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Interplay Developing $75 Million Fallout MMOG

Posted by Zonk on Wed Dec 13, 2006 05:36 AM
from the a-plan-with-money-hats dept.
Role Playing (Games)
Next Generation has very, very good news for RPG fans. Interplay is going to be developing a Fallout Massively Multiplayer Online Game ... and they're in it for serious. The official announcement says that they're going to be throwing $75 Million (dollars!) at development for this thing. From the article: "Production is proposed to begin as early as 2007, with a launch slated for Q3 2010. The company's proposal expects 1 million subscribers during the first year, and projects profitability in year two, revenue of $160 million annually after its first year and net income of $50 million annually starting in year three." Those are fighting words, and the 1 Million club they're aiming for ... maybe not so easy to get into. Also, didn't Interplay go out of business?
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Rock, Paper, Shotgun interviewed Bethesda's Pete Hines about the upcoming release of Fallout 3. He talks about dealing with misunderstandings about the game prior to launch, violence in modern games, and the fact that the game won't launch with mod tools. "Folk probably took for granted that every time we make a game, there's a mod tool. We explained to folk that it takes a lot of time and effort to get that tool ready for release, and it's not on our schedule right now. We need to get the game done and out. ... Right now, we can't say definitively 'there will be mod tools, and here is when they'll be out.' We discussed some Fallout 3 gameplay videos a few weeks ago. That work remains to be done." In related news, Interplay has picked up Chris Taylor, designer of the original Fallout, to help develop their Fallout MMOG.
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  • Also, didn't Interplay go out of business?

    Yes. Yes it did. [penny-arcade.com]

    But I guess Gary didn't buy the rights to Fallout after all. Maybe he went for the jar of spit instead.

  • Next Generation has very, very good news for RPG fans

    So now we are hyping things before they even start production. Wake me in Q4 2009 when we have proof that it might not suck.

    • Even if it wasn't hype, it appears to be a non-sequitur. MMOG != RPG. Not even close.

  • Potential? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Das Modell (969371) on Wednesday December 13 2006, @05:55AM (#17220690)
    Basically a Fallout MMORPG would be unquestionably cool, but how would they implement combat with firearms? I'm not familiar with any of the MMORPGs that have firearms, so I don't know how it's been implemented in the past. I don't really see how it would work. Fallout's combat is tactical, so that's what they should aim for (no pun intended).

    They'd also have to balance the character building system (if they scrap it and make an entirely new one, it isn't going to resemble Fallout too much), and they'd have to find a way to keep players hooked. I'm having a hard time imagining WoW-style items and stat increases in Fallout. Now that I think about it, I'm having a hard time imagining Fallout as a MMORPG. Maybe I'm just trying too hard to imagine it like Fallout, but with 3D graphics and other players.
    • Firearms are simple like bows and crossbows. Nothing complex on a MMORPG. It feels Ok. You can simply download and play Anarchy Online to test how feel.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by montyzooooma (853414)
      "Basically a Fallout MMORPG would be unquestionably cool"

      What about it would be cool? What was cool about Fallout was the non-linear nature of the map, random encounters, NPC party interaction etc etc. The tactical combat had its charm (though I preferred FO Tactics version that gave you more control. One of my favourite games that and I don't care what people say.) Above all the feeling that what you were doing had an impact on the gameworld. You'll have none of that with an MMO. This may even be a MMO in

      • You forgot to add "for me" in there, as in "what was cool about Fallout (for me) was..."

        I liked the environment, the whimsical humor mixed with the emotionally engaging stories, the fun of figuring out how to accomplish various little tricks and puzzles, the "What happens if I do this?" questions.

        In an MMO setting, I think all the things I really loved about the Fallouts could survive more or less intact. At the very least, it'll be nice to have more non-fantasy options out there.
      • What was cool about Fallout was the non-linear nature of the map, random encounters ...snip... You'll have none of that with an MMO.

        I'd say at least a couple of the things you mentioned are rather easy to do in an MMO.
    • Lets see:

      World of Warcraft
      Anarchy Online
      Star Wars Galaxies
      Planetside

      That runs the gamut from firearm-is-the-same-as-sword (AO) to MMOFPS (Planetside). I don't think guns are going to present any special technical challenge.

      I think there is a lot more room for a challenge in a real technology system, for example, where your Science/Repair skill actually has some utility beyond a standard crafting system.

