Bethesda: 'Fallout 4 before 2018'

by Jason Dobson { Oct 24th 2008 at 1:00AM }

Fallout 3's radiation sickness hasn't even begun to set in and already people are talking about another sequel. Understandable, given the pause between Fallout 2 and next week's post-nuclear follow up stretched on for a decade, a wait that Bethesda's executive producer Todd Howard even admits was a touch much.

"I think it's good for people to miss things," Howard commented to Reuters. "Ten years between 'Fallout' is a bit long, but I think there's this nostalgia factor." In fact, the report notes that Howard thinks waiting three years or so is about right, though Bethesda's Pete Hines gives the inevitable sequel a wider berth. The company's VP of public relations tells Edge that it would be more accurate to expect Fallout 4 "before 2018" (since Howard did say 10 years was too long to wait). Geeze, by that time, we'll probably be living in our own apocalyptic wasteland, and Fallout will just be the game we play when we go outside.

[Via Edge Online]

Tags: fallout, fallout-3, fallout-4, pete-hines, sequel, todd-howard

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Misfit Toy @ Oct 24th 2008 1:05AM

Must be nice knowing that your first game that isn't even out yet will do well enough to merit another one being made.

BananaBoat @ Oct 24th 2008 1:19AM

You mean...third game, in a very storied series. I think after umpteen Elder Scrolls/Fallout etc games, Bethesda has earned the ability to predict that they'll be able to make the sequel to a game that hasn't even released.

On the other hand...EA just announced the sequels to Dead Space (before it's a guaranteed hit) and Army of Two (Whyyyyy).

I mean, I've bashed plenty of developers for announcing a sequel to a game before the first installment is out, but this isn't a case of that type of arrogant douchebaggery.

Joystick Hero @ Oct 24th 2008 2:06AM

Oh man, if they make the sequel of Army to Two about ex-dancers with nothing left to lose, I will be so happy.

I can see it now: "Army of Tutu"

Haggard @ Oct 24th 2008 7:33AM

Bananaboat - Bethesda has never made a Fallout game before this one. Fallout 1 and 2 were by Black Rock studios who were closed down and are now Obsidian, currently making Alpha Protocol.

Some people also feel that the Elder Scrolls series has been going downhill with Oblivion.

John @ Oct 24th 2008 9:17AM

yeah, but compared to the way Obsidian Fucked KOTOR 2 and NWN 2 in the ass, I'm more than willing to give bethesda a pass on this one.

Misfit Toy @ Oct 24th 2008 10:58AM

Wow, you guys are fiesty with the downrating. And yes I know that it is Fallout THREE. I CAN read. All I was saying is that they seem confident enough in their product that they're already talking about making the NEXT one. And, more or less, confident that people will still want more in 2018.

Jakka @ Oct 24th 2008 11:12AM

"Obsidian Fucked KOTOR 2"

Stop right there, mister.

70% of Malachor and about 10% of the entire game was cut due to being rushed by LucasArt to make it by the time Revenge of the Sith came out, but frankly KOTOR2 still pwns KOTOR1 in every aspect.Even the story if we are willing to forget the event after the Jedi Reunion on Dantooine.

DBoyFlex @ Oct 24th 2008 7:03PM

I think it is safe to say they could make a sequel and I would be interested. If they announced tomorrow that they were already making Gears of War 3, I would be totally stoked. I would be just as stoked with Fallout 4. Bethesda did good with Oblivion. They say it is not as good as Morrowind, but I believe them both to be great. I think Fallout 3 will be a huge success and will merit a 4th.

Jake11 @ Oct 24th 2008 1:06AM

I heart Bethesda

Michael of Benneton @ Oct 24th 2008 1:20AM

i used to juggle jagged alliance 2 and fallout 2. those were good days

t_m @ Oct 24th 2008 3:35AM

---> GOG.com and be young again.. ;-)

Haon @ Oct 24th 2008 9:22AM

What the hell is taking so long with Jagged alliance 3? My lungs are punctured and leeeking!

DangerMouse @ Oct 24th 2008 1:33AM

Not one for RPG's, but the only Bethesda game i remember playing was Skynet. Ahead of its time in some ways, but damn, what a piece of shit.

t_m @ Oct 24th 2008 3:44AM

WTF??

