Fallout series
Encyclopedia
Fallout is a series of post-apocalyptic role-playing game
s (RPGs) published by Interplay Entertainment
and later by Bethesda Softworks
. Although the series is set during the 22nd and 23rd centuries, its retrofuturistic story and artwork are influenced by the post-war
culture of 1950s America
, and its combination of hope for the promises of technology and lurking fear of nuclear annihilation.
An inspiration for Fallout is a game titled Wasteland, published by EA games on the Commodore 64, Apple II & later on the PC. Although the game worlds are different, the background story, inhabitants, locations and characters draw many parallels from this landmark game. It is said that the Fallout series is the spiritual successor to Wasteland.
The first two titles in the series (Fallout
and Fallout 2
) were developed by Black Isle Studios
. Micro Forté
and 14 Degrees East's Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel
of 2001 was a tactical role-playing game
. In 2004, Interplay closed Black Isle Studios, and continued to produce an action game
with RPG elements for PlayStation 2
and Xbox
, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
without Black Isle Studios. A third entry in the main series, Fallout 3
, was released in 2008 by Bethesda Softworks. Fallout: New Vegas
was developed by Obsidian Entertainment
with many former Black Isle employees who created Fallout and Fallout 2. Bethesda made it clear that New Vegas was not a direct sequel to Fallout 3, but an addition to the franchise.
Bethesda Softworks now owns the rights to produce all Fallout games, and has conditionally licensed the rights to make a massively multiplayer online role-playing game
version of Fallout to Interplay. Interplay's rights to developing and publishing Fallout Online
have been the subject of a legal dispute between Bethesda Softworks, the current owner of the Fallout franchise, and Interplay. The current legal status of the game is unknown, although it is in active development with a projected release date of 2012.
alternate history scenario which diverges from reality following World War II
. The transistor
was recently invented, while vacuum tube
s and atomic physics
became the cornerstones to scientific progress, eventually achieving the technological aspirations of the early Atomic Age
and locking society into a 1950s
cultural stasis. Thus, in this alternative "Golden Age", a bizarre socio-technological status quo emerges, in which advanced robot
s, nuclear-powered
cars, directed-energy weapon
s and other futuristic technologies are seen alongside 1950s-era computers and telephones, and the aesthetics and Cold War
paranoia of the 1950s continue to dominate the American lifestyle well into the 21st century.
More than a hundred years before the start of the series, an energy crisis
emerged caused by the depletion of petroleum
reserves, leading to a period called the "Resource Wars": a series of events which included a Europe
-Middle East
war, the disbanding of the United Nations
, the U.S. annexation
of Canada
and a Chinese
invasion
and military occupation
of Alaska
. These eventually culminated in the 2077 Great War
, a cataclysmic nuclear exchange
that lasted for only two hours, and subsequently created the post-apocalyptic
setting of Fallout.
s known as "Vaults". The Vaults were ostensibly designed by the government contractor
Vault-Tec as public shelters, financed by junk bonds
and each able to support up to a thousand people. Each Vault is self-sufficient, so they could theoretically sustain their inhabitants indefinitely. However, the Vault project was never intended as a viable method of repopulating the United States in such a deadly scenario. Around 400,000 vaults would have been needed, but only 122 were commissioned and constructed. Instead, the Vaults were part of a secret and unethical social experiment, and were designed to determine the effects of different environmental and psychological
conditions on its inhabitants. A few control
Vaults were made to function as advertised to contrast with the data from those Vaults with intentional flaws. Nevertheless, many Vaults had their experiments derailed due to unexpected events. A majority of these Vaults were so self-destructive that by the time other survivors opened them, they were nothing but graveyards.
The Brotherhood of Steel is a group dedicated to the collection and preservation of pre-war knowledge and technology. They pursue these goals with religious fervor, and many are descendants of American military survivors. Seen as xenophobic, the Brotherhood believes that they are the sole heir to pre-war technology, bringing them into conflict with other factions.
The Enclave is composed of the remnants of the pre-war U.S. government, and act as the main antagonist for most of the series. They have access to superior technology available before the war, such as "Advanced Power Armor", and plasma weaponry. Their main goal is to wipe out all mutation in the Wasteland, which, given the pervasive radiation, is almost every living thing in the Wasteland besides themselves.
The New California Republic (NCR) is a constitutional republic, and is the largest faction in post-apocalyptic America, both by population and landmass. The NCR bears a great resemblance to the pre-war United States, with a democratically-elected government.
Caesar's Legion is an autocratic confederation consisting of 86 conquered tribes that rejects the use of most technology and instead uses slave labour. Basing its culture and ideals from the historic Roman Empire
, the Legion expands its borders by violently conquering nearby lands, massacring and enslaving the original inhabitants and obliterating their previous culture. (Fallout: New Vegas only)
Mr. House is the owner of New Vegas, the post-war version of Las Vegas. Previously an influential businessman, he had predicted the Great War and spent a year developing a plan to save the city from destruction. He managed to save the Vegas Strip, however radiation from nearby bombs devastated the surrounding area. Hoping to guide human progress after the apocalypse, House entered an immortal stasis, in order to develop long lasting plans for rebuilding civilization. (Fallout: New Vegas only)
, beginning in the year 2161. The protagonist is tasked with recovering a water chip in the Wasteland to replace the broken chip in his or her home, Vault 13.
Fallout was originally intended to run under the GURPS
role-playing game system
However, a disagreement with the creator of GURPS, Steve Jackson, over the game's violent content required Black Isle Studios to develop a new system, the SPECIAL System
. Fallouts atmosphere and artwork are reminiscent of post-WWII America and the nuclear paranoia that was widespread at that time.
Fallout 2 Fallout 2 was released in 1998. The game featured several improvements over the first game, including an improved game engine, the ability to set attitudes of non-player character (NPC) party members and the ability to push people who are blocking doors. Additional features included several changes to the game world, including significantly more pop culture jokes and parodies, such as multiple Monty Python
-referencing special random encounters, and self-parodying dialogue that broke the fourth wall
to mention game mechanics.
Fallout 2 takes place 80 years after Fallout, and centers around a descendant of the Vault Dweller, the protagonist of Fallout. The player assumes the role of the Chosen One as he tries to save his village, Arroyo, after several years of drought.
Van Buren (Fallout 3) Van Buren was the code-name for the cancelled version of Fallout 3 developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay. It featured an improved engine with real 3D graphics as opposed to sprites, new locations, vehicles and a modified version of the SPECIAL system. The story disconnected from the Vault Dweller/Chosen One bloodline in Fallout and Fallout 2. Plans for the game included the ability to influence the various factions. The game was cancelled in December 2003 when the budget cuts forced Interplay to dismiss the PC development team. Interplay subsequently sold the Fallout intellectual property
to Bethesda Softworks
, who began development on their own version of Fallout 3 unrelated to Van Buren.