      I think I'm kinda burned out on the idea of "New innovative MMO's!"...I'd really like to see something coo
    • I'm not familiar with any of the MMORPGs that have firearms,



      World of Warcraft

      City of Heroes

      Star Wars Galaxies

      Earth and Beyond (defunct) - Spaceship combat

      Auto Assault

      etc.

      • I imagine that, in order for the game to be succesful, it needs to have those traditional MMORPG elements that attract people. Namely, the acquisition of increasingly powerful items and stats. Fallout already has the skill and perks system which would probably cover the latter.
  • Interplay's main website made my geocities website look professional. There's no links to careers though. Anyone have a link. I'd like to be one of the people who made Wasteland online.
    • whois interplay.com gives:
      INTERPLAY ENTERTAINMENT CORP.
      100 N. Crescent Drive
      Beverly Hills, CA 90210
      US

      mobygames.com gives:
      Location and contact information in Dec. 1994:

      Interplay Productions Inc.
      17922 Fitch Avenue
      Irvine, CA 92714
      Tel: 714-553-6655

      but wikipedia says:
      Under "Contractual Obligations" it is revealed that Interplay does not have a headquarters at present because Interplay, in 2004, forfeited its lease and vacated its office space in Irvine, California.[4]

      good luck!

  • The MMO Business Pitch (Score:5, Insightful)

    by trawg (308495) on Wednesday December 13 2006, @06:04AM (#17220756) Homepage
    ...or, how to get investors to give you a dumptruck full of money:

    1) Show them the statistics that explain how video games are now bigger than the movie industry.
    2) Show them Blizzard press releases announcing the number of million subscribers (we'll call this x.
    3) Explain how each of those people not only shelled out for the game, but pays per $y month for playing.
    4) Create a PowerPoint presentation which shows xxy (ensure your projector screen has enough room for all the zeros that come after the $ sign.
    5) Let investors know where the dump truck is parked.

    In all seriousness - I can't believe Fallout has the brand awareness that the Warcraft brand does. Whoever managed to scrounge together $75m should get some sort of medal. These guys are going to have to be in it for the long haul, but I wonder how much of that cash is going to be allocated towards the marketing budget to try to get WoW players to switch teams.

    Not only that, they've got a three year development window to compete with. Who knows what other massive mass-market brands are going to get their MMOs out the door in that time, further chewing away at the potential player base (I'm waiting for the Harry Potter MMO to come out and rule the world - hell, if they make it kid safe and put in enough decent content...).
    • I believe the exact sales figures haven't been published but the Fallout series has sold millions of copies worldwide. This squarely puts Fallout into the "well known game" segment.

      And hey, I don't care. Fallout 1 & 2 are my all-time favorite adventure games. I'm seriously worried about my life going down the drain if a Fallout MMO ever comes out. :)
    • There's this strange idea that the MMORPG market has a set number of people, and that in order to have anyone you need to steal customers from an already existing MMORPG. While attracting players from other MMORPGs is hardly a bad thing, such logic would have dictated that there would only ever have been less than a million players in the days of EQ.

      MMORPGs are a market with a large potential to grow, especially sci-fi themed games. We are already up to our necks in present and upcoming fantasy games, while
    • To be fair, Warcraft wasn't that widely known before World of Warcraft. I'd estimate than less than 10% of the players of the latter had played the former.
      • Oh, really? [gamearena.com.au]:

        WarCraft 3 has been in steady development for the last few years, and has lured strategy fans with its impressive feature list and lush graphics - but probably more alluring, just the sheer thought of another Blizzard title in the WarCraft strategy universe. Millions of gamers around the world have been drooling at the mouth for this title, to such an extend that it prompted an unprecedented pre-sales figure of over 4.5 million copies.

        This doesn't necessarily mean that more than 10% of WoW pl

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by brkello (642429)
      If it is better than WoW, people will switch. If the market was based on brand awareness, then SWG would be the most popular MMO. It's not like Everquest was something anyone heard of when it came out. I would worry about making the game fun for casuals but still giving content to the hardcores (like WoW does but do it better somehow - if I knew how I would be working in the industry).

      You are right that branding can make a difference...but I honestly believe that if the build it bigger and better, the p

  • Outlook grim for Fallout fans. (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Wilson_6500 (896824) on Wednesday December 13 2006, @06:34AM (#17220936)
    I can't remember if Bethesda is developing or publishing Fallout 3, but it really doesn't matter. Judging from their latest releases on both fronts, I'm not enthusiastic. Oblivion was a travesty next to Morrowind. ST:Legacy was a badly-done console port.