Future Shock and Skynet were awesome games! You take that back right now!!! *sulks*

They did a story driven FPS, a full 3d world, mouselook, 3d enemies, driveable vehicles, etc.. all ahead of their time.

Heck, the outdoor levels with all the damage, blasted out buildings, wreckage, etc.. weren't really seen again until MoH. Awesome setting and atmosphere.

I wish bethesda still had the Terminator License, they could make some awesome terminator games with the engine they have now.

LilTmac2003 @ Oct 24th 2008 1:34AM

I was going to comment, and say by 2018, we will all be able to play the game by stepping out side, no console necessary.

Joystiq beat me to it...

Mamba @ Oct 24th 2008 1:38AM

too bad the world is ending in 2012

Chase @ Oct 24th 2008 2:17AM

Then we can live our own Fallout adventures! Wee!

Kevin949 @ Oct 24th 2008 2:50AM

The world "as we know it." That does not mean everything is going to cease existing. Doesn't mean it's not, either, but you have to look at the wording.

John @ Oct 24th 2008 9:20AM

This is an incorrect interpretation of the Mayan perception of time.
It is the end of an age in 2012. The Mayans had a 52 year cycle, much like we have a 100 year cycle. The date of 2012 is the end of one age, and the beginning of another. Just as 2000 was the end of one "age" for us, and 2001 ushered in another, albeit not necessarily better age.

Thinktank @ Oct 24th 2008 1:42AM

I love bethesda but if they do a Fallout sequel before an Oblivion sequel I will be bummed.

Ihavepants @ Oct 24th 2008 2:06AM

Was this your first gaming generation? It would be an Elder Scrolls sequel, the series deserves one, Oblivion does not.

Yourself @ Oct 24th 2008 2:27AM

Or, there are those who were around for Daggerfall and Morrowind, and still think Oblivion was the best in the series. The game isn't nearly as terrible as the outmoded Elder Scrolls faithful would have you believe - quite the contrary, as a matter of fact.

Ihavepants @ Oct 24th 2008 2:34AM

Eh Oblivion had better combat and better graphics technology. Morrowind had a better story, atmosphere and art style. I prefer Morrowind, many people agree with me and many people don't.

zuburi @ Oct 24th 2008 3:28AM

Daggerfall fan here!

Snowblind @ Oct 24th 2008 6:05AM

Oblivion was definitely the weakest in the series. Like was said the combat was better, but it failed at pretty much everything else. It wasn't as immersive as Morrowind or Daggerfall and it killed almost all the aspects of freedom and exploration.

Enemy/loot scaling was terrible, period and the arbitrary limits on many of the skills were just uneccessary. Why can't I make a health regenerating spell, when I'm able to make myself 100% invisible, and therefor invincible anyway? The balance in the game was just bad.

I'm worried about them making the same mistakes with Fallout. PC fanboys will blame it on the consoles, but I think anyone with any sense knows to blame the casual gamers.

AwesomeTown @ Oct 24th 2008 7:28AM

I jumped in during Morrowind, and I agree with Ihavepants. However, I still love Oblivion, and have no doubt I will love Fallout 3. I'll be anxiously awaiting new Fallout and Elder Scrolls games.

tmacairjordan87 @ Oct 24th 2008 10:03AM

It definitely wasn't because of casual gamers...or at least if it was that was some warped thinking on bethesda's part. Last I checked, there's still more than 100 hours of content in oblivion without dlc. No casual is going to play something that massive.

Yourself @ Oct 24th 2008 11:51AM

I agree that Oblivion had SERIOUS balancing issues, and luckily there were some mods about to help correct that. And if I had the choice between the worlds of the games, I would take Morrowind (could care less about the graphics, the style is more unique - though Shivering Isles was pretty badass). But when you compare it to most other RPGs out there, Oblivion is still 10x as long, and has 10x more depth. Maybe it's not as sophisticated as Morrowind, but it's still far more than satisfactory.

So then the comparison falls to gameplay, and that is just... a joke. Morrowind doesn't have gameplay. Combat is painful, and it honestly took a year for me to force myself to play that game, because the combat kept turning me away. It's just - if a game isn't fun, it has a lot of trouble being rewarding.

Really I just like to reminisce about Oblivion because I had a HDD die on me with 2 100+ hour characters, and I almost cried.

