bethesda

Cruising the wasteland strip in Fallout: New Vegas

The follow-up to what many consider 2008's game of the year, Fallout: New Vegas takes place just a short time after the events of Fallout 3.

Does Fallout: New Vegas take the franchise in a new direction, or is the iteration simply a case of "same game, different setting"? We'll also be taking a look at the PC experience, thanks to the contribution of our desktop editor, Rich Brown.

Jeff: While Fallout 3 was easily one of 2008's best games, Fallout: New Vegas doesn't seem to be attracting the same amount of hype. Perhaps it's because New Vegas is more of a shoot-off, rather than a numbered successor. Whatever the reasoning, New Vegas is a lot of what we remember from Fallout 3. In fact, looking specifically at gameplay, the two titles are nearly identical.

In the case of Fallout--and its loyal fans--this certainly isn't a bad thing. But if you were only a casual fan of Fallout 3 and are expecting the innovation and change that true sequels tend to offer, New Vegas won't supply that.

Instead, Fallout: New Vegas is able to deliver exactly what the franchise is known for: creating a compelling storyline and memorable cast of characters while remaining incredibly accessible. For gamers who have never attempted an RPG, Fallout 3 or New Vegas is definitely the one to get started on.

As we mentioned earlier, New Vegas shares a lot in common with Fallout 3. Unfortunately, though, this means the bugs are back. Occasional lock-ups and freezes aren't uncommon, but like with Fallout 3, these issues tend to get patched up quickly. To that end, New Vegas will also be getting the DLC treatment, with the first installment exclusively hitting the Xbox 360 by year's end.

With a holiday season that's gearing up to be one of the most underwhelming in some time, it's comforting knowing that Fallout: New Vegas is providing reliable backup.… Read more

Fallout creator gets sued for alleged infringement

Bethesda Softworks, the current rights holder for Fallout, has sued franchise creator Interplay for alleged trademark infringement.

Back in 2007, Interplay signed over to Bethesda the rights to the Fallout game franchise for $5.75 million. That agreement required Interplay to provide Bethesda with packaging and promotional material prior to the release of any Fallout game that Interplay developed.

After Bethesda's successful Fallout 3 launch, Interplay saw the opportunity to release the Fallout games it had developed--Fallout 1, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics--in a package called the Fallout Trilogy.

According to court documents that Bethesda filed last week in … Read more

Fallout publisher scoops up classic Doom/Quake developer

A bit of consolidation going on in the video game biz today, as ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks (Elder Scrolls, Fallout 3), is acquiring id Software, developer of the classic Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein franchises.

While responsible for some of the most important PC games of all time (and essentially creating the first-person shooter with 1992's Wolfenstein 3D), iD has struggled in recent years to find the same relevance among console gamers and develop new properties. The company has also needed to form a more mutually beneficial relationship with a publisher (which is why there are very … Read more