    Back on the subject, though, the news of a Fallout MMO is not heartening. The last MMO I enjoyed was FFXI, and that was because it was (sorta) Final Fantasy. And it had mithra, too. Fine. I admit it.

    It's my opinion that this doesn't really bode well for the Fallout series. Tactics was lackluster at best. I only hope a successful Fallout MMO would generate more interest in making a new Fallout game in the more traditional vein we're used to. It has only a slim chance of "beating WoW" and thus being noteworthy in the modern MMO market.

    My real fear is that we'll end up with a NWN2-style sequel--"better" graphics, linear plot, and some fixes for some annoyances from the previous entries in the series.
      • Amen, I find a lot of the people who hate Oblivion started the series with Morrowind. I could get into Morrowind as it bored the hell out of me. Spending 6 hours crawling around a dungeon in Daggerfall was a blast though. I am happy for the compass in Oblivion though as it helped to streamline the game since I do longer have the time I did back when I played Daggerfall and Arena.
  • Fallout is a BIG name. And with such a budget, if spent even fairly wisely, it will easily be an alternative to wow. in gaming-sense of course, as they are in seperate fantasy settings. however it would be nice to have. even i might want to maintain 2 accounts one in wow and one in fallout, and get a bit of a change of air every now and then by going into one and the other.
    • World of Warcraft will be long gone by 2010. They would be lucky to have 250,000 subscribers at that point. We've seen 'big name' MMO's fail before, such as star wars galaxies. I'm hoping fallout online will be a hit, I've played it all the way back to wasteland on the Apple2c.
  • Maybe I'm alone, but whenever something is being built / developed / undertaken, and the first you hear about it is a boast about how much it will cost, it gets on my nerves. It's like thsoe roadworks that cause you huge inconvenience that say "2 million pound bridge widening project".(especially there, as thats 2 mill of MY money they are wasting).
    I don't actually *care* how much ANY game / book / movie / play / tv show costs to make, all I care about is if it's actually any good. The only people who get

  • Other fall-outy games (Score:4, Informative)

    by Lonewolf666 (259450) on Wednesday December 13 2006, @07:24AM (#17221240)
    Fallen Earth (http://fallenearth.com/ [fallenearth.com]) might be interesting too. And since they have already shown a playable demo in an interview, it might be ready a lot earlier than the interplay game ;-)

  • I'm failing to see how this is "good news" (Score:4, Insightful)

    by DoctaWatson (38667) on Wednesday December 13 2006, @07:29AM (#17221274)
    MMO's have a tendency to, how should I put this, erode their source materials.

    There's few things worse than seeing a world or setting that you've loved for years suddenly inhabited by psychotic idiots. One of those few things is when the people in charge of managing that world start changing it to cater to said psychotic idiots.

    For reference, see Ultima Online or Star Wars Galaxies.

    Fallout deserves better.
    • But see, it is a perfect concept! The post-apocolyptic world would probably really be inhabited by psychotic idiots!

  • 2010? (Score:4, Funny)

    by aapold (753705) on Wednesday December 13 2006, @07:29AM (#17221284) Homepage Journal
    That's like so far off! Civilization could be in ruins, a radioactive wasteland by the time it comes out..... Seirously though, it is a setting that needs an MMORPG.
    • Post-apocalyptic desert is definitely an undertapped setting for MMOs, but for a reason - they're depressing. I really like the Fallout games but the setting doesn't have the mass appeal of lush forested fantasy realms. I fear this game may go the way of Auto Assault - a rather good MMORPG in this setting. Hopefully the masses will be bored of swords and sorcery by 2010.

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by crabpeople (720852)
        "they're depressing"

        A wild west fallen society libertarian dream is depressing? Man.. Depressing is if I have to sit at this desk for the next 50 years paying off debt, acomplishing absolutely nothing, and never having the thrill of driving battle hardended muscle cars over the sun parched alkali flats hearding brahmin, or possibly a zardoz-esque population of sub humans.

        Do you even know what happiness is?

  • it's not a huge popular name like other successful MMO's. It's popular with the critics, but not with the general gaming public like Blizzard was with World of Warcraft, Sony was before Everquest, and SquareEnix was before Final Fantasy XI. Urqhuart (sp?) is better known in the current community for Planescape, KOTOR 2, and now NWN 2 than for Fallout, and it looks like he won't be involved. I worry it's just been too long. Fallout: Tactics didn't help the situation, either.