Van Buren is considered to be a part of the main Fallout-series, however it is considered semi-canon. Some parts of the game were incorporated into Fallout 3 and its add-ons as well as "Fallout: New Vegas".
Fallout 3 Fallout 3 was developed by Bethesda Softworks
and released on October 28, 2008. The story picks up 30 years after the setting of Fallout 2
and 200 years after the nuclear war that devastated the game's world. The player is a vault-dweller in Vault 101 who is forced to flee when the Overseer tries to arrest him/her in response to the player's father leaving the vault. Once free, the player is dubbed the Lone Wanderer, and ventures into the Wasteland in and around Washington, D.C.
, known as the Capital Wasteland, to find his/her father. It differs from previous games in the series by utilizing 3D graphics
, a free-roam gaming world, and real-time gameplay, in contrast to previous games' 2D
isometric
, turn-based gameplay. It was developed simultaneously for the PC
, Xbox 360
and PlayStation 3
using the Gamebryo
engine
. On release it received highly positive reviews, garnering 94/100, 92/100, and 93/100 averages scores on Metacritic
for the PC
, PlayStation 3
, and Xbox 360
versions of the game, respectively. It won IGN's 2008 Overall Game of the Year Award, XBOX 360 Game of the Year, Best RPG, and Best Use of Sound.
and released on October 19, 2010, in North America and October 22, 2010, in Europe.
Fallout: New Vegas is not a direct sequel to Fallout 3
. Rather, it is a stand-alone product. Events in the game follow four years after Fallout 3 and offer a similar role-playing experience, however, no characters from that game appear.
In New Vegas the player assumes the role of a courier in the post-apocalyptic world of the Mojave Wasteland. As the game begins, the courier is shot in the head and left for dead shortly before being found and brought to a doctor in the nearby town of Goodsprings, marking the start of the game and the courier's search for his or her would be murderer. The city of New Vegas is a post-apocalyptic interpretation of Las Vegas
with only five standing casinos.
."
Fallout: Tactics Tactics is the first Fallout game not to require the player to fight in a turn-based mode, and it is also the first to allow the player to customize the skills, perks, and combat actions of the rest of the party. Fallout Tactics focuses on tactical
combat rather than role-playing; the new combat system included different modes, stances, and modifiers, but the player had no dialogue options. Most of the criticisms of the game came from its incompatibility with the story of the original two games, not from its gameplay. Fallout: Tactics includes a multi-player mode that allows players to compete against squads of other characters controlled by other players. Unlike the previous two games, which are based in California, Fallout: Tactics takes place in the Midwestern United States
. Fallout: Tactics was released in early 2001 to mixed reviews. Although it was given high scores by reviewers (PC Gamer
gave it an 85%), many fans were disappointed by the game.
Fallout: Warfare Fallout: Warfare is a tabletop wargame based on the Fallout Tactics storyline, using a simplified version of the SPECIAL system. The rulebook was written by Christopher Taylor
, and was available on the Fallout Tactics bonus CD, together with cut-out miniatures. Fallout: Warfare features five distinct factions, vehicles, four game types, and thirty-three different units. The rules only require ten-sided dice. The modifications to the SPECIAL system allow every unit a unique set of stats and give special units certain skills they can use, including piloting, doctor, and repair. A section of the Fallout: Warfare manual allows campaigns to be conducted using the Warfare rules. The game is currently available for free online from fansite
No Mutants Allowed and several other sources.
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel became the first Fallout game for consoles
when it was released in 2004. It follows an initiate in the Brotherhood of Steel who is given a suicidal quest to find several lost Brotherhood paladins. An action role-playing game
, BoS is a significant break from previous incarnations of the Fallout series, in both gameplay and style. BoS takes place in three locations: The towns of Carbon, Los, and a Vault. BoS also does not feature non-player character
s that accompany the player in combat. BoS is generally not considered to be canon due to its stark contrasts and outright contradictions with the storyline of Fallout and Fallout 2. The game features music from heavy metal
musicians, including Slipknot
, Devin Townsend
and Killswitch Engage
, which stands in contrast to the music of the first two games, performed by The Ink Spots
and Louis Armstrong
. BoS was the last Fallout game to be developed by Interplay.
Fallout Online On November 30, 2006, Interplay filed a Form 8-K
filing to the SEC
regarding a potential Fallout massively multiplayer online game
. The Form 8-K contained a prospectus
stating that Interplay will be issuing common stock
on Euronext
to raise capital for developing a Fallout MMORPG. The report stated that the production and launch processes will require an estimated US$75 million in capital. The report also stated that production may start as early as January 2007 and the game may launch as early as July 2012.
In April 2007, SEC filings were made showing the transfer of the IP
for the Fallout MMORPG to Fallout 3 developer Bethesda for US$5.75 million. While Bethesda now owns the rights to the Fallout MMORPG IP, clauses in the purchase agreement allow Interplay to license the rights to the development of the MMORPG, provided that development begins within 24 months of the date of the agreement (which was April 4, 2007), and that Interplay must secure $30 million within that time frame or forfeit its rights to license. Interplay must furthermore launch the MMORPG within four years of the beginning of development, and pay Bethesda 12 percent of sales and subscription fees for the use of the IP.
In April 2008, Interplay announced that the Fallout MMORPG had entered production and in April 2009 announced that it would be working with Masthead Studios
, a Bulgaria
n based game developer who are currently working on Earthrise
, to assist in the development of the game.
In June 2009, Game Informer
reported that Interplay may have lost the Fallout MMORPG rights.
On September 8, 2009, Bethesda filed a lawsuit against Interplay regarding Project V13, claiming that Interplay has violated their agreement as development has not yet begun on the project. However Interplay is countersuing Bethesda stating that interrupting is against their contract of the sale of the franchise thus making the sale obsolete.
voice talent. Notable appearances include:
Fallout
The Vault Boy character is Vault-Tec's mascot, and is a frequently recurring element in Vault-Tec-related items in the world. This includes the PIP-Boy, where Vault Boy models all of the clothing and weaponry, and illustrates all of the character statistics and selectable attributes.
While it has been argued that the 'Pip-boy' and 'Vault-boy' are separate characters in the Fallout 3 games onwards, the two had been synonymous prior to Fallout 3. However, favor was given to the former.
s, science fiction
, and superhero
comic books, all rooted in Atomic Age
optimism of a nuclear-powered future, though gone terribly awry by the time the events of the game take place. The technology is retro-futuristic, with various Raygun Gothic
machines such as laser weaponry and boxy Forbidden Planet
-style robots. Computers use vacuum tubes instead of transistors, architecture of ruined buildings feature Art Deco
and Googie designs, energy weapons resemble those used by Flash Gordon
, and what few vehicles remain in the world are all 1950s-styled.
