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Role Playing (Games) The Almighty Buck Entertainment Games

Interplay Pitches Fallout MMO, Despite Dearth Of Cash 46

Posted by simoniker from the wanna-coulda-shoulda dept.
Thanks to Yahoo! for reprinting an Interplay press release discussing Interplay's latest financial results, ruminating on possibilities for the embattled publisher. Although "the Company reported a net loss of $.9 million" for the quarter, a relatively small amount, Interplay's detailed financial statement reveals: "We currently have no cash reserves and are unable to pay current liabilities. The Company cannot continue in its current form without at this time obtaining additional financing." However, CEO Herve Caen is bullish about prospects, explaining: "We are now pursuing several options to fund our entry into Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming with titles including Fallout", a positive step, according to "...initial feedback from our investment bank and ongoing dialogue with others in the gaming sector." We've previously covered Interplay's recent financial woes.
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Interplay Pitches Fallout MMO, Despite Dearth Of Cash More

Interplay Pitches Fallout MMO, Despite Dearth Of Cash

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  • So your idea is... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 25, 2004 @07:42PM (#9533534)
    ...another MMOG in an already massively saturated market. Thanks Herve, keep on nailing that coffin shut.

    • Re:So your idea is... (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Drawkcab ( 550036 )
      And not only is the MMOG market so saturated that MMORPGs have been getting cancelled left and right, but its one of the most expensive and time consuming genre to develop for. Not an ideal undertaking for a company that is narrowly avoiding bankruptcy. The Fallout games were great and I'd love to see more of them, but I don't think they'd be able to pull off an MMORPG right now.

      A console RPG might work out well for them. Fallout seems like it could work really well for XBox or XBox 2, and the XBox co

  • FOOL (Score:3, Insightful)

    by UnknownSoldier ( 67820 ) on Friday June 25, 2004 @07:47PM (#9533561)
    Oh brother...not THAT old topic again..

    "FallOut On-Line" aka FOOL

    Part of what makes Fallout, Fallout, is its turn-based strategy. That goes away in a MMORPG.

    --
    The fallacy of government is that it assumes everyone needs to be told how to live.
    When it passes more laws until it makes everyone a criminal it has made the mistake of placing the intent on the "Letter of the Law" over the "Spirit of the Law."
    "The more corrupt the republic, the more numerous the laws" -- Tacitus, A.D. 55
    ALL civilizations eventually collapse. Are you that ignorant and arrogant to assume that yours won't?
    • Turn-based combat goes out the window, but if done properly you could still maintain tactical combat with delays.

      Of course, it won't be done properly.

    • Re:FOOL (Score:3, Interesting)

      by prockcore ( 543967 )

      Part of what makes Fallout, Fallout, is its turn-based strategy. That goes away in a MMORPG.

      It does? How so? Fallout was only turn based during combat. I don't see why it wouldn't work in a MMORPG environment.

      Besides, what made Fallout was the environment and the no-rules feel of the game.

  • Rats (Score:2)

    by 0x0d0a ( 568518 )
    I really liked the early Fallout games (1 and 2), and it's a real shame to see this happening. I just can't see Fallout succeeding in an MMORPG market. Not enough people, serious capital is required for MMORPG creation, the Fallout "world" is largely spoofs and future views of the existing world -- it's not like, say, the Star Wars world, where you have a really unique and interesting world. Fallout was big because it did a *good implementation* of a post-apocalyptic world, not because nobody has done su
    • TKO Software is developing a moderately successful MMORPG (originally developed by Asylumsoft) that's entirely in 2D. The defining thing of Fallout that goes bye-bye with the move to MMORPG is the combat system.

  • Amazing idea (Score:4, Insightful)

    by FloodSpectre ( 745213 ) on Friday June 25, 2004 @08:47PM (#9533947)
    I have an amazing idea. Why not make the fucking game people actually want instead of making all these spinoffs that on one's going to like ? I love the Fallout series, and even enjoyed Tactics, but I'd never buy or sign up for a Fallout Online. If they do it, it'll probably be an even bigger flop than Fallout: BOS, mainly because it would cost them so much more to make...

  • No, this could actually be good. (Score:4, Interesting)

    by TellarHK ( 159748 ) <tellarhk@@@hotmail...com> on Friday June 25, 2004 @09:20PM (#9534095) Homepage Journal
    Look, folks. The real success behind Fallout was the story, the aesthetic, the locations, and the fact they put it together with some pretty good attention to the important things like gameplay. Remember that the original plan for Fallout was simply as a GURPS-based game that got re-worked near the end of development into the SPECIAL system that -did- work very well.

