Fallout 3 - Pete Hines Interview @ OXM

Dhruin

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Pete Hines has popped up at OXM in an interview that covers Fallout: New Vegas to the DLC but without any real answers:
You can't talk about Fallout New: Vegas, but in general terms, is this the first step in Bethesda expanding the Fallout IP and world?
First step would presume that there are other steps. We felt that this was a good opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of because these are guys that know Fallout, including a group of folks who worked on the original Fallout. We felt this was a good way to do something in the universe that was appropriate and cool but not affect anything that Todd Howard and his group wanted to work on going forward.
More information.
 
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You know, I think a little honesty would be appreciated here. It'd be nice if they'd just come out and say that they're making $$$ on this and not pretend like their expanding the "universe" or whatever he's talking about. Just level with us, be honest.

And just what is Todd Howard working on? Like, maybe more mini games or finding new ways to simplify dialogue? "Guize can we break the dialogue down into yes or no questions? Also lets get more killing in. This is what makes a good RPG."
 
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Whatever their motives - and yeah we all know it's about $, I'm still pleased they did this.

There's a 99% chance of it being better than FO3 - which was OK - so I can dig it.
 
A company doing something in order to make money? Oh my.

Companies have a lot of leeway about *how* they make money, though. And I honestly can't fault Bethsoft for this particular decision.
 
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I agree with Prime Junta, there's nothing wrong with money being a major motivator for commercial companies. In a perfect market, it's thanks to $$$ that companies work hard to release the best possible product. Otherwise we don't buy, and they make no $$$.
The problem is when customers accept to buy low quality products, thus giving said companies valid reasons not to worry about quality/content/value.

How you can blame them for not being honest. This interview is beyond honest, surprisingly so. Pete Hines: "Operation Anchorage vastly exceeded our expectation. It was like "holy shit, we did how many?""

See, in one sentence he admits it was garbage and they never thought it would sell so well. Apparently their customers are willing to buy anything they release, including the now famous horse armor.
 
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I agree with Prime Junta, there's nothing wrong with money being a major motivator for commercial companies. In a perfect market, it's thanks to $$$ that companies work hard to release the best possible product. Otherwise we don't buy, and they make no $$$.
The problem is when customers accept to buy low quality products, thus giving said companies valid reasons not to worry about quality/content/value.

How you can blame them for not being honest. This interview is beyond honest, surprisingly so. Pete Hines: "Operation Anchorage vastly exceeded our expectation. It was like "holy shit, we did how many?""

See, in one sentence he admits it was garbage and they never thought it would sell so well. Apparently their customers are willing to buy anything they release, including the now famous horse armor.

He admitted it was garbage?

How does that work, then.
 
I really, really don't get some of the ways in which Bethesda DLC works.

Horse armor? Ok so the excuse is it's early DLC and no one knew what they were doing, including Bethesda. I'm not apt to buy that one but whatever, if that's your excuse I'll take it. But why in blazes are you still selling it, then? Make it for free! Pull it! Whatever! Once you openly accept that it was a mistake why are you keeping it up?

Same for the level cap and the fact that the game ends. They've admitted both elements were mistakes in the sense that they were badly received by fans. So they fix it. Cool. But wait...I have to pay for it? And it's not an option for PS3 users? How in the nine levels of hell do they get away with making people pay for what reasonably should have been available as a patch?

Man Bethesda gets a lot of nonsense it pulls forgiven. Bit of a media darling. Just compare the way Demigod's release has been ground into dust compares to the way most media don't even talk about the mistakes in release of the Pitt and Broken Steel.

And that's probably my biggest issue. That Bethesda wants to make money is sort of unsurprising. That they don't get their asses handed to them by the media, whose very job it is to be critical of this kind of nonsense, is kind of inexcusable.

And just what is Todd Howard working on?

TES V pre-production.
 
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You know, I think a little honesty would be appreciated here. It'd be nice if they'd just come out and say that they're making $$$ on this and not pretend like their expanding the "universe" or whatever he's talking about. Just level with us, be honest.

Err... if you would have actually read the interview then you would have found this just one paragraph down from the quoted bit...
And is Broken Steel the last DLC for Fallout 3?
Yes, that's the third of the three things. Whether it's the absolute last one remains to be seen. Because it's been hugely successful. Operation Anchorage vastly exceeded our expectation. It was like "holy shit, we did how many?" And the Pitt was really successful, after a bit of a false start.
Obviously he's openly talking about the financial success of what they did with the IP so far. Heck, even in the quoted bit he talks about "taking advantage" of an opportunity to have a spin-off made by another group of devs.
Also, further down the page he talks about the DLC for Oblivion and again talks openly about the business side of things.

Honestly, did you just read the headline and then spew out a completely random anti-Bethsoft comment or what?
 
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