Interplay - Bethsoft Sues for Copyright Infringement

A couple of readers have written in about Bethsoft's lawsuit against Interplay, apparently overlooking our post on MMOWatch. Additional details have surfaced, anyway, so here we go for RPGWatch readers.
Bethsoft has launched a suit against Interplay with a number of complaints. First up, while Interplay was permitted to sell the Fallout back catalogue, they allegedly failed to obtain the required authorisation for the packaging and promotional materials. The name "Fallout Trilogy" is also an issue, as Bethsoft believes this implies Fallout 3 is included. Further, Interplay's agreements with digital distributors such as GOG and Steam is another issue.
Finally, Bethsoft wants a determination against the continued development of Fallout Online (aka Project V13) because they believe the license conditions have been broken, namely that certain levels of funding and "full scale development" were not in place by last April as required.
Full details can be found at The Vault or Gamasutra.
More information.

Ouch. Is this Fallout Trilogy a new thing then? The only things I've seen before were the Fallout Collection.

They're gonna let Interplay bleed.

This just reminds me too much of SCO against Linux.

Question, is that "Interplay", "Interplay", or is it just a bunch of businessmen who took over the remains?

Question: Does Interplay still exist? And if yes, what the hell have they been doing for the last, oh I don't know…years?

Originally Posted by JemyM
Question, is that "Interplay", "Interplay", or is it just a bunch of businessmen who took over the remains?

Originally Posted by Roi Danton
Question: Does Interplay still exist? And if yes, what the hell have they been doing for the last, oh I don't know…years?

You guys haven't heard of Fallout Online?

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Interplay
http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Project_V13

Dhruin: I don't read the MMOWatch (I don't like MMO games, although I love RPGs). So it would be better if this news, which is not directly or only linked to MMOs, were posted in the RPGWatch as well.

Interplay = Herve Caen all by his lonesome trying to get suckers to give him ("Interplay") funding.

I think it was only fairly recently (since the Fallout license went to Bethesda, or much later) that he actually hired a few developer types.
So, no, there IS no real Interplay and hasn't been for years. Just one idiot who isn't, and never has been, a game developer.

Actually, Chris Taylor, the lead designer of Fallout 1 is also still at Interplay.

Originally Posted by Ausir
Actually, Chris Taylor, the lead designer of Fallout 1 is also still at Interplay.

You mean "again", not "still" . Straight from the horse's mouth (September 23, 2008):

The company also announced that Chris Taylor, a game designer who was a part of the original Fallout game development team at Interplay in 1994, has rejoined the company. Taylor will serve as Lead System Designer for “Project V13,” the working title of Interplay’s next generation Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMO) currently in development. Taylor joins other original Fallout team members on staff at Interplay’s internal game studio, which recently opened an office in Irvine, Calif. Additional development staff members continue to be hired as the project ramps-up.

Not sure if he's still there though…

Originally Posted by Dhruin
A couple of readers have written in about Bethsoft's lawsuit against Interplay, apparently overlooking our post on MMOWatch.

Ah, sorry about that. I don't play MMOs so I don't ever check that side of the site.

You mean "again", not "still"

I meant "still" despite all the legal fallout now, not "still" from the Interplay of old.

Not sure if he's still there though…

He is, that's what I meant. I just talked to him.

I was sorta rooting for Herve to pull this off. I like a good underdog and Interplay did make some of the best games I've ever played. I had no illisions that FOOL was going to be one of them, but still I hoped he could pull the company back from the brink. Too many have fallen or be eaten by bigger companies. I would of liked one to have survived other than EA.

In fairness to Bethsoft, calling a package the fallout trilogy is a bit of a piss take.

Is that the same Chris Taylor who started Gas Powered Games?

No, a different one. The one that was the lead designer of Fallout.

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Chris_Taylor

Thanks Ausir, I figured the name was coincidence, but I was too damn lazy to look it up.


Heh heh, part of his bio says…

Note that he is often confused with Chris Taylor from Gas Powered Games, the creator of Dungeon Siege and Supreme Commander, and formerly of Cavedog Studios, the creator of Total Annihilation.