The infighting between Fallout's father and newly adopted guardian continues. According to a forum post by supposed Interplay stockholder frymuchan, Interplay has been given a 10-day extension to answer a preliminary injunction filed by Bethesda, which claims Interplay no longer holds rights to sell the original titles in the series. Following the release of Fallout 3, Interplay began selling the original titles across multiple PC-based digital distribution services.

Previous court filings by Bethesda claimed that Interplay's plans to develop a Fallout MMO -- codenamed Project V-13 -- were no longer valid because Interplay did not commence development prior to an agreed date of April 4, 2009. According to the post by RagingBull forum user "frymuchan" -- who claims to have received the information from official court documents -- Interplay claims it did issue a letter to Bethesda prior to the April date outlining details of a Fallout MMO, but Bethesda told it "for no apparent reason" that Interplay was no longer allowed to develop the game. Interplay believes that Bethesda's interference with licensing agreements to make the original titles in the series available digitally is unreasonable based on the current contracts in place.

Frymuchan also claims that Interplay has filed a countersuit versus Bethesda over statements it made to third party companies to whom it was attempting to license the original titles. According to the post, Bethesda released statements to companies such as GameTap and Good Old Games, claiming Interplay had no rights to license Fallout 1, 2 or Tactics for sale on its services. Interplay's counterclaim maintains this "unreasonable interference" puts Bethesda into breach of contract and makes the license sale "null and void," therefore reverting the agreement back to a sub-licensing deal between Interplay and Bethesda. In short, Interplay claims Bethesda now only holds rights to Fallout 3 with options for a fourth and fifth game in the series.

It's an argument of apocalyptic proportions and we're expecting more details when the extension expires next week.

[Via GamePolitics and Destructoid]

Things weren't looking good for Interplay earlier this year and, uh, much hasn't changed since then. Even though the company had virtually no money, it still wanted to make the Fallout MMO, Project V-13. Well, Interplay's got another hurdle now: Bethesda. The Oblivion and Fallout 3 developer claims that Interplay infringed on its trademark, court documents show. Interplay disagrees, obviously, and says it still holds the rights to develop the title with Masthead Studios, even though it failed to commence the stipulated full-scale development by April 4, 2009.

Gamasutra has more info on the lawsuit, which also mentions Interplay's licensing of the original Fallout games for digital distribution through services such Steam, GOG.com and GameTap. Bethesda says this has caused "immediate, substantial, and irreparable harm." But, hey, it's not all frowns and sad faces. Above this text is a neat piece of concept art for Project V-13 from Natiq Aghayev. Man, we never thought post-apocalyptia could look so good.

Source - Court documents [Via VG247]
Source - Gamasutra

To celebrate the one year anniversary of its inception, digital classic games retailer Good Old Games is offering a pretty sweet buy-one-get-one-free deal on select Interplay titles. There are 12 games available for $5.99 a piece, and the deal can be extended to as many pairs as you feel like purchasing. For instance, for just $11.98, you can pick up Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics and the Redneck Rampage Collection -- though this particular bundle would likely serve as an apt diagnosis of some form of schizophrenia.

Valve's Steam service just got an injection of Interplay titles, with a host of new games currently available for download. There's the classic Fallout games, which include Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics (available individually for $8.99 or as a bundle for $20), but also Kingpin ($8.99) and Sacrifice ($8.99), the former being a bloody FPS and the latter being an inventive combat-focused RTS. If you've got a PC, we'd suggest you at least check out the original Fallout. There's a demo you can grab from CNET right here.

[Update: Shagittarius reminds us that you can get Fallout games (not to mention Sacrifice and Kingpin) from GoG with no DRM for a few bucks less than Steam.]

Ever wonder what Fallout 3's Capital Wasteland would look like set to dramatic music, timelapsed, and shot in super high resolution? Now's your chance to find out! Eurogamer's Digital Foundry has given just such a treatment to the game via the PC iteration, cranked up to 11. (Is that even possible?!)

The idea behind the video is to show what Fallout 3's engine was capable of -- and we think you'll agree that it meets some very impressive results. Check out the full video here ... or go get auto-tuned. Will you take the moral high ground or lounge in the gutter? The choice is yours!

Attention Wastelanders, brand spankin' new DLC is available now for Fallout 3. The 'Mothership Zeta' DLC includes a new spaceship to explore, scads of new alien weaponry and plenty of space-faring action (in space). Check out the video above for a sneak peek. If it tickles your fancy, it can be had on Xbox or PC for 800 ($10). And remember, this is the final Fallout 3 DLC, so if you're looking for something new, this is your last chance. Probably.

Add 'Mothership Zeta' to your 360 download queue

[Via Major Nelson]

Bethesda likes you just as you are, Capital Wastelander. At the very least you don't need to keep working on that level grind in Fallout 3, as Bethesda's Jeff Gardiner confirmed to MTV Multiplayer that the game's level cap won't be raised beyond 30. (Back in May, the game's Broken Steel DLC increased the maximum possible level from 20 to 30.)

He did, however, note that he's "sure we'll [Bethesda] look into addressing these concerns in future games." Though the company is farming out development of next year's expansion Fallout: New Vegas to Obsidian, the Fallout IP is still very much in Bethesda's hands -- making us wonder if we'll see what Mr. Gardiner is talking about as soon as next year.

