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Fallout 3 is supposedly nearing completion and OXM had the pleasure of talking to Todd Howard, executive producer of Fallout 3, on a podcast about the game- some excerpts below courtesy of IGN:
"Being that we are Bethesda, everything gets a bit big, so as of last week we were over 200 endings," said Howard. However he does acknowledge that figures like these do tend to get tossed around a lot for the sake of PR, "…that is not an exaggeration, but it deserves some description. Yeah…200 endings…that's a lie of some kind! So originally when we started there were various iterations of the endings, and the ending is kind of cinematic that's dynamic based on the things you've done. Well there's at least 9 maybe 12 [original endings] but we kept adding things to it," Howard said whenever somebody pitched a good idea for an ending to the team, the team would be very excited about the proposition, and would expand and build upon that ending, which would only lead to more alternate endings. Sounds crazy? Howard agrees, "It gets kind of stupid."
"The games… when they start on paper, are a lot smaller, and we can't stop ourselves… If we think they're good [ideas] and they fit the tone, we're going to jam in as much as possible… Fallout is probably twice the size that we originally had on paper."
The podcast went on to talk about "Dog Meat", your artificial dog ally. The game allows you to team up with Dog Meat and one humanoid ally of your choosing. Any more allies and the game would get too hectic, asserts Howard.
It is possible to give Dog Meat fetch commands, but players shouldn't be too brash ordering Dog Meat around, as giving him careless orders could lead to his demise. "He has health and can die," said Howard. Bethesda is still tweaking Dog Meat's game play mechanics however, "We're playing with how much health does he actually have? How does he heal on his own? Do you have to heal him?" The team decided it didn't want to constrain players into constantly protecting Dog Meat, so Bethesda decided you had to be a real reckless player for him to die.
Originally set to be around 20 to 40 hours, but in staying true to the Bethesda theme, the game just got "bigger, bigger, and bigger." Howard went on to say that gamers could easily spend over 100 hours in the game's world. Although not quite as big as Oblivion, it's definitely approaching it, said Howard.
With this lofty and ambitious game in the works, will the team be able to meet its projected fall release? "We are absolutely looking at fall…I'd be shocked if it were not out then honestly," said Howard.
"I always worry that somebody reads about it [Fallout 3] and they get excited, whether they are an old Fallout fan or a newer fan of ours, my concern is usually… I want them to know as much about it so when they go to buy the game they know what they're getting. It really bothers me…when the people who bought Oblivion…[might say] I don't like it, this isn't what I thought I was getting."
IGN: Fallout 3 Nears Completion
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200 endings? Wonder if anyone is actually diehard enough to get them all...
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Quoth Albel Nox:
Imho? it's emo, douche.So if you're going to call me emo do it right.not imao, ihmo, or imo, but EMO.
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Fallout 3 will be the console game of the year apparently:
Currently in development for the Xbox 360 and PS3, Fallout 3 is set in the United States after a nuclear war in the year 2077 kills almost everyone on the entire planet. After the nuclear fallout, only a handful of humans who took refuge in Vault 101 in Washington DC are thought to have survived. For 200 years Vault 101 has remained closed…awaiting the day when it is safe to emerge into a world that is completely decimated, and where radiation has mutated those who survived outside the safety of Vault 101.
While very little has been released to the public on this game, the buzz from review editors and industry insider’s that have had the good fortune to see the game is incredibly positive. Early word on the game also indicates that there will be 200 different endings. Whether these are true endings or slight variations on few different ones remains to be seen.
The strength of the game will no doubt come from the huge impact your character has in the world, and how it affects not only the gameplay but the story as well. For example, you may be given the opportunity to nuke a town off the map. If so, it will be gone for the rest of the game. Or, you can save it. The choice will be up to you, and the consequences will play out differently depending on your actions.
I have little doubt that the next installment of Fallout 3 is in good hands with Bethesda. They have proven themselves with Morrowind and Oblivion and are working on a project that really excites them. When the nuclear winter ends, I think that Fallout 3 will be the last game left standing and claim the crown for Game of the Year in 2008. Now lets just hope it makes its scheduled 2008 release in late fall. Only time will tell.
Check out some in-game screenshots at the link:
Fallout 3 Will Be Game of the Year in 2008 | Console Me.
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Downloadable content is probably a given for the game:
Pete Hines, Vice President of Marketing for Bethesda, has stated that it is highly likely the company will look into offering downloadable content for its upcoming post-apocalyptic title, Fallout 3.
Speaking to Videogaming247.com, Hines commented, “Given how successful it was for us on Oblivion, certainly it’s a given that we’ll look into it and what we’d like to do.”
