Comments on: Fallout MMO Hires Chris Taylor (Not That One)

By: Kadayi

Kadayi — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:57:15 +0000

To make a viable MMO that can complete against the existing market leaders is going to take a lot more then 40 million dollars tbh.

By: Harlequin

Harlequin — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:42:02 +0000

Forty million isn’t really all that astounding. The operational costs of World of Warcraft are at least double that. Even the garbage pile that is Age of Conan made about 20 million on its first day of sales.

I just hope the money gets used to develop something worthwhile.

By: Schrodinger's Lolcat

Schrodinger's Lolcat — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:42:48 +0000

FORTY. MILLION. DOLLARS. FOR PRODUCTION.

Clearly they aren’t that strapped for cash. That or they have some very adventurous investors….

By: RichPowers

RichPowers — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:29:39 +0000

hahah thanks for the headline clarification, RPS. When I saw a similar story over at Blue’s, I instantly thought that Chris Taylor was leaving GPG and making a Fallout MMO, thereby turning my understanding of the world into utter chaos.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:11:56 +0000

What’s Tim Cain up to these days?

By: Fumarole

Fumarole — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:36:48 +0000

I also don’t think this will ever be more than vaporware. Project V13 for Vault 13, anyone?

By: James G

James G — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:28:54 +0000

Partially, although with less venom, and I understand Bethesda’s decisions from a marketing standpoint. While I don’t see an FPS mechanic as superior to a turn based approach, it is one which undoubtedly holds greater market appeal. I think Fallout 3 may be better understood is seen as a license, rather than a true sequel. Just as ‘Star Wars’ games may slip into many different genres, this is Bethesda producing a different type of game.

Can I also clarify that I’m not suggesting that we should just end up producing the same game again and again. Innovation is good, and there is nothing wrong with a FPS-RPG. I’m not even going to suggest that there’s anything wrong with an FPS RPG in the Fallout universe (Although if I were going to do that personally I think I’d give it a subtitle, rather than calling it Fallout 3.) My only intent was to say that a turn based mechanic has not been made redundant by improvements in real-time approaches. (Ie. See King’s Bounty, Civ 4)

Truth be told, I prefer the pause and play dynamic of Baldur’s Gate to the strict turn based play of Fallout. It retains the level of tactical control yet reigns back the abstraction a notch.

On a slight Hijack, I think its interesting to compare this with the whole 2D vs. 3D debate, which largely seems to have solved itself. The two forms of presentation sit side by side, as each has its own advantages. World of Goo would not be as effective in 3D, and yet I doubt anyone would argue that Bioshock would have worked better as a 2D platformer (Despite Soldat and Gang Garrison II adapting the FPS mechanic to 2D.)

By: Devin Padgett

Devin Padgett — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:27:44 +0000

I’m still slightly hoping that Bethesda will have some hand in this as well, but if not, then eh… either way, a Fallout MMO is cause for rejoice!

By: plant42

plant42 — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:05:56 +0000

@ James G: Sounds like you agree with this guy.

By: James G

James G — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:31:01 +0000

I wish people would stop with the whole idea that an FPS style interface is somehow a progression over a turn-based one. Its a different mechanic, requires a different skill-set and a different approach. I’m not about to class one as superior to the other, as it is clearly a matter of personal taste, as well as how well it is integrated into the rest of the game. My poor hand eye co-ordination, and preference of a more cerebral approach means that I generally prefer games which take a slower approach. However I also like a bit of variety, so wouldn’t suggest that Half-Life 3 should be turn based, for example. (Now there’s a fun rumour!)

That said, the monotony of the graphics we’ve seen so far seems approximately comparable to that I saw when playing Fallout 1, and is improved on with more detail, and will surely take advantage of some of the benefits conferred by 3D. We’ve also seen footage which indicates that the camera will be able to pull back fairly far, although I’m not quite sure how one will go about combat from this position, except maybe via VATS.

By: Diogo Ribeiro

Diogo Ribeiro — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:10:33 +0000

@araczynski:

i wonder if there’s people out there that are still bitching because games aren’t like pacman & tetris anymore.

Probably as many bitching about how contemporary games should drop any and all pretenses at continuity, design and recognizing their main fanbases, natch. The trick is sorting the men from the boys, as in, not lumping all criticism into one big pile of pointless drivel. Some of the insults flinged at the more hardcore fanbases are as abhorent and outdated as the things people often believe they defend.

By: Dreamhacker

Dreamhacker — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:02:35 +0000

Well, Boyarsky is working hard at ~~ruining Blizzard’s Diablo 3~~ making Blizzard’s Diablo 3 shock full of colors, flower and rainbows.