Interplay Sells Fallout IP to Bethesda

[Carandiru]

All I can say is Woww.

What a risk taker!

I mean for close to 6,000,000 great, but they will have just one release of game coming up "fallout 3", so they will have to make up development costs, publishing, marketing, etc, etc ++++ this huge IP purchase.

So on the 6,000,000 alone if 500,000 people actually bought the game, they could see 50 bucks a box, percentage to publisher, maybe 12 bucks / box take home???

Oy.

[Tarnopol]

All I can say is Woww.

What a risk taker!

I mean for close to 6,000,000 great, but they will have just one release of game coming up "fallout 3", so they will have to make up development costs, publishing, marketing, etc, etc ++++ this huge IP purchase.

So on the 6,000,000 alone if 500,000 people actually bought the game, they could see 50 bucks a box, percentage to publisher, maybe 12 bucks / box take home???

Oy.

You're wrong. They can produce as much Fallout games, expansions, spin-offs, as they want. They don't need to get their money back in one step.
And - interplay finances have been a risk for Beth.
Another company could have bought the IP, and maybe that company could produce more "fallouty" Fallout games.

[Mr. Teatime]

I just had a thought - did the deal before only allow named titles Fallout 3, 4 and 5? i.e. no mini-expansions, downloadable content (like, erm, horse armour) and so on? And this new deal allows them to diversify like that?

If so, we might see the more immediate impact of this new deal in lots of micropayments (which I'm not a fan of on principle).

[Dreadnought]

I guess B rippted I off.

[Tarnopol]

I just had a thought - did the deal before only allow named titles Fallout 3, 4 and 5? i.e. no mini-expansions, downloadable content (like, erm, horse armour) and so on? And this new deal allows them to diversify like that?

If so, we might see the more immediate impact of this new deal in lots of micropayments (which I'm not a fan of on principle).

Exactly.
Soon you'll see Fallout handy games,
a Toyota Highwayman edition Fallout,
Fallout perfume "Wind of the Wastelands",
the daily Fallout soap opera "The Falloutians" in "Gilligan's Island"-style
and McDonald's "Falloutburger".

[PiP]

They should sell it to Blizzard. :world of fallcraft:

world of failcraft.

Go clean your fucking mouth out with you god damned heathen.

ever heard of irony?

(like, erm, horse armour)

I lol'ed

[Cimmerian Nights]

Exactly.
Soon you'll see Fallout handy games,
a Toyota Highwayman edition Fallout,
Fallout perfume "Wind of the Wastelands",
the daily Fallout soap opera "The Falloutians" in "Gilligan's Island"-style
and McDonald's "Falloutburger".

I want me sum Rot Gut by Jim Beam.

[Stevie D]

Hopefully <em>Fallout 3</em> will turn out to be amazing, and the series will have a prosperous life at its new home. If FO3 turns out to be bad, at least we can still look forward to FOOL :-p.

Prozac kicking in nicely, there.

[King of Creation]

So I was reading more into the SEC filing, and part of the MMOG deal is that IPLY has to secure "an amount no less than US$30,000,000.00" for the development of the game. If they don't, then they can't make it.

I don't know how much it costs to develop a game, but that seems like an unusually large amount of money.

[S4ur0n27]

Making an MMOG probably takes a lot; developpment, servers and chit.

[Tarnopol]

So I was reading more into the SEC filing, and part of the MMOG deal is that IPLY has to secure "an amount no less than US$30,000,000.00" for the development of the game. If they don't, then they can't make it.

I don't know how much it costs to develop a game, but that seems like an unusually large amount of money.

Oblivion(+CE) had about 1.600.000 sales in the last year.
Let's say Beth has earned $20 per sale (what's too much), they have $32.000.000.
Considering the long range sales, Add-Ons, downloadable pay-for content etc. >$30.000.000 for an AAA game is a realistic assumption.
Questions are :
1) Will Herve get so much money?
2) Will such an MMO be cost-covering?

I'd say 1)no 2)no

[King of Creation]

Well, see, the point is that that $30 million isn't from sales. He needs to get together at least $30 million in order to start development. If, after 24 months, Interplay has not secured that $30 million, then they permanently forfeit their right to make the game, and then Bethesda can do whatever it wants.