    I know other MMO's have be
    • Feargus Urqhart is running Obsidian these days, and there is plenty of bad blood between him and Interplay. There is no way he is going to touch this. From what I understand, Obsidian made their bid for the Fallout 3 rights, but got outbid. And they did buy some licenses (I think Icewind Dale) from Interplay during the firesale, but they'll never work for Interplay again after the Fallout 3 (Van Buren) and Baldur's Gate 3 (Jefferson) fiascos.
  • Personally I though that Fallout 1/2 (and Wasteland before) had one of the best Sci-Fi athmospheres in a game, ever. If they can make this work multiplayer, I am all for it!

  • Dollars? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Blakey Rat (99501) on Wednesday December 13 2006, @08:48AM (#17221994)
    $75 Million (dollars!)

    Oh thanks. I'm always confused by that symbol that looks like an S with a line through it... I could have sworn it stood for "miles-per-hour", but this article submitter has made it clear!
    • Your confusion is understandable as most slashdotters insist on putting the dollar-sign after the number.
       
      Let the healing begin.

    • No, silly. The $ sign means "snake on a stick." They're throwing 75 million snakes on a stick at it.

      Cue the Samuel L. Jackson "snakes on a..." jokes.

  • Production is proposed to begin as early as 2007, with a launch slated for Q3 2010.

    Cool, I think I'll pick this up along with Duke Nukem Forever 2.
  • $75 Million (dollars!)

    Oh, DOLLARS.. Good thing they specified, because that $ symbol can also denote peanuts.

    At first I was thinking "Holy swashbuckling legumes, Batman! That's a lot of peas!"

    It's good that they specified, to avoid any confusion.
  • Personally, I'm cautiously skeptical. The thing that made Fallout great is something that doesn't translate to an MMO - namely, the tactical combat. The story was entertaining, but I think the battle system is what really floated it. So Interplay is going to have to take the WoW tack and create a completely different game that is only tangentially related to the rest of the franchise. While that could certainly be a good game, it doesn't have any better chance of being a good game than a completely new
  • Assuming, of course, that they actually get it out the door.
    • SPECIAL and the skills/traits/perks system is awesome, but it is kinda meaningless when people get up to level 50 or so and have every possible skill maxed out and obtain every perk possible.
    • Tactical combat will be a bitch. What are you going to do - make every person in the world take turns?
    • A "wasteland" isn't a wasteland with 1 million people running around doing the same damn quests as me.

    With those three points alone, everything I

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by Mondoz (672060)
      You make some good points here.

      Some of my favorite Fallout moments were completing quests that actually made a difference.
      Go kill the thugs terrorizing a town and the town gets happy.
      Go blow up the outhouse that leads down to a cave, and you have crap all over the place forever.
      Take out one of the major factions in town and things change...

      One thing I hate about typical MMORPGS is that everything is infinitely repeatable. It has to be. If I can do a quest, then you have to be able to do the same quest. F
    • Tactical combat will be a bitch. What are you going to do - make every person in the world take turns?

      Have you played Fallout Tactics? It had realtime tactical gameplay that worked very well.
  • 1 Take $75mil to make a Fallout MMO.
    2 Spend $1mil hacking together a Fallout MUD.
    3 ...
    4 Instant $74mil Profit

    • Re:Doesn't Bethesda own Fallout now? (Score:5, Informative)

      by LarsWestergren (9033) on Wednesday December 13 2006, @06:30AM (#17220914) Homepage Journal
      Bethesda bought the rights for everything EXCEPT a MMO in the Fallout universe, if I understood it correctly.

          • Imagine sitting in front of your computer for hours on end performing the same mind-numbing tasks over and over again while occasionally receiving an incremental reward. It's a lot like work except you have to deal with anonymous foul-mouthed morons everywhere you go. Maybe that is exactly like work for some people.

            Actually, the Office Space commercial works a lot better than I thought. You could swap out your normal job with WOW and hardly notice the difference.
    • I think you aren't clear on what MMOGs are. That's Massively (as in huge) Multiplayer (as in many people) Online (as in the internet) Games (as in fun).

      These games weren't designed with single player in mind. FFXI and WoW are clear evidence in this. Both require parties for much of their content. If you're looking at MMOGs and thinking "I wish that were single player" I recommend avoiding the genre as a whole. To want an offline, single player experience from a game designed for a massive number of people o

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