Other film influences include: A Boy And His Dog
, where the main character Vic and Blood scavenges the desert of the Southwestern United States, stealing for a living and evading bands of marauders, berserk androids and mutants. The Terminator
series of films, from its vision of a post apocalyptic view on humanity, and the use of robots in every day life, hostile robots, and cyborgs, as well as Mad Max
, with its depiction of a post apocalyptic nuclear wasteland. In the first game, one of the first available armors is a one-sleeved leather jacket that resembles the jacket worn by Mel Gibson in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. A player wearing this jacket can get a dog, named Dogmeat, to join the party in Junktown.
Fallouts other production design, such as menu interfaces, are similarly designed to resemble advertisements and toys of the Atomic Age. Advertising in the game such as billboards and brochures has a distinct 1950s motif and feel. The lack of retro-stylization was one of the things the Fallout spin-offs were criticized for, as retro-futurism
is a hallmark of the Fallout series.
A short film, Fallout: Nuka Break, was made and released by Wayside Creations in 2011. The success of the short led to the creation of a six-episode follow-up series, the first episode of which premiered on August 29, 2011.
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s (RPGs) published by Interplay Entertainment
Interplay Entertainment
Interplay Entertainment Corporation is an American video game developer and publisher, founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by Brian Fargo. The company had been a quality developer until they started publishing their own games in 1988, like Neuromancer and Battle Chess. The company was renamed...
and later by Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks, LLC, is an American video game company. A subsidiary of ZeniMax Media, the company was originally based in Bethesda, Maryland and eventually moved to their current location in Rockville, Maryland...
. Although the series is set during the 22nd and 23rd centuries, its retrofuturistic story and artwork are influenced by the post-war
Post-war
A post-war period or postwar period is the interval immediately following the ending of a war and enduring as long as war does not resume. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum when a war between the same parties resumes at a later date...
culture of 1950s America
United States in the 1950s
During the 1950s in the United States, manufacturing and home construction were on the rise as the American economy was on the upswing. The Korean War and the beginning of the Cold War created a politically conservative climate in the country, and the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the...
, and its combination of hope for the promises of technology and lurking fear of nuclear annihilation.
An inspiration for Fallout is a game titled Wasteland, published by EA games on the Commodore 64, Apple II & later on the PC. Although the game worlds are different, the background story, inhabitants, locations and characters draw many parallels from this landmark game. It is said that the Fallout series is the spiritual successor to Wasteland.
The first two titles in the series (Fallout
Fallout (computer game)
Fallout is a computer role-playing game produced by Tim Cain, developed and published by Interplay in 1997. The game has a post-apocalyptic and retro-futuristic setting in the mid-22nd century, featuring an alternate history which deviates some time after World War II, where technology, politics...
and Fallout 2
Fallout 2
Fallout 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay in 1998. The game's story takes place in 2241, 80 years after the events of Fallout...
) were developed by Black Isle Studios
Black Isle Studios
Black Isle Studios was a division of the computer and video game developer and publisher Interplay Entertainment. Black Isle Studios was a division that developed computer role-playing games, and also published several games from other developers. It was based in Orange County, California, USA. The...
. Micro Forté
Micro Forte
Micro Forté now known as Micro Forté Studios, is an Australian electronic entertainment company with development studios in Canberra, Australia and Sydney, Australia...
and 14 Degrees East's Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, better known as simply Fallout Tactics, is a turn-based/real-time tactical role-playing game based in the post-apocalyptic Fallout universe. Developed by Micro Forté and published by 14 Degrees East, Fallout Tactics was released on 14 March 2001 for PC...
of 2001 was a tactical role-playing game
Tactical role-playing game
A tactical role-playing game is a type of video game which incorporates elements of traditional role-playing video games and strategy games. In Japan these games are known as , a designation which might seem peculiar to native English speakers...
. In 2004, Interplay closed Black Isle Studios, and continued to produce an action game
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
with RPG elements for PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel is an action role-playing game developed and produced by Interplay for the Xbox and PlayStation 2. Released on January 13, 2004, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel was the fourth video game to be set in the Fallout universe and the first to be made for consoles...
without Black Isle Studios. A third entry in the main series, Fallout 3
Fallout 3
Fallout 3 is an action role-playing game released by Bethesda Game Studios, and the third major installment in the Fallout series. The game was released in North America, Europe and Australia in October 2008, and in Japan in December 2008 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360...
, was released in 2008 by Bethesda Softworks. Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas is a first person action role-playing video game in the Fallout series developed by Obsidian Entertainment, and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is based in a post-apocalyptic environment in and around Las Vegas, Nevada...
was developed by Obsidian Entertainment
Obsidian Entertainment
Obsidian Entertainment is an American video game developer founded in 2003 after the disestablishment of Interplay Productions' Black Isle Studios, for PC and console systems...
with many former Black Isle employees who created Fallout and Fallout 2. Bethesda made it clear that New Vegas was not a direct sequel to Fallout 3, but an addition to the franchise.
Bethesda Softworks now owns the rights to produce all Fallout games, and has conditionally licensed the rights to make a massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
version of Fallout to Interplay. Interplay's rights to developing and publishing Fallout Online
Fallout Online
Fallout Online is an upcoming massively multiplayer online video game set in the Fallout world that is being developed by Masthead Studios and being published by Interplay, with members of the Interplay team providing creative control and design...
have been the subject of a legal dispute between Bethesda Softworks, the current owner of the Fallout franchise, and Interplay. The current legal status of the game is unknown, although it is in active development with a projected release date of 2012.
Background
The series is set in a United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternate history scenario which diverges from reality following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The transistor
Transistor
A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current...
was recently invented, while vacuum tube
Vacuum tube
In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
s and atomic physics
Atomic physics
Atomic physics is the field of physics that studies atoms as an isolated system of electrons and an atomic nucleus. It is primarily concerned with the arrangement of electrons around the nucleus and...
became the cornerstones to scientific progress, eventually achieving the technological aspirations of the early Atomic Age
Atomic Age
The Atomic Age, also known as the Atomic Era, is a phrase typically used to delineate the period of history following the detonation of the first nuclear bomb Trinity on July 16, 1945...
and locking society into a 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
cultural stasis. Thus, in this alternative "Golden Age", a bizarre socio-technological status quo emerges, in which advanced robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s, nuclear-powered
Nuclear propulsion
Nuclear propulsion includes a wide variety of propulsion methods that fulfil the promise of the Atomic Age by using some form of nuclear reaction as their primary power source.- Surface ships and submarines :...
cars, directed-energy weapon
Directed-energy weapon
A directed-energy weapon emits energy in an aimed direction without the means of a projectile. It transfers energy to a target for a desired effect. Intended effects may be non-lethal or lethal...
s and other futuristic technologies are seen alongside 1950s-era computers and telephones, and the aesthetics and Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
paranoia of the 1950s continue to dominate the American lifestyle well into the 21st century.
