Great Geiger! Bethesda buys Fallout IP

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Apr 12th 2007 at 11:01PM }

According to an SEC report filed today, the revered Fallout franchise has been sold to Bethesda Softworks, currently in the midst of developing Fallout 3. Uncovered by Fallout fansite, No Mutants Allowed, the document states that the radioactive IP was purchased from Interplay for the princely sum of $5.75 million -- roughly a mountain's worth of post-apocalyptic bottle caps. Bethesda had been developing their Fallout sequel as licensee, not property owner.

This change of ownership sees original IP-holder, Interplay, becoming a licensee to Bethesda and paying the Elder Scrolls developer a 12% royalty on net sales derived from an upcoming (and still entirely nebulous) Fallout MMO. Interplay's license requires them to begin development within two years of the date of agreement, secure a minimum of 10,000 subscribers and offer a product that complies with "the quality standards of Bethesda."

Purchasing the Fallout IP outright certainly reflects positively on Bethesda's dedication to the franchise -- it's their property they risk messing up now -- and highlights plans well beyond "Morrowind with Mutants." (Next, would someone be so kind as to rescue the Freespace IP from Interplay?)

[Via Gamasutra]

Tags: Bethesda, Fallout, Fallout 3, Fallout MMO, Fallout3, FalloutMmo, Interplay, Role-playing

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Matt @ Apr 12th 2007 11:16PM

I just got done playing Fallout 2 for the night...killing golden geckos with Sulik ftw!

chenry @ Apr 12th 2007 11:16PM

Wasn't the Fallout IP bought by Bethsuda like... 3 years ago?

chenry @ Apr 12th 2007 11:18PM

I guess I confused Bethesda having the license to make Fallout 3 with owning Fallout 3.

Stef Geiger @ Apr 12th 2007 11:20PM

Thanks for referencing my great-grandfather.

Kankles @ Apr 12th 2007 11:27PM

GOD DAMN IT!!!!!!

Fallout is my favorite game of all time. Oblivion on the other hand was the game I was the most disapointed with last year. The 2 add up to me being pissed with this news.

Chufmoney @ Apr 12th 2007 11:36PM

Let's hope that the "quality standards" of Bethesda means we are going to get a product that is of a similar quality to Oblivion and not that of the recently released Star Trek game. I will be quite sad if Bethesda shits all over another universe I actually like.

www.eat-sleep-game.com

Vince @ Apr 12th 2007 11:38PM

old news? Bethdesa had the rights like...years ago.

stunted @ Apr 12th 2007 11:49PM

#7

From the IGN article:

"Prior to this agreement, Bethesda had merely been licensing the IP from Interplay while working on its sequel to the cult-classic RPG series."

2kings @ Apr 13th 2007 12:51AM

just gimme new fallout!! *sneaks* *steals*
*plants c4* *flees*

Dave @ Apr 13th 2007 1:53AM

"This change of ownership sees original IP-holder, Interplay, becoming a licensee to Bethesda and paying the Elder Scrolls developer a 12% royalty on net sales derived from an upcoming (and still entirely nebulous) Fallout MMO."

This means that Bethesda has the IP--but Interplay will be producing a Fallout MMO. Personally, I'm looking forward to Fallout 3--because I know Bethesda will do it justice. I'm not feeling very positive about Interplay creating a Fallout MMO game, though.

Quakeulf @ Apr 13th 2007 4:07AM

I sincerely fear for this game. It'll be the Duke Nukem Forever of the PC-RPGs.

And I love Fallout 1 & 2 to pieces, I even have both the Yuropean and the American versions!

Chaotic @ Apr 13th 2007 9:22AM

There's a difference between licensing the IP and owning it.

Bethseda licensed the rights to produce a single Fallout game, with an option for sequels, from Interplay in '04.

A few days ago, Interplay sold the rights to the Fallout IP completely to Bethseda, mainly because Interplay is involved in an involuntary bankruptcy hearing and needs to come up with some $700,000 to pay debtors.

This is not old news.

OrganicShadow @ Apr 13th 2007 10:03AM

Is anyone else getting EVEN MORE bonercommandstationcentral about Fallout 3?!?!?!?

Just as #8 and #13 said, Bethesda OWNS the IP now, and is no longer LICENSING it. In fact, now that Bethesda bought it from Interplay, Interplay is licensing it from THEM. Kinda funny, because Interplay has been doing badly lately, and the 5 million they got for the Fallout IP is probably what will fund the development of it's MMO.

Now that I typed it out it's quite sad. :(

Blackheart @ Apr 13th 2007 12:51PM

I can't wait for BethSoft to charge us $10 for a Bob's Iguana-On-A-Stick stands mod via XBL download. Awesome.

//oh wait, it's taking place on the east coast.

///iguana on a stick stands? what's the point, the whole game will take place in dungeons anyways if bethsoft is developing it.

////yawn.

RHP @ Apr 13th 2007 2:10PM

Is anyone else hungry for Bob's Big Boy?

gLitterbug @ Apr 13th 2007 2:14PM

Shows their dedictation to the franchise maybe. Plans beyond Morrowind with mutants? I doubt it, because Bethesda simply is unable to make any game other than a new Elder Scrolls game and all they have now is a different setting so they can put out two games instead of one in the same timeframe.