[Brother None]

Isn't Hunter the Reckoning a White Wolf IP? Interplay was leasing the rights to make videogames from them.

If they were leasing it, they couldn't have sold it, so they owned the cRPG license of the H:tR franchise. And sold it for 15 million, Q1 2003 that was.

I don't know how much it costs to develop a game, but that seems like an unusually large amount of money.

Oblivion cost somewhere between 15 and 25 million, though I don't remember exactly.

30 million is normal for an MMO.

I just had a thought - did the deal before only allow named titles Fallout 3, 4 and 5? i.e. no mini-expansions, downloadable content (like, erm, horse armour) and so on? And this new deal allows them to diversify like that?

Mini-expansions were fine, but the only releasable games were Fallout 3, 4 and 5 for any consoles (including handhelds)

[frissy]

Can Beth do a MMO NOW, if they wanted? Or does IP have the rights to the one and only FOOL? Untill he doesn't get 30mil

[VasikkA]

Can Beth do a MMO NOW, if they wanted? Or does IP have the rights to the one and only FOOL? Untill he doesn't get 30mil

Even though it's a hypothetical question and assuming that legislation is based on common sense, which usually is the case, then no Bethesda can't make their own FOOL. Interplay owns the rights to that particular branch of the franchise(MMO), at least for 24 months. But as I've said, Interplay is the only party with interest towards a MMO Fallout, so it's a highly hypothetical question as well as highly unlikely anything will materialize of it.

[frissy]

It was just a legal question, don't worry

[Brother None]

Can Beth do a MMO NOW, if they wanted? Or does IP have the rights to the one and only FOOL? Untill he doesn't get 30mil

Technically, perhaps, since Herve only got the license for a PC MMO, BethSoft might make an XBox Live MMO-esque game...

...I think it's all idle speculation anyway. Bethesda never turned their own sword 'n sorcery franchise into an MMO, it's highly dubitable that they would do so with a less popular post-apocalyptic franchise. No reason to talk about a Bethesda MMO just because Interplay wants to do one; Bethesda doesn't do MMOs.

[frissy]

Yes, I know. I'm just asking these questions, so we can see more into the "deal" they made with IP...err...Herv.

Mostly, if Herve can fuck them up. Also you have to think that, what makes a MMO in those terms. If Herv was a on a powertrip and Beth had some sort of online-multiplayer in FO3. Could he sue?

This is really hard speculation, i'm just so amazed that Herv still has the rights to FOOL (even though only for 24months) even though Beth bought the license.

[VasikkA]

FOOL has been Herve's wet dream for years, so I'm not surprised he decided to keep the rights.

Beth had some sort of online-multiplayer in FO3. Could he sue?

Nah, massively multiplayer game is a totally different concept. What's your point, anyway? That Herve tries to trick Bethesda into making a MMO and suing them?

[Brother None]

Mostly, if Herve can fuck them up. Also you have to think that, what makes a MMO in those terms. If Herv was a on a powertrip and Beth had some sort of online-multiplayer in FO3. Could he sue?

1.0 DEFINITION.

The term "MMOG" means a Massively Multiplayer Online Game that is a
type of computer video game for large communal use that (i) is only played and
accessed via the Internet and is not playable off-line in any manner whatsoever,
(ii) is only functional as an MMOG and does not work as a single player game or
as a game with 100 or fewer players, (iii) enables at least 1,000 players to
interact simultaneously in the game world online and remains live 24 hours a
day/7 days a week, (iv) requires all players to pay a monthly subscription
service fee or some similar ongoing method for billing players for participation
in the game world online for the express purpose of obtaining and continuing
on-line access to the game's core experience (except during any applicable user
trial period), (v) contains content that is maintained only on dedicated servers
by the offeror of the MMOG; and (vi) is not played on online game services of
console manufacturers (such as Xbox Live from Microsoft).

This is really hard speculation, i'm just so amazed that Herv still has the rights to FOOL (even though only for 24months) even though Beth bought the license.

I will assume they sold that right to Herve for a discount in the asking price.

Also, by this contract it is far easier for Bethesda to put some leverage on Herve than vice versa.