Bethesda has already released several DLC packages on other platforms hosting its post-apocalyptic RPG, Fallout 3, but not yet on PS3. Bethesda's Peter Hines, speaking to Eurogamer, says this will all change very soon as the company is nearly done coding Operation: Anchorage for PS3 usage. Unfortunately, Hines did not reveal a specific release date for the DLC.

It's interesting to note that, while Xbox 360 and PC owners have already enjoyed Operation: Anchorage and other such DLC, these DLC packs have encountered numerous problems in the past. Hopefully, these issues will not arise again in the PS3 versions, given the extra amount of time put into them.

In an act that can only be defined as 'terror gifting,' Bethesda recently dropped a handful of new, extra creepy Fallout 3: Point Lookout screenshots for your approval. Between the trailer (after the break), the few screens we got before and the handful of screens below, the creators of the "Capital Wasteland" have remained fairly tight-lipped about even the existence of the DLC from the get go.

Of the little we know from Bethesda about the game -- the swamp setting and promise of new weapons/enemies -- it looks as though the company is set to take even more of our money in the coming months. And considering this is the same developer that once created horse armor, we're going to say things have come a pretty long way.

[Via Evil Avatar]

That's right, the sax man himself was considered by a casting agency for the role of everyone's favorite Fallout 3 radio host/President of the United States, John Henry Eden. Bill Clinton wasn't interested in the role -- or any role in gaming, for that matter -- as Lev Chapelsky, general manager of Blindlight, a company that secures Hollywood talent for voicework in games, recently told Edge. Clinton's attorneys responded to the request for him to play President Eden pretty harshly, actually: "The former president will not participate in one of your videogame products, thank you very much."

Hey, as cool as Clinton would have been as President Eden, we still appreciate the fine performance of Malcolm McDowell. The man may have not been a president, but he's certainly helped in giving the world one of its most beloved Halloween costumes. That's worth something, right?

At a Bethesda press event in London today, our very own Jem Alexander learned of a brand new addition to the Fallout universe. Fallout: New Vegas will be available on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 next year, courtesy of Alpha Protocol developer Obsidian Entertainment.

No other details have been revealed yet, but we're certain Jem will lockpick and hack his way to as much information as he can. We'll feed him to the mutants if he doesn't.

Update: The title is "just Fallout: New Vegas. No number. It's not a sequel." For those worried this non-numbered expansion would be a party game, fret not. It's "definitely an RPG," according to Bethesda VP Pete Hines. Obsidian Entertainment was founded by Fergus Urquhart who, along with a few other Obsidian guys, worked on the original Fallout. The team was approached by Bethesda and "jumped at the chance" to work on this new title.

It seems that selling off the Fallout IP hasn't reversed Interplay's fortunes -- nor has ... planning to make a Fallout MMO. According to a recent SEC filing, the publisher ended 2008 completely broke. But don't worry! Interplay has a plan: Get more money from somewhere.

"We continue to seek external sources of funding," the company stated, "including but not limited to, incurring debt, the selling of assets or securities, licensing of certain product rights in selected territories, selected distribution agreements, and/or other strategic transactions sufficient to provide short-term funding, and achieve our long-term strategic objectives." We assume that those long-term strategic objectives would include paying off the new debts incurred in order to provide short-term funding.

The document does mention that the publisher continues to work on "the development of a MMOG code named: "Project:V13" (the alleged Fallout MMO) as well as "sequels to some of our most successful games, including Earthworm Jim, Dark Alliance, Descent and MDK." All decent reasons to hope the company doesn't tank.

[Via VG247]

Spotted on the US Patent and Trademark Office website recently were two suspicious trademarks filed by Bethesda Softworks, the folks behind the Elder Scrolls series and, most recently, Fallout 3. First, a trademark staking claim on the Fallout name for "entertainment services in the nature of an on-going television program," hinting pretty heavily at the possibility of a Fallout-themed ... television program. Another filing secures the trademark for "motion picture films about a post-nuclear apocalyptic world." We imagine you get the gist of that one, eh?

It looks as though Bethesda is thinking about the future of the Fallout IP and some interesting ways to expand upon it. With the possibility that the company has taken back the reins on a Fallout MMO, the future for Bethesda may hold a megaton more Fallout than we could have possibly imagined.

Well, folks, it's been two years -- two years and 12 days, actually. And now, because Interplay may or may not have entered into "full scale development" of the Fallout MMO it was beholden to start making by, oh, say, 12 days ago, Bethesda Softworks has, unsurprisingly, asked for its property back. Though, according to an SEC filing, no "formal action" has been taken by Fallout IP-owner Bethesda as of yet, the company has apparently made claims that Interplay is "in breach of the trademark license agreement" the two companies agreed upon back in 2007.

Rumors that Interplay has been working on a Fallout MMO arose again recently as Earthrise developer Masthead Studios offered Interplay its proprietary tools and technology for use with a project currently in-development, codenamed "Project V13." We would like to point out that while a wiki page on "Project V13" hints heavily at the codename concealing a Fallout MMO in development at Interplay, nothing official has ever been announced. And you'd think Interplay might want to do that if it wanted to keep its "trademark license agreement," no?

[Via Big Download]