Tag: Interplay

Project V13 Beta! In 2012…


Don't hold your Nuka Cola.

I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Project V13, the fabled Fallout MMO and namesake for this blog, is trucking along and will be hitting beta soon. The bad news is that by soon, I mean soon in Valve Time, and it may be likely that the beta will trigger the end of the world as we know it.

In a recent posting over at Interplay’s website, the company has announced that they have been working with Masthead Studios to bring their vision of Fallout to life, with all of the vaults, irradiated beverages, and super mutants that you know and love. Even more descriptively was the note that Project V13 will be using the same proprietary tools as Earthrise.

“Masthead joined the project in early 2009 and development continues under Interplay’s direction and control. Project: V13 will utilize the proprietary tools and MMOG technology Masthead developed for its “Earthrise” project.”

How soon is this beta, you say, Omali? Not soon enough that you shouldn’t put off buying anything. We’re looking at mid to late 2012.

“This MMOG will have many unique features that we will disclose before launch of the public Beta in 2012.”

But it isn’t all bad. Tell me, Interplay, will Project V13 be innovative, or will it be just a sad re-skinning of functions and mechanics we have already seen before?

“Project: V13 incorporates many creative and technological innovations. We believe it will be a unique experience. Our technology will continue to evolve in order to realize all the extraordinary content and features Interplay has designed.”

Good enough for me. More on Project V13 when we get closer to the beta in two years.

Bethesda/Zenimax: What Is Going On Over There?


It is likely not Fallout

Zenimax Media is just one of the Area 51’s of the MMO world. Zenimax owns Bethesda, id Software, and several other studios. The studio has since become the MMO branch of Bethesda, and according to past rumors has been working on an upcoming title since at least 2007. Rumors had it that the MMO was going to be the oft-rumored Fallout MMO that Interplay had started but never gave information on.

In court documents recently discovered during the Bethesda Interplay lawsuit, details have come forward related to this secret MMO that Zenimax has been working on. Bethesda has funneled tens of millions of dollars into this project, that has been under development since 2006 (So the rumors were not far off). A team of approximately one hundred people are working on the game, and according to VG247, should have been announced last year.

In the legal documents, Bethesda has described the title as a “World of Warcraft” style MMO, and may be set 200 years after Oblivion (as revealed by the Elder Scrolls novel, that accidentally leaked the next game in the series). It is not currently clear what Bethesda means by a WoW-like MMO, in the creative sense or the mechanic sense (It’s an MMO).

So what does VG247’s source say about this MMO? It is based on the Elder Scrolls series. Even better, the title was supposed to be announced late 2009, but the announcement was somehow missed, potentially relating to the lawsuit between Bethesda and Interplay. VG247 appears to be very confident in their source.

There does seem to be some legitimacy in the claims, as Bethesda has reportedly moved to have any revealing legal documents censored to the public domain, even though the old analogy fits of closing the fence door once the horses have escaped. It is possible but unlikely that Zenimax is working on a Fallout MMO in expectation that Interplay will lose the lawsuit, and for all intense and purpose, they do know a lot more than we do as to how well the court case is going.

More on Bethesda’s MMO as it becomes apparent, and more on Fallout (The MMO) as it appears as well.

Interplay Will Continue Work on Fallout MMO


Pre-Alpha Project V13

Motion Hearing held on 12/10/2009 re [3] MOTION for Preliminary Injunction filed by Bethesda Softworks LLC – Argued – “DENIED” as stated on the record by Judge Deborah K. Chasanow. (Court Reporter – Sharon O’Neill) (td, Deputy Clerk)

Depending on who you support in the ongoing lawsuit between Bethesda and Interplay, this news will be either a victory or a setback for you in the great war to develop a Fallout MMO. I didn’t report on this before, mainly because I have a rule against posting rumors, but back in October news was leaked that Interplay may have blocked an injunction by Bethesda, that sought to stop Interplay’s current work on Project V13 (Or the Fallout MMO, as you know it).

According to Gamasutra, in court documents discovered by a Fallout fansite, the judge blocked Bethesda’s injunction, which will allow Interplay to continue working on the fabled, and just recently screenshotted, Fallout MMO. And by work, I mean the 3D Realms kind of work: Playing World of Warcraft, or in this case, Fallen Earth.

A recap on the case after the break.

Continue reading “Interplay Will Continue Work on Fallout MMO”

Fallout MMO: New Screenshots


Project_V13_screenshot2

I realized shortly after creating MMO Fallout that the blog would attract some disappointed looks from people who came here under the impression that this was a fansite for a Fallout MMORPG, so it always makes me giddy when I get a chance to report on the actual Fallout MMO, codename Project V13.

To bring you up to speed, not much has happened since my last article on the Fallout MMO, and the legal battle between Interplay and Bethesda. Interplay sold the rights of the Fallout franchise to Bethesda, although Interplay retained the rights to create an MMO on the grounds that the company actually be developing actively. Earlier this year, Bethesda sued Interplay, claiming that the company did not keep up its end of the deal, and in order to gain the rights to create a Fallout MMO. Interplay claims that they are indeed working on a title.

More after the break…

Continue reading “Fallout MMO: New Screenshots”

Bethesda Vs Interplay: In Plain English


800px-V13_concept

I know there are some avid Fallout Wiki readers who already know about this, but the rest of you might want to listen up. While the MMO community has had a good laugh over the past few months calling Fallen Earth the “Fallout MMO,” what many of them are not aware of is that there is indeed an MMO in development based on the Fallout Universe. When Bethesda bought out the Fallout franchise in 2007, they sub-licensed the rights to a Fallout MMO back to Interplay, on the agreement that Interplay would be in full development by April 2009.

April 2008: Interplay announces that Fallout Project V13 has entered production.
April 2009: Interplay announces that it will be working with Masthead Studios, who are currently working on Earthrise.
June 2009: Rumors surface that, due to the lack of productivity on Project V13, Interplay may have lost the Fallout MMO License.
September 2009: Bethesda is now suing Interplay for breach of agreement.

In plain English: Interplay sold the entire Fallout franchise to Bethesda with the agreement that Interplay would have the rights to develop a Fallout MMO. The terms of the contract stated that they had to gain funding and begin full development by April 2009, otherwise Interplay would lose the license and Bethesda would be free to make their own Fallout MMO. Despite some news over two years, Interplay was unable to procure either funding or proof of development, and as April has come and gone, Bethesda is playing the part of angry apartment owner, with Interplay being several years late on rent.

Interplay has had a rough time, going almost 60 million dollars in debt before doing massive restructuring and selling off much of their IP to get that money back. It would appear that a Fallout MMO will only happen under one of two circumstances. Either Interplay will hit be in full production, and the court will decide that they have fulfilled their side of the agreement, or Bethesda will win, gain the final puzzle piece of the Fallout IP and start work on their own MMO.

Which would you rather see? A Bethesda or an Interplay version of Fallout: The MMO?