    The real problem with this kind of development would be if they went and tried to make it turn-based-MMORPG. Then we'd just have to kill them all.

    If they do something similar to a City of Heroes environment, without the mind-numbing quest for items and other crap like you have in more traditional MMORPG places, it'd go over quite well.

  • FUCK THAT SHIT (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Txiasaeia ( 581598 ) on Friday June 25, 2004 @09:40PM (#9534215)
    Sorry for the profanity, but I've been reading about the slow and painful demise of Interplay for *months* now. They haven't paid their employees in months, they're in debt, they were evicted from their building, they were temporarily shut down by the gov't because their workers' insurance lapses, and NOW they want to take the most popular RPG franchise and turn it into a grab-as-much-cash-as-possible MMO game?

    They don't have the cash flow (or capital up front) to sustain an MMOG. They don't have the trust of gamers any more. Hell, all their good employees have left the company (Troika)!

    Herve, if you're reading this, YOU NEED TO MAKE FALLOUT 3. This will bring in the cash you so desperately need to keep your company afloat, respect from the industry, and a leaping point to resurrect Interplay. The market is saturated with up and coming MMOGs that are going to suck the online market dry - City of Heroes is here, Matrix Online and World of Warcraft are coming, not to mention EQ2, PLUS all the MMOGs currently ON the market. There's no room for you online, but there are some of us who have been waiting years for a proper and wonderful RPG. You've got the freaking goose that lays golden eggs - out with them already!

    • Oh, one more thing: how's Interplay going to make an online game when they can't even afford to keep their own damn website up? [interplay.com]
    • Hell yeah, they need to make Fallout 3, I would play a Fallout MMO in like 4-5 years, when the market is right, but Interplay needs to make use of the valuable Fallout license ASAP, and save their sorry butts. I can't endorse the idea of making Fallout 3 enough. I just replayed Fallout 1 cause it kicks so much ass. Even had a great ending.
    • Fallout 3 was 90% complete as developers claimed,
      even if they overshot, it would be much less time to
      finish fallout 3 than to do mmog, not to mention that
      they would regain trust of the fans.

      as per developers:

      The first batch of developers, the ones responsible
      for original fallouts did go to Troika

      Others that stayed developed Icewind dale, a squad game
      that stayed on heels of Buldurs Gate, and later LionHeart,
      a game that was fantasy much like Icewind Dale, but did
      use Fallout like Special system as opposed
      • Actually, I believe that only the core engine was 90% complete. They still have a tremendousamount od scripting and art resources to get done, for Fallout 3. As to Troika's games Arcanum and The Temple of Elemental Evil. Both of these games had serious flaws that were indicitive of poor product testing. Arcanum had an awkward interface and the storyline of the game seemed tacked on to most folks. The Temple of Elemental Evil actually contained a bug at launch that could REFORMAT YOUR HARD DRIVE or some
        • Actually, I believe that only the core engine was 90% complete

          I was reminded of a quote I saw a while back, to the effect that "coding is 90% complete for about 50% of the time". Which is not to say anything about the viability of Fallout 3 (I've never played any of the Fallout games) but just that I don't put much stock in such numbers.

          And as you point out, the core engine is really just the start of the project.

      • Re:FUCK THAT SHIT (Score:3, Interesting)

        by ultranova ( 717540 )

        Troika -> Arcanum
        a big game that industrilizes fantasy.
        you got magicians traveling in trains.
        amazing marriage of sci-fi and fantasy worlds.

        Actually, you don't get magicians traveling in trains, because magick screws up technology. No, the mighty mages have to either teleport or walk.

        You know, the teleport spell is my only real complain about Arcanum (aside from it not working on Linux ;): you can't just select a place from the map, you have to target a location that has a "marker". It's annoyin

  • Fishing for Funding (Score:4, Insightful)

    by wev162 ( 721318 ) on Friday June 25, 2004 @09:58PM (#9534294)
    I'd give it even odds that Interplay is just fishing for investments to try and save the farm. Isn't it odd that it is only now after years of cries for a new fallout game they propose one but insert the buzzword "MMORPG"? One has to wonder if they are trying to show potential investors they have a viable product with heavy fan demand (eg. Look at level of interest in a new fallout game over the years, its a license to print money!!! Its one of those "lucrative" MMORPGs like UO or EQ no less!!!) Sounds custom fit for an investor pitch to me. I can't help but think Interplay is completing the slow implosion that has occured over the years with less and less blockbuster projects.
  • The idea of a Fallout MMOG is not a bad one. The problem is two fold though. First, Fallout can not be Everquest. If you want to appeal to a broad audience and actually make a hit, they will need to take a risk in terms of game play. What that translate to could be debated forever, but the simple fact of the matter is that they need a breakout hit that smashes some rules. Maybe it means no leveling, maybe it means some new style of game play. Who the hell knows. If we knew the answer they would alrea