More than a hundred years before the start of the series, an energy crisis
Energy crisis
An energy crisis is any great bottleneck in the supply of energy resources to an economy. In popular literature though, it often refers to one of the energy sources used at a certain time and place, particularly those that supply national electricity grids or serve as fuel for vehicles...
emerged caused by the depletion of petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
reserves, leading to a period called the "Resource Wars": a series of events which included a Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
-Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
war, the disbanding of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, the U.S. annexation
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and a Chinese
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
invasion
Invasion
An invasion is a military offensive consisting of all, or large parts of the armed forces of one geopolitical entity aggressively entering territory controlled by another such entity, generally with the objective of either conquering, liberating or re-establishing control or authority over a...
and military occupation
Military occupation
Military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. The territory then becomes occupied territory.-Military occupation and the laws of war:...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. These eventually culminated in the 2077 Great War
World War III
World War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
, a cataclysmic nuclear exchange
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
that lasted for only two hours, and subsequently created the post-apocalyptic
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
Apocalyptic fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction that is concerned with the end of civilization due to a potentially existential catastrophe such as nuclear warfare, pandemic, extraterrestrial attack, impact event, cybernetic revolt, technological singularity, dysgenics, supernatural...
setting of Fallout.
Vaults
Having foreseen this outcome decades earlier, the U.S. government began a nationwide project in 2054 to build fallout shelterFallout shelter
A fallout shelter is an enclosed space specially designed to protect occupants from radioactive debris or fallout resulting from a nuclear explosion. Many such shelters were constructed as civil defense measures during the Cold War....
s known as "Vaults". The Vaults were ostensibly designed by the government contractor
Government contractor
A government contractor is a private company that produces goods or services under contract for the government. Often the terms of the contract specify cost plus – i.e., the contractor gets paid for its costs, plus a specified profit margin. Laws often require governments to award contracts...
Vault-Tec as public shelters, financed by junk bonds
High-yield debt
In finance, a high-yield bond is a bond that is rated below investment grade...
and each able to support up to a thousand people. Each Vault is self-sufficient, so they could theoretically sustain their inhabitants indefinitely. However, the Vault project was never intended as a viable method of repopulating the United States in such a deadly scenario. Around 400,000 vaults would have been needed, but only 122 were commissioned and constructed. Instead, the Vaults were part of a secret and unethical social experiment, and were designed to determine the effects of different environmental and psychological
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
conditions on its inhabitants. A few control
Scientific control
Scientific control allows for comparisons of concepts. It is a part of the scientific method. Scientific control is often used in discussion of natural experiments. For instance, during drug testing, scientists will try to control two groups to keep them as identical and normal as possible, then...
Vaults were made to function as advertised to contrast with the data from those Vaults with intentional flaws. Nevertheless, many Vaults had their experiments derailed due to unexpected events. A majority of these Vaults were so self-destructive that by the time other survivors opened them, they were nothing but graveyards.
Post-war conditions
In the years following the Great War, the United States devolved into a post-apocalyptic environment commonly dubbed "The Wasteland". The war and subsequent nuclear fallout severely depopulated the country, leaving large expanses of property decaying from neglect. In addition, virtually all food and water is irradiated, and radiation exposure, combined with a mutagenic bioweapon that was accidentally released into the atmosphere during the war, have caused mutation in nearly all forms of life. With a large portion of the country's infrastructure in ruins, basic necessities are scarce. Barter is the common method of exchange, with bottlecaps providing a more conventional form of currency. Most cities and towns are empty, having been looted and deserted in favor of smaller, makeshift communities scattered around the Wasteland.Factions
There are many factions present within the Fallout series. These factions are often the major players in the larger events of each game's primary storyline.The Brotherhood of Steel is a group dedicated to the collection and preservation of pre-war knowledge and technology. They pursue these goals with religious fervor, and many are descendants of American military survivors. Seen as xenophobic, the Brotherhood believes that they are the sole heir to pre-war technology, bringing them into conflict with other factions.
The Enclave is composed of the remnants of the pre-war U.S. government, and act as the main antagonist for most of the series. They have access to superior technology available before the war, such as "Advanced Power Armor", and plasma weaponry. Their main goal is to wipe out all mutation in the Wasteland, which, given the pervasive radiation, is almost every living thing in the Wasteland besides themselves.
The New California Republic (NCR) is a constitutional republic, and is the largest faction in post-apocalyptic America, both by population and landmass. The NCR bears a great resemblance to the pre-war United States, with a democratically-elected government.
Caesar's Legion is an autocratic confederation consisting of 86 conquered tribes that rejects the use of most technology and instead uses slave labour. Basing its culture and ideals from the historic Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, the Legion expands its borders by violently conquering nearby lands, massacring and enslaving the original inhabitants and obliterating their previous culture. (Fallout: New Vegas only)
Mr. House is the owner of New Vegas, the post-war version of Las Vegas. Previously an influential businessman, he had predicted the Great War and spent a year developing a plan to save the city from destruction. He managed to save the Vegas Strip, however radiation from nearby bombs devastated the surrounding area. Hoping to guide human progress after the apocalypse, House entered an immortal stasis, in order to develop long lasting plans for rebuilding civilization. (Fallout: New Vegas only)
Main series
| 1997 – | – Fallout | |
| 1998 – | – Fallout 2 Fallout 2 Fallout 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay in 1998. The game's story takes place in 2241, 80 years after the events of Fallout... |
|
| 1999 – | ||
| 2000 – | ||
| 2001 – | – Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, better known as simply Fallout Tactics, is a turn-based/real-time tactical role-playing game based in the post-apocalyptic Fallout universe. Developed by Micro Forté and published by 14 Degrees East, Fallout Tactics was released on 14 March 2001 for PC... |
|
| 2002 – | ||
| 2003 – | ||
| 2004 – | – Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel is an action role-playing game developed and produced by Interplay for the Xbox and PlayStation 2. Released on January 13, 2004, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel was the fourth video game to be set in the Fallout universe and the first to be made for consoles... |
|
| 2005 – | ||
| 2006 – | ||
| 2007 – | ||
| 2008 – | – Fallout 3 Fallout 3 Fallout 3 is an action role-playing game released by Bethesda Game Studios, and the third major installment in the Fallout series. The game was released in North America, Europe and Australia in October 2008, and in Japan in December 2008 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360... |
|
| 2009 – | ||
| 2010 – | – Fallout: New Vegas Fallout: New Vegas Fallout: New Vegas is a first person action role-playing video game in the Fallout series developed by Obsidian Entertainment, and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is based in a post-apocalyptic environment in and around Las Vegas, Nevada... |
|
| 2011 – | ||
| 2012 – | – Fallout Online Fallout Online Fallout Online is an upcoming massively multiplayer online video game set in the Fallout world that is being developed by Masthead Studios and being published by Interplay, with members of the Interplay team providing creative control and design... |
|
Fallout
Released in 1997, Fallout takes place in a post-apocalyptic Southern CaliforniaSouthern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, beginning in the year 2161. The protagonist is tasked with recovering a water chip in the Wasteland to replace the broken chip in his or her home, Vault 13.