&rew @ Oct 24th 2008 2:23AM

You can laugh now (I did), but remamber a certain nuking Duke that is forever.

darren @ Oct 24th 2008 5:38AM

wow, great, so many friens of mine @ sportinglove.c o m love to play these games with me. oh, great.....

Lionbacker @ Oct 24th 2008 8:29AM

Are you a real person or just a spambot?

FSK405K @ Oct 24th 2008 5:56AM

I wouldn't mind a ten year wait if they release Fallout Tactics 2 or the secret hush-hush Fallout MMO in-between.

Maverick Saturn @ Oct 24th 2008 8:18AM

I kinda expected it to release before 2018 ¬_¬ Does it really take ten years to reapeat the process they did but add more? Unless they were switching to new console systems of the future.

Chrysee @ Oct 24th 2008 8:18AM

My husband -loves- the first Fallout and still picks it up occasionally. I think he'll probably hate 3. :/

farfisa @ Oct 24th 2008 9:07AM

I thought that meant the story would take place before 2018, because actually talking about a game released 10 years from now... is kinda weird.

dark_inchworm @ Oct 24th 2008 9:48AM

In other news, Starcraft III due before 2025

Matt @ Oct 24th 2008 10:37AM

I am still waiting for fallout 3 because this isn't it, like everyone else is saying, its oblivion with guns.

Citizensnips @ Oct 24th 2008 10:53AM

well, have fun not playing the game then.

Many of us, however, will be.

Matt @ Oct 24th 2008 11:40AM

Who said I wasnt going to play it? How do you know I havent already? Why would you make such a retarded assumption? Maybe, just maybe, my opinion is based on first had experience.

Misfit Toy @ Oct 24th 2008 11:10AM

I do have to say. I wish that it was a little 'less' like Oblivion. I mean, its not the ridiculous zoom right up to your face stuff, but there is zooming none-the-less. It still seems a little stifled with it not being where you can look around while talking.
Also, what is up with the walking dead? Like...no skin or lungs? That's more fantasy based. No matter what kind of freaky bomb you're dropping no one will realistically be walking around like that. I would have appreciated a slightly more realistic approach to the enemies.

wickedpheonix @ Oct 24th 2008 11:13AM

2018... be thankful it's not Valve time people :P

Henrik @ Oct 24th 2008 1:16PM

fallout tactics woot!!

Brodo @ Oct 24th 2008 1:47PM

Fallout 8 before 2096

TwEE @ Oct 24th 2008 1:54PM

I so dont trust Bethesda with this series, they seem to be doing everything the can to change fallout into something eles...

Bethesda could have at least brought over the Black Isle Studios people..

Amoveo @ Oct 24th 2008 6:07PM

If you were trying to have sex with your wife would you bring in her ex-husband for advice?

Bethesda has a vision for a modern Fallout game that they think will be great and preserve the atmosphere of the original. Purists don't believe that Fallout can be transitioned into a 3d first person environment and maybe they're right, but to disparage this game just because it's different from the last two is foolish.

ShadowJ @ Oct 27th 2008 6:13PM

Good on them I say but lol at the people bashing them.

I have played Morrowind for 6, going on 7 years and also played Oblivion since it was released. Oblivion as a RPG, holds the #1 spot...probably until Fable II lands on the shelves...then again a sequel to a game that lasted 12 hours, may not have a chance to stand against a mighty free roaming RPG such as Oblivion.

However, when Oblivion comes up against Morrowind, Morrowind generally wins even though it doesn't have graphics or improved systems, that is because everyone loves the darkness and the storyline. Microsoft forced Beth Soft to rush Oblivion and so the storyline was bland...there was no heart and soul in it unlike Morrowind.

Fallout 3 however does and TwEE, everyone has different ideas, everyone does things differently. When a game series changes hands, it changes and that has happened here.

Fallout as a series has been the same all the way through the games as in style and layout...that was 10 years ago back in 1998. We are at 2008 where technology has advanced greatly...why would you not take the chance to use that technology to make a great game series into an even better series?

William Hart @ Nov 6th 2008 10:53PM

"Black Rock" studios... how about Black Isle was the one that developed Fallout? Let's not forget who started this whole thing folks. Anyway Fallout 3 is a worthy sequel, and when the nuclear war of 2018 happens I'm going to cannibalize all you f***s. Drink my irradiated piss!