"Fallout belongs to us": Bethesda lays claim to Fallout MMO

We may as well call it The NeverEnding Story 4: The Battle for Fallout. The ongoing legal struggle and corporate posturing between Bethesda and Interplay took a new turn today as Bethesda declared its biggest claim yet to the entire franchise -- including a Fallout MMO.

According to Gamesindustry.biz, vg247, and Eurogamer, Bethesda's Pete Hines couldn't make it clearer: "We own the rights to the MMO. We own the rights to everything Fallout. The license is ours. Fallout belongs to us."

Earlier this month, Interplay called such claims "absurd."

This is troublesome for Interplay, as the studio has been hard at work on a Fallout MMO of its own, scheduled for a 2012 release. Both companies claim that they have the right to develop an online version of the hit franchise: Interplay because it retained the rights to do so when it sold the franchise to Bethesda, and Bethesda because the company claims Interplay failed to live up to the contract and forfeited its claim.

While the lawyers continue to plow through this legal morass, this statement by Bethesda shows that the studio has no intention of giving up the rights to a Fallout MMO without a fight.

[Update: We've clarified Gamesindustry's sources.]

Reader Comments (55)

I hope there's a luck-dragon-dog involved.

@nomoredroids. Just hope it's a wise and great Luck Dragon like in the first movie, and not a brain damaged "Herp Derp" Luck Dragon like in the Never Ending Story 3.

Both have a claim but Bethesda also needs to reread their contract when they bought the IP and i believe Interplay can make the better Fallout MMO.

@DemonXaphan The thing is, according to the sale agreement, Bethesda owns the rights to all things Fallout, and yes, this does include the MMO rights. Bethesda then licensed the rights BACK to Interplay, but Bethesda does still technically own those rights.

@DemonXaphan To clarify, part of the initial sale agreement was that Bethesda would then turn around and license the Fallout MMO back to Interplay. But there are certain conditions that had to be met or Interplay would lose those rights. That's what this whole legal battle is about, whether or not those conditions were met. Or at least what it started over - God only knows how many different things are getting dragged into it now.

April 2007 Bethesda purchased the rights to Fallout for 5.75 million, including the rights to any future Fallout MMOs. Interplay was allowed to retain the rights to the Fallout MMO if specific requirements were met. The req. was to begin development within 24 months of 4/4/2007 and accumulate $30 million in the same time frame. After that it was required to be released within 4 years, with Beth. taking 12% of the sales and subscription fees.

it belongs to us! filthy hobbitses stole it from us.... :P

How about both Bethesda and Interplay put out Fallout MMO's, and the fans decide who really should be the one that owns Fallout.

@iowahawkeyedave That sounds like a great idea to me. Let Bethesda fail at investing in and making an MMO while Interplay succeeds.

@iowahawkeyedave Bethesda have no reason to gamble for a franchise that they've bought.

Bethesda is the one who has been making the Fallout games that 99% of people have actually played. And the games that have done well commercially. Therefor I honestly think that they are the ones who should make the MMO.

@Valentina FIrst off have you even played the original? Still more fun. Also most of the buyers of Fallout 3 plus are just hungry fallout fans whoa re desperate for anything loosely considered fallout. Bethseda deviated from most everything the real fans wanted.

@placebonation
The point Valentina was making is not which Fallout you or the fans of the original Fallout think was more fun. He/she was pointing out that the most commercially successful Fallout was Fallout 3.

@sandwiches Does something being commercially successful make it better? NO. I bet you think a Camry is better than a Delorean then.

@urgan

Well something being more financially successful matters when there is an entire generation of gamers that have never and probably never will play the original fallout games

@placebonation Think you're a bit off there. the number of gamers who played the original game(s) I bet anything is far less then the amount of gamers who are playing F3 and FNV..

@urgan Does something being commercially successful make it worse? What's your point?

It's all opinion here.

Interplay better just call their MMO 'Wasteland'.
Id like to be a Desert Ranger again

@mandarin

I totally agree, they should change the name and some of the content in the game, so they can avoid copyright infringement. They could continue a, soon to be great game, and just give up this war. Even if Interplay does loose this fight there is no doubt in my mind that this game "Fallout online" or not, will be produced. They still have Planescape Torment rights, how about an MMO based on that IP; I would definitely play that.

Eff Bethesda and their craptastic 1989 gameplay.

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"Fallout belongs to us": Bethesda lays claim to Fallout MMO

Reader Comments (55)

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 6:12PM nomoredroids said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 9:55PM Drunken Irish Sniper said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 6:19PM DemonXaphan said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 6:36PM Eamil said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 6:42PM Eamil said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 9:22PM Bladerunner83 said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 6:20PM eLdritchZ said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 6:21PM iowahawkeyedave said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 7:58PM urgan said

Posted: Jan 27th 2011 3:15AM Delita said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 6:26PM Valentina said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 7:19PM placebonation said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 7:43PM sandwiches said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 7:59PM urgan said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 8:56PM alinos said

Posted: Jan 26th 2011 12:52AM Cendres said

Posted: Jan 27th 2011 3:20AM Delita said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 6:31PM mandarin said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 9:30PM Bladerunner83 said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 6:40PM Severius said

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