  • What we need is a 3d non turn based Fallout 3 (Score:3, Interesting)

    by glowimperial ( 705397 ) on Friday June 25, 2004 @11:18PM (#9534729)
    That doesn't totally suck and has the magic storylines of the original series. I love turn based games, but frankly, they are going the way of the dodo and I want Fallout 3 to succeed in the mss market so it can stay alive. A Fallout MMO would be hard to do. Key to the whole Fallout feeling is being the Chosen One and wandering the wilderness alone, ala Mad Max. I don't want to play a fallout game with folks spamming "selling power armour, 100k caps!" in the center of every town. Fallout was all about the mystery of discovering a wonderfully crafted, funny, post apocalyptic world, alone. Bring the magic back one more time folks.

    • The 3d they have done, atleast from screenshots of Fallout 3
      and from the xbox Fallout:BOS.

      I dont have anything against the game being non turn based,
      but give me the ability to play turn based.

      I loved the idea that the game never really was a clone
      of diablo where finger twiches are actually an advantage.

      ofcourse this causes problems for the game to be MMO, but
      then Civilisation / HOMM3 play online quite well, and
      Fallout:BOS Tactics also did have a fake real time mode.

      --
      /apz, Far duller than a serpent's t

  • Oh shut up. (Score:4, Insightful)

    by ftgow ( 791708 ) on Friday June 25, 2004 @11:27PM (#9534783)
    Sure, it would fuck up the franchise. Sure they're doing it for the money. Blah blah blah.

    But it would be fun.

    Aren't we all sick of the current mmorpg's now? I could care less about elf's and dwarves, and wookies...finding a magic key, or collecting gold coins to by a new sword with a +1 bronze gem that makes me immune to the common cold.

    I want an mmorpg where you don't fit things, you fight for survival. Imagine having clans of players, in a DANGEROUS, screwed up after-world, fighting each other just to survive. Imagine leading the warriors of your clans, in the night, to the other guys shack, killing or abducting they're women, slitting the men's throats, stealing they're necessities, ETC, JUST TO live another week! That would be thrilling. And? no/barley any computer npc's. Hell EQ, that warcraft thing (god I hate blizzard, make a Linux port you lazy sluts) starwars.. it's all coop doom with swords and a couple thousand space marines. Coop doom wasn't (that) fun! Dammit, these games remind me of the sims.

    In Fallout Online, you band together, traveling the wasteland, salvaging useful scraps, not finding them in chests next to a dead gnome. I'm talking about a SAVAGE online experience, where you can get pissed off, angry, and travel the wasteland, sometimes solely on revenge. Or from an order from your clan leading. You can over through your clan leader (provided it's in the public favor, aka mutiny. You can start your own clan in a shack in the dessert, convert some homeless people, (not that you would start out homeless, but it's a possibility), arm them, and attack a nearby town, in the dead of night, kill a local shop keeper (think shady town), and turn the place into your own military-grade bunker. Advance, take your clan, make it into a battalion. Army. (think brotherhood of steel) Form legions, alliances, with common interests, secretly generated by the world. Forge new technological advantages. Advanced weaponry, hardened armor. Take over.

    Or possibly form a neutral facility, helping strangers, in exchange for favors that will help the community etc.

    I'm sick of wacking rats with sticks. Gimme a damn gun and shove me in a deadly world. Fallout Online.
    • The problem is getting people to keep playing. If when you're not logged on, the guild you're in gets attacked and the supplies stolen, would you want to keep playing? That was one of the many problems with 10six, if I remember correctly.

      People who play MMOGs don't want to lose all their progress when they're not logged on overnight.

      I think a good Fallout MMOG could be made, but they would have to be very careful with how they go about doing it. They'd have to avoid the problems that plague Lineage 2 (
    • This would make for a fap-tastic game, if only the games were short enough to be finished in one sitting. An MMORPG is a never-ending world where time doesn't stop to ask directions. Sure, you could build the greatest war fortress in the world, design a BFG9000 to rule over your enemies. Then when the phone rings and you turn your back for ten minutes, you come back to find your empire in ruins because the enemy swooped in while you weren't paying attention.

