go but i do feel 2-4 co-op would be a great addition..........thats just my opinion though.
Wozman23
Does Bethesda still hold their lucrative patent for 'glitches?'
hoof_hearted4
yea, now that they can make a FallOut MMO, they wont. and honestly, i dont care.
i want a FallOut 4. which had better be just as beautiful and just as big as Skyrim. if they simply pump out another FO, like NV, i will not be happy.
Gamerdoogy
They should never make an MMO for an ElderScrolls game. It would be awful. That game is to vast to be made into an MMO, it's far to complex it would really IMO work for maybe a 2-4 player co-op.
The problem with an MMO is as cool as it would be they just couldn't get it right. The real human interaction kills what makes a game like Skyrim good.
Fallout on the other could be a great MMO the concept of the characters though unique still allow things to be vague. Very generic.
That's just my opinion.
mikegonzalez2k
The deciding factor for me is the fact that I would like to see a Fallout MMO.
I love both Bethesda and Interplay. Interplay has brought us many great titles, my personal favorite being the Decent and Descent Freespace series. This is a hard decision because I also love Bethesda for their Fallout 3 and Elder Scrolls series.
Regardless of who wins, gamers can only lose by Fallout MMO not being released. For that reason I really hope they settle this in a mature way and allow the game to come out.
Lawrence123
Fallout is a game for ... wait for it ...The Lone Wanderer.
cwbys21
Sorry Nikole, Bethesda is working on a Elder Scrolls MMO, there won't be a Fallout MMO in 2014, if at all.
Mfman14
As long as theres a fallout 4 I couldn't care less about a fallout mmo though it could be cool and I could imagine how it would work.
Reciprocity
(G4 does not condone gambling)
G4 condones illicit drug use (marijuana being illegal in most states and federally), pornography, flame wars and idiocy. But does not condone gambling? Seriously, WTF?
Reciprocity
(G4 does not condone gambling)
G4 condones illicit drug use (marijuana still being illegal in most states and federally), pornography, flame wars and idiocy.... but doesn't condone gambling? WTF???
Pazuzux
You can't turn a world like Fallout into an MMO.
BLACKxX33
We want Fallout 4.
DPsx7
The present Interplay isn't the real Interplay. Black Isle was fired for Interplay right before they sold the Fallout franchise. Years later, Obsidian Hired the employees from Black Isle and asked Bethesda if they could finish making the Fallout 3 Black Isle was making before they were fired. Bethesda allowed them to make Fallout: New Vegas(which was Black Isle's version of Fallout 3 code named "Van Buren") and Black Isle was not going to be re-hired by "Interplay", making the fallout MMO a money grab for "Interplay".
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