Fallout was originally intended to run under the GURPS
GURPS
The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
role-playing game system
Role-playing game system
A role-playing game system is a set of game mechanics used in a role-playing game to determine the outcome of a character's in-game actions...
However, a disagreement with the creator of GURPS, Steve Jackson, over the game's violent content required Black Isle Studios to develop a new system, the SPECIAL System
SPECIAL System
SPECIAL is a character creation and statistics system developed specifically for the Fallout franchise of computer role-playing games. SPECIAL is an acronym, representing the seven attributes used to define Fallout characters: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and...
. Fallouts atmosphere and artwork are reminiscent of post-WWII America and the nuclear paranoia that was widespread at that time.
Fallout 2 Fallout 2 was released in 1998. The game featured several improvements over the first game, including an improved game engine, the ability to set attitudes of non-player character (NPC) party members and the ability to push people who are blocking doors. Additional features included several changes to the game world, including significantly more pop culture jokes and parodies, such as multiple Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
-referencing special random encounters, and self-parodying dialogue that broke the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
to mention game mechanics.
Fallout 2 takes place 80 years after Fallout, and centers around a descendant of the Vault Dweller, the protagonist of Fallout. The player assumes the role of the Chosen One as he tries to save his village, Arroyo, after several years of drought.
Van Buren (Fallout 3) Van Buren was the code-name for the cancelled version of Fallout 3 developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay. It featured an improved engine with real 3D graphics as opposed to sprites, new locations, vehicles and a modified version of the SPECIAL system. The story disconnected from the Vault Dweller/Chosen One bloodline in Fallout and Fallout 2. Plans for the game included the ability to influence the various factions. The game was cancelled in December 2003 when the budget cuts forced Interplay to dismiss the PC development team. Interplay subsequently sold the Fallout intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
to Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks, LLC, is an American video game company. A subsidiary of ZeniMax Media, the company was originally based in Bethesda, Maryland and eventually moved to their current location in Rockville, Maryland...
, who began development on their own version of Fallout 3 unrelated to Van Buren.
Van Buren is considered to be a part of the main Fallout-series, however it is considered semi-canon. Some parts of the game were incorporated into Fallout 3 and its add-ons as well as "Fallout: New Vegas".
Fallout 3 Fallout 3 was developed by Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks, LLC, is an American video game company. A subsidiary of ZeniMax Media, the company was originally based in Bethesda, Maryland and eventually moved to their current location in Rockville, Maryland...
and released on October 28, 2008. The story picks up 30 years after the setting of Fallout 2
Fallout 2
Fallout 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay in 1998. The game's story takes place in 2241, 80 years after the events of Fallout...
and 200 years after the nuclear war that devastated the game's world. The player is a vault-dweller in Vault 101 who is forced to flee when the Overseer tries to arrest him/her in response to the player's father leaving the vault. Once free, the player is dubbed the Lone Wanderer, and ventures into the Wasteland in and around Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, known as the Capital Wasteland, to find his/her father. It differs from previous games in the series by utilizing 3D graphics
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
, a free-roam gaming world, and real-time gameplay, in contrast to previous games' 2D
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
isometric
Isometric projection
Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings...
, turn-based gameplay. It was developed simultaneously for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
using the Gamebryo
Gamebryo
Gamebryo is a game engine, originally from Numerical Design Limited , and the successor to NDL's NetImmerse engine.Since the creation of Gamebryo, NDL merged into Emergent Game Technologies...
engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
. On release it received highly positive reviews, garnering 94/100, 92/100, and 93/100 averages scores on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
versions of the game, respectively. It won IGN's 2008 Overall Game of the Year Award, XBOX 360 Game of the Year, Best RPG, and Best Use of Sound.
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas was developed by Obsidian EntertainmentObsidian Entertainment
Obsidian Entertainment is an American video game developer founded in 2003 after the disestablishment of Interplay Productions' Black Isle Studios, for PC and console systems...
and released on October 19, 2010, in North America and October 22, 2010, in Europe.
Fallout: New Vegas is not a direct sequel to Fallout 3
Fallout 3
Fallout 3 is an action role-playing game released by Bethesda Game Studios, and the third major installment in the Fallout series. The game was released in North America, Europe and Australia in October 2008, and in Japan in December 2008 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360...
. Rather, it is a stand-alone product. Events in the game follow four years after Fallout 3 and offer a similar role-playing experience, however, no characters from that game appear.
In New Vegas the player assumes the role of a courier in the post-apocalyptic world of the Mojave Wasteland. As the game begins, the courier is shot in the head and left for dead shortly before being found and brought to a doctor in the nearby town of Goodsprings, marking the start of the game and the courier's search for his or her would be murderer. The city of New Vegas is a post-apocalyptic interpretation of Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
with only five standing casinos.
Future
Pete Hines of Bethesda Softworks said: "The whole reason we went out and acquired the license and that we now own Fallout is that we clearly intended to make more than one. This is not something we're going to do once and then go away and never do it again. When that will be or how long that will be God only knows, but we acquired it specifically because we wanted to own it and develop it and work on it like we do with The Elder ScrollsThe Elder Scrolls
The Elder Scrolls is a role-playing video game series developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks.-History:...
."
