User blog:Ausir/Bethesda vs. Interplay - more detail

Does this mean that GOG will yank the older Fallouts from the list? I haven't even played them yet!

wow i can see the big push right before they get pulled it will be like a giant fire sale

hu it seems will never see a fallout mmo

It's very much possible that after Bethesda takes away the rights to Fallout Online from Interplay, one will be developed by ZeniMax Online Studios, Bethesda's sister studio.

Hopefully if Bethesda wins, they will still allow them to be sold. But I wouldn't hold your breath for it.

zenimax sucks and betheseda too. Fallout 3 was a phiser, ready to snatch the minds and money of ppl. Zenimax should stop buying companies and everything. BETHESDA SHOULD HAVE WENT BANKRUPT!!!

I imagine that Bethesda would probably allow the old games to be sold...

They might end up in an ownership limbo, with e.g. Bethesda owning the content and Interplay owning the code, and neither being able to re-release them. It's not that rare, actually.

@ Onipix: Come on, Beth's games are pure GOLD. So were Interplay's...But they've gone aways back, it's time for Beth to take over.

Says who? Bethesda has shown that they cannot make the game up to par so I have no idea why you say they should take over.

why does everyone hate on bethesda. all the fallout games are good even if they are diffirent and made by diffirent people.

Bethesda is hard but fair and I agree. Interplay is trying to make money on its past glory instead of out the new games. It's disappointing to see that for such an undertaking who created games like Fallout, Baldur's Gate or Planescape Torment.

They are all good games and great additions to the franchise so can we leave it at that .

I'm a fan of both Black Isle and Bethesda's games - they're very different, but I like them both for different reasons - so this is hard for me... I sort-of agree with the "Fallout Trilogy" point, especially since FO3 has become a well-known game, that lots of people would assume it contains all three, and I'm not a fan of MMORPGs so the news about possibly losing V13 isn't too bad (though the concept art looks stunning!) - I just hope that they can reach an agreement where fans can replay the classics, be it Interplay or Bethesda who are profiting from it.

Bethesda has been releasing their old Elder Scrolls titles for free, I don't see why you're worried about them not giving Fallout a similar treatment.

@Itachou

I agree, they just keep pushing the old games. They're going to be beating a dead horse soon.

Makes me wish they'd never even sold the IP in the first place.

Oh yeah and grats on being utter c**ts Bethesda

personally I think that while most of the contract agreements sucked and basically gutted the game i.e can not have more the 10,000 players (how are you going to enforce that ?), no offline mode etc

I do agree with Bethesda on one thing how can a company with 16,000 be able to found a MMO ?

again I have grown less fond of Bethesda since Oblivion (why beth why ? ) but business is business.

A breach of contract is a breach of contract. If it's right or wrong, it's what's legal. There's a piece of paper that says that there's a line. It highlights why to not cross the line, and it got crossed/ As a result, there are consequences.

As far as the original Fallout games go, it's entirely possible there'll be a settlement allowing one of the two parties to continue to publish them, mostly because people like money, and money funds games. (Read this, folks lamenting business in video games. It IS a business, all in it's own.)

Now, I cannot speak for the first Fallout games. I have never played them, and have used this wiki to fill in the blanks of what I didn't know. But Bethesda took the Fallout franchise, and took it from the days past of RPGs and brought it to our age. As far as taking an old dog and teaching it a new trick, they did it damn well. Better than Oblivion, by a long shot, in my opinion.

At the end of the day, win loose or draw, Bethesda will make the move that makes money. Bigger budget games, more Fallout and more Elder Scrolls. That's the nature of the entire entertainment industry- Comics, gaming, TV, movies, everything.

Thats stupid seriously Bethesda don't be those type of people who sew just to get money out of it i thought you were better then that i guess i was wrong! Ok maybe they were going against the law but you dont have to make such a big deal about it.

A breach of contract is a breach of contract. If it's right or wrong, it's what's legal. There's a piece of paper that says that there's a line. It highlights why to not cross the line, and it got crossed/ As a result, there are consequences.

As far as the original Fallout games go, it's entirely possible there'll be a settlement allowing one of the two parties to continue to publish them, mostly because people like money, and money funds games. (Read this, folks lamenting business in video games. It IS a business, all in it's own.)

Now, I cannot speak for the first Fallout games. I have never played them, and have used this wiki to fill in the blanks of what I didn't know. But Bethesda took the Fallout franchise, and took it from the days past of RPGs and brought it to our age. As far as taking an old dog and teaching it a new trick, they did it damn well. Better than Oblivion, by a long shot, in my opinion.

At the end of the day, win loose or draw, Bethesda will make the move that makes money. Bigger budget games, more Fallout and more Elder Scrolls. That's the nature of the entire entertainment industry- Comics, gaming, TV, movies, everything.