      That's why most MMORPG's have a friendly atmos

  • "a relatively small amount" (Score:3, Insightful)

    by BortQ ( 468164 ) on Saturday June 26, 2004 @12:16AM (#9535031) Homepage Journal
    Uh, $.9 million is actually quite a large amount of money, especially when you have 0 dollars to your name (or company).
  • Well it couldn't happen to a more deserving company. Serves them right for cancelling the 3rd Star Trek adventure, vulcan fury.

    The first two were moderate hits, meaning they made a profit. So did they continue, No. Not hip enough.

    Fallout 3 the rpg? Gone.

    Companies that cancel modest earners for high risk games that never happen deserve to go out of bussiness. Both these games would have been bought by a steady fanbase, enough to ensure a profit and could have been small hits even large hits.

    Turning Fallo

  • Suffice to say, there is no way in hell they would ever be able to get any game out in their current state. But as it stands, computer games are like television. Lowest common denominator. This country is full of inbred morons. Cops on Fox. Same with computers. We have Aol. They use it to chat with other idiots, download all the wrong kind of pornography, and look at stupid pictures of some guy with his hand up his ass, their dumb friends, or their friends with their hand up their ass. Gaming is filled wi

  • I'll bet someone else will make the MMORPG (Score:3, Interesting)

    by mutewinter ( 688449 ) on Saturday June 26, 2004 @11:21AM (#9537164)
    Since they are out of cash, I'm guessing they will liscence Fallout to another company to make the MMORPG. I don't have to tell anyone here that the MMORPG market is over saturated right now. Even if the game is a success we all know they are looking at 4+ years of development which would translate into just another money drain for them -- not what they need right now. An up-front liscence fee from a big company like EA could be the cash injection the company needs. I'm just suprised their whole company hasn't been gobbled up yet.
    • gobbled up... you mean bought? Why the heck would EA buy Interplay? They would have to assume their debts too. They should (and probably will), wait until Interplay declares bankrupty and buy all virtual assets (licenses etc..) at a ridiculously low price. They'll hire all Interplay programmers, and start Fallout3 and not Fallout MMO, because they know what makes money now. They'll even make "Fallout: Hot date", "Fallout: on vacation", "Fallout: Mutant party" expansions!
  • Whether or not Interplay says they want to make a new Fallout game is irrelevant. The fact of the matter is that they are in deep financial turmoil. They have recently pitched forth several game plans that will probably never come to fruition (a similar promise was made of Descent 4).

    It's just the final death throes of a dying company. Let it go, already.
  • Even though I am not into the whole MMORPG game thing, I like the idea of creating one based upon the Fallout Universe. However, now is not the right time.. Who in their right mind is going to spend the initial $50 or so on buying the game and then put up $10-$15 a month to play a game that, after they have made their built up their character, the game shuts down because the servers were repossessed? Hell, they couldn't even afford to keep the Interplay FORUMS online. They had to shut those down a few m

  • Old times (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Doctor Cat ( 676482 ) on Saturday June 26, 2004 @05:01PM (#9539136) Homepage
    I remember pitching my first MMORPG, DragonSpires, to Interplay back in 1994. Their company president at the time was looking to get started with a project for about half the budget I was asking for. I talked to their producer a bit about how we could do something on that size budget. Then we met with the president briefly, showed him what I had, and he explained why he'd rather do a game based on their D&D license. Sounded plausible to me. Back to the producer's office, and he says "Ok, what I think we should pitch to him is that we simultaneously develop a D&D game AND your game with your engine". I was speechless. Didn't that just double the budget back up to what the prez had said was more than he wanted to invest into the MMORPG market right then? Sure enough, he decide to pass on his producer's proposal.

    Given how they did with things like Engage Games Online, frankly I'm glad they said no. Interplay did manage to publish some very good games over the years, but their management was always kinda strange as far as I could tell. (Hopefully they don't have enough nickles left in the petty cash drawer to get a lawyer to sue me for saying they were strange. :X)

  • I get the feeling the MMOs are the gaming industry equivalent of the .COM companies in the 90s, and we're starting to see the fallout (no pun inteded), with all the announced cancellations.
    Once UO and Everquest hit it big, so many game companies drooled at the cash cow of MMOs. So they all scrambled to create their own MMOs to grab a piece of the market. I mean Motor City Online?
    Browsing this list [rpgdot.com] of just RPG related MMOs to be released, it looks like too many companies are just grasping at straws. Is
  • Man I love the Fallout (GURPS?) system. I don't know how they'd transition a tactical, turn-based strategy RPG into an MMORPG though...

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