Fallout: Tactics Tactics is the first Fallout game not to require the player to fight in a turn-based mode, and it is also the first to allow the player to customize the skills, perks, and combat actions of the rest of the party. Fallout Tactics focuses on tactical
Turn-based tactics
Turn-based tactics , or tactical turn-based , is a computer and video game genre of strategy video games that through stop-action simulates the considerations and circumstances of operational warfare and military tactics in generally small-scale confrontations as opposed to more strategic...
combat rather than role-playing; the new combat system included different modes, stances, and modifiers, but the player had no dialogue options. Most of the criticisms of the game came from its incompatibility with the story of the original two games, not from its gameplay. Fallout: Tactics includes a multi-player mode that allows players to compete against squads of other characters controlled by other players. Unlike the previous two games, which are based in California, Fallout: Tactics takes place in the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
. Fallout: Tactics was released in early 2001 to mixed reviews. Although it was given high scores by reviewers (PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
gave it an 85%), many fans were disappointed by the game.
Fallout: Warfare Fallout: Warfare is a tabletop wargame based on the Fallout Tactics storyline, using a simplified version of the SPECIAL system. The rulebook was written by Christopher Taylor
Christopher Taylor (game designer)
Christopher "Chris" Taylor is a computer, board and card game developer originally from Southern California. Taylor is most famous for designing the original Fallout title for Interplay Entertainment, along with Tim Cain, Leonard Boyarsky and Jason Anderson. While at Interplay, Taylor contributed...
, and was available on the Fallout Tactics bonus CD, together with cut-out miniatures. Fallout: Warfare features five distinct factions, vehicles, four game types, and thirty-three different units. The rules only require ten-sided dice. The modifications to the SPECIAL system allow every unit a unique set of stats and give special units certain skills they can use, including piloting, doctor, and repair. A section of the Fallout: Warfare manual allows campaigns to be conducted using the Warfare rules. The game is currently available for free online from fansite
Fansite
A fansite, fan site, or fanpage is a website created and maintained by a fan or devotee interested in a celebrity, thing, or a particular cultural phenomenon...
No Mutants Allowed and several other sources.
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel became the first Fallout game for consoles
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
when it was released in 2004. It follows an initiate in the Brotherhood of Steel who is given a suicidal quest to find several lost Brotherhood paladins. An action role-playing game
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
, BoS is a significant break from previous incarnations of the Fallout series, in both gameplay and style. BoS takes place in three locations: The towns of Carbon, Los, and a Vault. BoS also does not feature non-player character
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s that accompany the player in combat. BoS is generally not considered to be canon due to its stark contrasts and outright contradictions with the storyline of Fallout and Fallout 2. The game features music from heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
musicians, including Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
, Devin Townsend
Devin Townsend
Devin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
and Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbandment of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Howard Jones, bassist Mike D'Antonio, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, and drummer...
, which stands in contrast to the music of the first two games, performed by The Ink Spots
The Ink Spots
The Ink Spots were a popular vocal group in the 1930s and 1940s that helped define the musical genre that led to rhythm and blues and rock and roll, and the subgenre doo-wop...
and Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
. BoS was the last Fallout game to be developed by Interplay.
Fallout Online On November 30, 2006, Interplay filed a Form 8-K
Form 8-K
Form 8-K is a very broad form used to notify investors of any material event that is important to shareholders or the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. This is one of the most common types of forms filed with the SEC...
filing to the SEC
United States Securities and Exchange Commission
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is a federal agency which holds primary responsibility for enforcing the federal securities laws and regulating the securities industry, the nation's stock and options exchanges, and other electronic securities markets in the United States...
regarding a potential Fallout massively multiplayer online game
Massively multiplayer online game
A massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on...
. The Form 8-K contained a prospectus
Prospectus (finance)
In finance, a prospectus is a document that describes a financial security for potential buyers. A prospectus commonly provides investors with material information about mutual funds, stocks, bonds and other investments, such as a description of the company's business, financial statements,...
stating that Interplay will be issuing common stock
Common stock
Common stock is a form of corporate equity ownership, a type of security. It is called "common" to distinguish it from preferred stock. In the event of bankruptcy, common stock investors receive their funds after preferred stock holders, bondholders, creditors, etc...
on Euronext
Euronext
Euronext N.V. is a pan-European stock exchange based in Amsterdam and with subsidiaries in Belgium, France, Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom. In addition to equities and derivatives markets, the Euronext group provides clearing and information services...
to raise capital for developing a Fallout MMORPG. The report stated that the production and launch processes will require an estimated US$75 million in capital. The report also stated that production may start as early as January 2007 and the game may launch as early as July 2012.
In April 2007, SEC filings were made showing the transfer of the IP
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
for the Fallout MMORPG to Fallout 3 developer Bethesda for US$5.75 million. While Bethesda now owns the rights to the Fallout MMORPG IP, clauses in the purchase agreement allow Interplay to license the rights to the development of the MMORPG, provided that development begins within 24 months of the date of the agreement (which was April 4, 2007), and that Interplay must secure $30 million within that time frame or forfeit its rights to license. Interplay must furthermore launch the MMORPG within four years of the beginning of development, and pay Bethesda 12 percent of sales and subscription fees for the use of the IP.
In April 2008, Interplay announced that the Fallout MMORPG had entered production and in April 2009 announced that it would be working with Masthead Studios
Masthead Studios
Masthead Studios was founded in 2005 in Bulgaria and is a game-development studio focused on creating next-generation MMORPGs. They are currently expanding development of their own project, Earthrise, which was released on Feb 2011. This is to fix many bugs and enhance player gameplay as when the...
, a Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n based game developer who are currently working on Earthrise
Earthrise (video game)
Earthrise is a science fiction Player vs Player MMORPG by the independent Bulgarian team Masthead Studios released on February 2011, it is Masthead's first video game....
, to assist in the development of the game.
In June 2009, Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
reported that Interplay may have lost the Fallout MMORPG rights.
On September 8, 2009, Bethesda filed a lawsuit against Interplay regarding Project V13, claiming that Interplay has violated their agreement as development has not yet begun on the project. However Interplay is countersuing Bethesda stating that interrupting is against their contract of the sale of the franchise thus making the sale obsolete.