Best.Speech.Ever

@ the anon who actually gave that speech, nice.

@ Wolfy, nice copy-paste.

As far as taking an old dog and teaching it a new trick, they did it damn well.

Old dog Bethesda has been using the same old tricks since Arena and Daggerfall.

Jeez guys, don't hold it against Bethesda, they were only doing what they thought was right and anyway, Interplay is a dead company, they don't have much of a future if you ask me, Bethesda's just picking up the pieces.

I mean 3 games....FO3, TESIV Oblivion and TES3 Morrowmind.

Besides Daggerfall and Arena, look up Bethesda, click on the Wikipedia link, look for their list of games, and the billions of old computer sports games.

I know you guys are mad at bethesda, but technically, their counts are legit. I mean, they directly violated the V13 contract, and they were supposed to sent the advertising to Bethesda. And it wasn't just a poster of something... It was a lot. The trilogy pack, GOG, and steam are all pretty major. And I know Paweł and Onipix and Grizzley and the rest of you die hards don't want to ever admit it, but Bethesda DOES own the rights to fallout. They did allow Interplay to sell their game, and they broke the contract. I'd be pretty pissed if I were them too.

Agreed

Jesus,I Have to DownLoad F02 & 1 Quick!

It was Interplay's fault, I mean Bethesda DID buy the rights to the franchise...

I wish to burn down Bethesda Softworks more than ever. Too bad it's thousands of kilometers away from me.

And is Obsidian like a modernized Interplay or something? (i am trying to do my research on everything about Fallout because this whole mess is hard to follow for me.)

Obsidian was founded by Black Isle developers that left Interplay. See: Obsidian Entertainment.

Interplay is at fault there are rules in the world and they wanted to get away with this beth paid money to own the franchise and they tried to steal and beth took a stand and did what is right so hating on beth is ignorant they have the right to sue and if interplay would of gotten permission we would have something pretty cool but they chose to sneak and steal and now they got caught and you guys are feeling sorry for the thieves

@ the guy threatening arson on Bethesda

Wow, just...wow

I do think that calling something that isnt a trilogy a trilogy, it is kinda pointless to sue over it. Although, I think that GOG should have called it Fallout 1&2 Bundle and added the third game as a bonus... This would have both incouraged its purchase, as Tactics would have felt more like a bonus or extra than something expected. As for v13, Interplay might as well just hand it over, because Interplay has gone down hill anyway.

Im still not sure why Bethesda is complaining though.

interplay is just a shattered remnant of a world we once loved. And when a world is broken, there is nothing left but to pack up and move forward and upwards, where bethesta is waiting to pull us into the next century. sure, they're bullies that push aroudn smaller people to get ahead, but then...isn't walmart? isn't america? isn't everything we love? its just business, it's cruel, but its the best dam invention since the universe.

Amen, Urikide.

Except, you mean Obsidian, not Beth, right?

The thing is though these fallout games arnt rely hurting bethesda and they are no compotition for bethesda rely. So yea they shouldnt have re-released the games but who cares its not hurting anyone! Is it now?

Four words who gives a fuck.

Good If interplay isnt going to do what its suppost to with the agreement they deserve to lose the rights

Anonymous user 20:12, September 14, 2009

^ a is a word, just as "some" is a word.

exactly, A in that context denotes a singular and since it provides meaning in the sentence it is a word.

God... damn...

Bethesda's cool and all, but this is way out of line. Yes, they own the rights to the series, and all of the rights to Fallout 3, but Fallout's 1,2, and tactics are exclusively Interplay's property. They can do whatever with them that they want!

And besides, they started the damn series! You'd think Beth'd have a little bit of respect!

fallout 3 is the best game ever! i hope bethesda makes some more fallout games!!!!!!

The contest is over, we'll announce the winners soon.

I wonder if any of the employees at Interplay (all three of them) are getting paid this time around.

@Urikide

Watch it, I happen to work for Wal-Mart. Part-time, graveyard shift, overnight stocker and the pay is actually pretty damn good.

Anyways, on the bright side, maybe the trilogy will arise from the fallout of this weapons exchange as ABANDONWARE! WOOOO! FREE STUFF! Picked from the rotting carcasses of fat dinosaurs.

i like bethesda i like all there games including fallout 3 but seriously they shouldn't be able to take something they didnt make

I don't know how anyone can pick a side without knowing anything except what is in Bethesda's complaint. Lawyers write those things to sound as damning as possible. The real situation is probably not close to that without the legal spin.

Also, how could anyone confuse the trilogy with FO3? The Trilogy box shows in big words and pictures the three games you get and no mention of FO3.