Voice talent
Fallout games feature well known actors as NPCNon-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
voice talent. Notable appearances include:
Fallout
- Richard Dean AndersonRichard Dean AndersonRichard Dean Anderson is an American television and film actor, producer and composer. He began his television career in 1976 as Dr. Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series General Hospital, then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the television series MacGyver...
as Killian Darkwater - Clancy BrownClancy BrownClarence J. "Clancy" Brown III is an American actor and voice actor. He is known for his roles in live action as The Kurgan in the cult classic film Highlander, Byron Hadley in the award-winning The Shawshank Redemption, Brother Justin Crowe in HBO's critically acclaimed Carnivàle, and Career...
as Rhombus - Keith DavidKeith DavidKeith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
as Decker - Jim CummingsJim CummingsJames Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
as The Master - Tony JayTony JayTony Jay was an English actor, voice actor and singer. A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was known for his voice work in animation, film and computer games. Jay's distinctive baritone voice often landed him villainous roles...
as The Lieutenant - Richard MollRichard MollCharles Richard Moll is an American actor and voice artist,best known for playing Bull Shannon, the bailiff on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1983 to 1992...
as Cabbot - Ron PerlmanRon PerlmanRonald N. "Ron" Perlman is an American television, film and voice over actor. He is known for having played Vincent in the TV series Beauty and the Beast , a Deathstroke figure known as Slade in the animated series Teen Titans, Clarence "Clay" Morrow in Sons of Anarchy, the comic book character...
as Butch Harris - CCH PounderCCH PounderCarol Christine Hilaria Pounder , known professionally as C. C. H. Pounder , is a Guyanese-American film and television actress...
as Vree - Tony ShalhoubTony ShalhoubAnthony Marcus "Tony" Shalhoub is an American actor of Lebanese descent. His television work includes the roles of Antonio Scarpacci on Wings and sleuth Adrian Monk on the TV series Monk. He has won three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for his work in Monk...
as Aradesh - Cree SummerCree SummerCree Summer Francks , best known as Cree Summer, is a Canadian actress, musician and voice actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as college student Winifred "Freddie" Brooks on the NBC sitcom A Different World...
as Tandi - David WarnerDavid Warner (actor)David Warner is an English actor who is known for playing both romantic leads and sinister or villainous characters, both in film and animation...
as Morpheus
Fallout 2
- Michael DornMichael DornMichael Dorn is an American actor, and voice artist who is best known for his role as the Klingon Worf from the Star Trek franchise.-Early life and career:...
as Marcus the Mutant, Special Agent Frank Horrigan - Jeffrey JonesJeffrey JonesJeffrey Duncan Jones is an American actor. He has appeared in many films and television series, but may be best known for his roles as Emperor Joseph II in Miloš Forman’s Amadeus, Charles Deetz in Beetlejuice, and Dean of Students Edward R...
as President Dick Richardson - Dwight SchultzDwight SchultzWilliam Dwight Schultz is an American stage, television, film actor, and voice artist. He is best known for his roles as Captain "Howling Mad" Murdock on the 1980s action show The A-Team, and as Reginald Barclay in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, and the film Star Trek: First...
as Hakunin - Cree SummerCree SummerCree Summer Francks , best known as Cree Summer, is a Canadian actress, musician and voice actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as college student Winifred "Freddie" Brooks on the NBC sitcom A Different World...
as Lynette
Fallout 3
- Malcolm McDowellMalcolm McDowellMalcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
as President John Henry Eden - Liam NeesonLiam NeesonLiam John Neeson, OBE is an Irish actor who has been nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA and three Golden Globe Awards.He has starred in a number of notable roles including Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, Michael Collins in Michael Collins, Peyton Westlake in Darkman, Jean Valjean in Les...
as James, the player character's father - Odette YustmanOdette YustmanOdette Juliette Annable , better known by her birth name Odette Yustman, is an American actress.-Early life:...
as Amata Almodovar - Erik DellumsErik DellumsErik Todd Dellums is a U.S. actor. He has had parts in television police dramas such as New York Undercover, Homicide: Life on the Street and The Wire...
as Three Dog - William BassetWilliam BassetWilliam Basset was an Anglo-Norman administrator and justice.He was born in Colston, Nottinghamshire, the son of Richard Basset, a royal justice and his wife Matilda Ridel. He settled in Sapcote, Leicestershire....
as Elder Owyn Lyons
Fallout: New Vegas
- Rene AuberjonoisRene AuberjonoisRené Murat Auberjonois is an American actor, known for portraying Father Mulcahy in the movie version of M*A*S*H and for creating a number of characters in long-running television series, including Clayton Endicott III on Benson , Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Chef Louis in The Little...
as Robert "Mr." House - Zoë BellZoë BellZoë E. Bell is a stuntwoman and actress from New Zealand. Some of her most notable stunt work includes doubling for Lucy Lawless on Xena: Warrior Princess and for Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. As an actress, she has appeared both on television and in feature films and also starred in the web series...
as Melissa Lewis - Rob CorddryRob CorddryRobert William "Rob" Corddry is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his work as a former correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and for his starring role in the comedy film Hot Tub Time Machine...
as Billy Knight - Roger CrossRoger CrossRoger Cross is a Canadian contemporary actor who has made numerous appearances in several movies and TV series, mostly on productions shot in Canada...
as Ulysses - Felicia DayFelicia DayKathryn Felicia Day is an American actress, known for her work as "Vi" on the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and for parts in movies such as Bring It On Again and June, as well as the Internet musical, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog...
as Veronica Santangelo - Barry DennenBarry DennenBarry Dennen is an American actor, singer, and writer.Dennen was born in Chicago, Illinois. In New York City from 1960 to 1963, he had a relationship with Barbra Streisand, including living together for a year, during which time he helped her develop the nightclub act that began her successful...
as Dean Domino - John DomanJohn DomanJohn Doman is an American actor best known for playing Deputy Police Commissioner William Rawls on HBO series The Wire from 2002 to 2008 and Colonel Edward Galson on Oz in 2001....
as Caesar - Michael DornMichael DornMichael Dorn is an American actor, and voice artist who is best known for his role as the Klingon Worf from the Star Trek franchise.-Early life and career:...
as Marcus the Mutant - Dave FoleyDave FoleyDavid Scott "Dave" Foley is a Canadian comedian, writer, director, and producer best known for his work in The Kids in the Hall, NewsRadio, A Bug's Life, and Celebrity Poker Showdown...
as "Yes Man" - Richard HerdRichard HerdRichard Herd, Jr. is an American actor in television and film. He is well known in the science fiction community for his role in the 1983 NBC miniseries V and the 1984 sequel V: The Final Battle, as John, the Visitors' Supreme Commander...
as Father Elijah - Michael Hogan as Doc Mitchell
- Kris KristoffersonKris KristoffersonKristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
as Chief Hanlon - Zachary LeviZachary LeviZachary Levi Pugh , better known by his stage name Zachary Levi , is an American television actor, director, and singer known for the roles of Kipp Steadman in Less than Perfect, Chuck Bartowski in Chuck, and Flynn Rider in Tangled.- Early life :Zachary Levi Pugh was born in Lake Charles,...
as Arcade Gannon - Jason MarsdenJason MarsdenJason Christopher Marsden is an American screen and voice actor who has done numerous voice roles in animated films, as well as various television series.-Early life:...