Im sorry but for all of you who are saying "Video games arent original anymore, SOS with new graphics", ask your self just how original fallout 1 was, Evil scientist becomes mutant and raises an evil mutant army and the vault dweller has to kill them all with a bunch of powersuit men, Im not saying i didnt like it but it WAS cheesy as hell

I wish I could play the first two on ps3

I saw at least one retailer (apparently mistakenly rather than fraudulently) selling the Interplay Fallout trilogy and stating in the online description that it included Fallout 3, so there's a specific example that I experienced that supports Bethesda's point of view. Having an agreement that Interplay could sell the older games just get the artwork etc. approved makes total sense, to avoid confusion or "hurting" the reputation of Fallout 3. Which by the way is great, I was very pleasantly surprised (being a huge fan of the prior Fallout games but not so much the Bethesda Elder Scrolls games and so was unhappy when the deal was first announced, now I'm very happy with that decision).

Not really a trilogy cause tactics sucked and didn't really be cannon (vault dweller died no bringing him back)

Me again, How long has the trilogy been on sale, and why only now does beth seems to have a problem with it? Is the Trilogy selling more copies then FO3 this month? I've had my white label trilogy for well over a year now.

Yours Truly, the F.E.V.DippedDoofus 69.129.199.244 23:37, September 26, 2009 (UTC)

The fact is that Interplay was required to send all new marketing schemes to Bethesda first before producing them. Since they did not do this, they violated the agreement. Regardless of whether the Fallout Trilogy pack was misleading or not, not sending it to Bethesda for approval first is clearly disregarding the terms to which they agreed to.

As for the Fallout Trilogy, although people may have looked it over and saw that it included Fallout 1, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics, someone who is new to the franchise (not stupid, just unaware) might think that Tactics was the subtitle to Fallout 3 or something, thus making the title "Trilogy" misleading.

What a majority of people here seem to be missing is that it isn't a question of whose games are better or who originally made the Fallout series, it is simply a legal issue. Bethesda legally bought the rights to the franchise, made an agreement with Interplay on how the older games might be sold, which Interplay clearly violated. There is no other way to interpret this.

As for the Project V13 thing, I don't know enough to comment on it. Bethesda might just be being an asshole there.

well if bethesda would only see that these guys are basically making a game that will make their xbox360 and pc games more widely known to the rest of the world and will help make them money without them having done anything. Fallout was interplays to begin with and just because the fudged by a few months on a corporate agreement shouldnt mean that they dont get to continue with something that was their idea anyway.

Zenimax suxs... Period.

Hope Interplay wins, fuck the contract, the game were made by them, the idea by them, they should have the rights to sell what they want, when they want and were they want. I hate contracts... Fallout 1, 2, BoS and tactics are cool, it should never end.

Interplay screwed up on their end of the contract, therefore they owe bethesda money. I prefer the original fallout games, but they sold the rights. their decision, their problem, as long as bethesda can keep making the games good, I don't care. The package containing the old fallouts is called the Fallout Collection, not the trilogy, and any idiot with eyes can see that it does not contain Fallout 3.

@Anonymous user:Writing has been buisnessfied Books have been buisnessfied Writing and publishing has always been "businessfied" (I'm assuming you mean have an industry behind them) since before the printing press, even in China, who had the first printing press. When the printing press was invented in Europe, it just became easier to write such books and other writings, a reason that the Renaissance came into effect, as more and more people wanted to read, and learn new things. But, back onto the topic at hand, I think Bethesda is getting a little out of hand with the lawsuits. I realize that, yes, they did purchase it, but they should let Interplay (Or whoever developed Fallout 1, 2, and Tactics) to continue to sell, and give the money to the ex-workers. But, it's all Bethesda, and their way of wanting to handle the situation.

Does anyone have the pleadings (complaint, answer, ect...) or have links to them so we can read the actual court documents?

reply to:Hope Interplay wins, fuck the contract, the game were made by them, the idea by them, they should have the rights to sell what they want, when they want and were they want. I hate contracts... Fallout 1, 2, BoS and tactics are cool, it should never end.

interplay sold their rights to beth. the contract that THEY agreed to was obviously violated, regardless of if fallout was their idea or not, they gave up their rights to the game therefor have to release their games how the new owners see fit

corporate insanity, thats wrong bethesda has its hands around a smaller developers throat for retarded reasons, i like fallout 3 but its not bethesdas franchise, its their slave.

Beth's reasoning for this is perfectly sound. Interplay signed a contract that they failed to uphold so they have effectively made themselves Bethesda's legal bitch.

Interplay signed the contract, Interplay failed to deliver, Bethesda is trying to get what is legally theirs.