as Craig Boone - Wayne NewtonWayne NewtonWayne Newton is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nicknames The Midnight Idol, Mr. Las Vegas and Mr. Entertainment...
as Mr. New Vegas - Matthew PerryMatthew PerryMatthew Perry is Canadian-American television and film actor.Matthew Perry or Matt Perry may also refer to:*Matthew C. Perry , American naval officer who forcibly opened Japan to trade with the West...
as Benny - Alex RoccoAlex RoccoAlex Rocco is an American actor. His roles have ranged from comedy to playing gangsters in Mafia movies.-Early life:...
as Big Sal - William SadlerWilliam Sadler (actor)William Thomas Sadler is an American actor who works in film and television. His television and motion picture roles have included Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller in The Pacific, Luther Sloan in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Sheriff Jim Valenti in Roswell, convict Heywood in The Shawshank Redemption,...
as Victor the Securitron - Danny TrejoDanny TrejoDan "Danny" Trejo is an American actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, most notably in roles as an antagonist, or anti-hero.-Early life:...
as Raul Tejada - Wil WheatonWil WheatonRichard William "Wil" Wheaton III is an American actor and writer. As an actor, he is best known for his portrayals of Wesley Crusher on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gordie Lachance in the film Stand by Me and Joey Trotta in Toy Soldiers...
as Robobrain - Keith SzarabajkaKeith SzarabajkaKeith Szarabajka is an American actor and voice artist.-Early life:Szarabajka was born in Oak Park, Illinois, the son of Anne, a school teacher, and Edward Szarabajka, a savings and loan officer....
as Joshua Graham
Other
- Tony JayTony JayTony Jay was an English actor, voice actor and singer. A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was known for his voice work in animation, film and computer games. Jay's distinctive baritone voice often landed him villainous roles...
as Attis (Fallout: BoS) - R. Lee ErmeyR. Lee ErmeyRonald Lee Ermey is a retired United States Marine Corps drill instructor and actor.Ermey has often played the roles of authority figures, such as his breakout performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket, Mayor Tilman in the Alan Parker film Mississippi Burning, Bill Bowerman in...
as General Simon Barnaky (Fallout Tactics) - Kurtwood Larson Smith as General Dekker
Style and influences
The PIP-Boy and Vault Boy
The PIP-Boy (Personal Information Processor-Boy) is an iconic wrist-computer given to the player early in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas which serves various roles in quest, inventory, and battle management, as well as presenting player statistics. The model present in Fallout and Fallout 2 is identified as a PIP-Boy 2000 and is the same computer which has been inherited by the Chosen One from the Vault Dweller. Fallout Tactics contains a modified version of the 2000 model, called PIP-Boy 2000BE, while Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas uses a PIP-Boy 3000.The Vault Boy character is Vault-Tec's mascot, and is a frequently recurring element in Vault-Tec-related items in the world. This includes the PIP-Boy, where Vault Boy models all of the clothing and weaponry, and illustrates all of the character statistics and selectable attributes.
While it has been argued that the 'Pip-boy' and 'Vault-boy' are separate characters in the Fallout 3 games onwards, the two had been synonymous prior to Fallout 3. However, favor was given to the former.
Influences
Fallout draws from 1950s pulp magazinePulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
s, science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, and superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
comic books, all rooted in Atomic Age
Atomic Age
The Atomic Age, also known as the Atomic Era, is a phrase typically used to delineate the period of history following the detonation of the first nuclear bomb Trinity on July 16, 1945...
optimism of a nuclear-powered future, though gone terribly awry by the time the events of the game take place. The technology is retro-futuristic, with various Raygun Gothic
Raygun Gothic
Raygun Gothic is a catchall term for a visual style that incorporates various aspects of the Googie, Streamline Moderne and Art Deco architectural styles when applied to retro-futuristic science fiction environments. Academic Lance Olsen has characterised Raygun Gothic as "a tomorrow that never was"...
machines such as laser weaponry and boxy Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet is a 1956 science fiction film directed by Fred M. Wilcox, with a screenplay by Cyril Hume. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon, and Anne Francis. The characters and its setting have been compared to those in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and its plot contains certain...
-style robots. Computers use vacuum tubes instead of transistors, architecture of ruined buildings feature Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
and Googie designs, energy weapons resemble those used by Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon is the hero of a science fiction adventure comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by and created to compete with the already established Buck Rogers adventure strip. Also inspired by these series were comics such as Dash...
, and what few vehicles remain in the world are all 1950s-styled.
Other film influences include: A Boy And His Dog
A Boy and His Dog
A Boy and His Dog is a cycle of narratives and films including or stemming from works of science fiction author Harlan Ellison.Ellison began the cycle with the 1969 short story of the same title, and a revised and expanded novella-length version was published in Ellison's story collection The Beast...
, where the main character Vic and Blood scavenges the desert of the Southwestern United States, stealing for a living and evading bands of marauders, berserk androids and mutants. The Terminator
Terminator (franchise)
The Terminator series is a science fiction franchise encompassing a series of films and other media concerning battles between Skynet's artificially intelligent machine network, and John Connor's Resistance forces and the rest of the human race....
series of films, from its vision of a post apocalyptic view on humanity, and the use of robots in every day life, hostile robots, and cyborgs, as well as Mad Max
Mad Max (franchise)
The Mad Max franchise refers to a series of futuristic films, taking place in the "Mad Max Universe", that tell a story of breakdown of society, murder, and vengeance. The first Mad Max was an Australian action film directed by George Miller and written by Miller and Byron Kennedy, released in 1979...
, with its depiction of a post apocalyptic nuclear wasteland. In the first game, one of the first available armors is a one-sleeved leather jacket that resembles the jacket worn by Mel Gibson in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. A player wearing this jacket can get a dog, named Dogmeat, to join the party in Junktown.
Fallouts other production design, such as menu interfaces, are similarly designed to resemble advertisements and toys of the Atomic Age. Advertising in the game such as billboards and brochures has a distinct 1950s motif and feel. The lack of retro-stylization was one of the things the Fallout spin-offs were criticized for, as retro-futurism
Retro-futurism
Retro-futurism is a trend in the creative arts showing the influence of depictions of the future produced prior to about 1960...
is a hallmark of the Fallout series.
Media adaptations
In April 2009, Bethesda Softworks trademarked the Fallout brand for both "entertainment services in the nature of an on-going television program" and also "motion picture films about a post-nuclear apocalyptic world". However, nothing yet has been confirmed as being in production.A short film, Fallout: Nuka Break, was made and released by Wayside Creations in 2011. The success of the short led to the creation of a six-episode follow-up series, the first episode of which premiered on August 29, 2011.
External links
- Fallout series official website
- The Vault, the Fallout wiki