“But I can’t tell you when, I can’t tell you what it would be, or what it would look like. Will it be bigger stuff like Knights of the Nine or smaller stuff? We’ve no idea. We’ll let folks know once we get down the road.”
Despite this, Hines pointed out that the team is currently in the process of implementing content to the main game itself, and was therefore unable to elaborate more on the possibility of downloadable content in the finished product.
“Obviously we’ve done very well with [DLC] on Oblivion, but the big thing for us is that we’re still working on content for the game itself, and so all our designers and artists are pretty much totally engaged with that,” he said.
“So, until we’re done with that part of the process, we don’t ever think about whatever they’re going to be creating or whatever they’re going to be doing [after the game’s finished].”
Bethesda hints at DLC for Fallout 3 :: PlayStation Universe (PSU)
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No demo for Fallout 3:
What is the specific reason for the lack of a demo? Peter Hines describes Fallout 3 as having no specific point in which developers could break apart and showcase as a demo.
“When you build it as one [game], there’s no way to portion off a section and have it stand on its own without putting the whole game in the demo, which we’re just not going to do.”
Hines then goes on to add, “and it doesn’t really capture the fun of a game like an Elder Scrolls or a Fallout, where you can go where you want and do what you want. So no demo, sorry.”
Something tells us that there is possibly a bit more to Mr. Hines assessment of the reason he does not need to release a demo. Perhaps money is involved somehow? Specifically, we wonder how much it costs to pull a portion of a development team away from the big picture to frame a demo for three different platforms. Dubious explanation aside, Hines then goes on to talk about the voice acting in the game. In the small excerpt provided, Hines comments on both Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Qui-gon Jinn in nearly the same breathe.
“We pick out key roles for people and who we’d like for those roles, and we always thought Liam [Neeson] was the perfect Father figure.”
Fallout 3 Demo Not Happening - The best source for RPG news, reviews, and rumors on the net.
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fortunately, i don't need a demo to know i'll enjoy this game. i'm sure it's the same for most people.
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Well, first there was news of 12 endings, then 20 different ones...now apparently there are 500!:
new details on from Game Informer reveals that this number shot up again: now there are 500 different variations to the ending cutscene.
Good luck to completists out there who'll want to watch each one. Here are the rest of the info for Fallout 3 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC) as revealed on Game Informer:
* They'll handle the ending as a dynamic cutscene that changes depending on specific decisions you make. Right now there are over 500 variations of the cutscene.
* You can talk to Dogmeat although he only barks and wags his tail. But they say you always tell if he agrees or disagrees with you.
* There are no guilds like in Oblivion. You just go around doing different quests for various groups.
* The world is entirely open from the start although certain areas can be difficult at the start.
* There will be licensed music from the 40's and 50's. Songs and artists include Ink Spots"I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire", Bob Crosby's "Way Back Home", and Roy Brown's "Butcher Pete".
* There are no vehicles.
* The game has gotten bigger since the initial announcement. They've had to remove some features but they say they weren't anything they'd officially announced.
* GI asked if there will be downloadable dog armor and they say that they've been making that joke around the studio. They say they doubt it'll be in there and that they really aren't even thinking of any downloadable content until the game is complete.
Fallout 3: now at 500 different endings, more details - PS3 News, Wii News, Xbox 360 News, PSP News and more!
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Fallout 3 preview from ComputerandVideoGames website:
itting in Bethesda's temporary European HQ in the heart of London's trendy Soho, just near the excellent Red Lion pub and some brothels, Bethesda's resident do-everything man Pete Hines is extolling the virtues of the free-roamer RPG.
"I could tell you what you'd be doing every single minute of Call of Duty 4,"
he begins. "Don't get me wrong - that game is ****ing amazing, but I could tell you what happens in every minute of every single mission within very small parameters. What weapon you were using... everything.
"With Fallout 3, you could be 10 hours in and I couldn't even guess 20-30 per cent of what you'll have done. We made our reputation by doing big and crazy - things people hadn't tried before. We feel that we've gotten good at it now."
"You could be walking along and there'll be a diner off to the side, you'll wonder what's over there - and it'll turn out to be a Raider base and there's mutated bodies hanging from the ceiling," explains Hines.
"Suddenly the Raiders could show up - and that's just due to the time of day. If you want to play the game hardcore, you can sit and wait and watch these guys over a period of time and figure out what their schedule is - go in while they're out, or when they're sleeping."
The start of the game though, as it was with Oblivion, will be inherently linear - although perhaps not in the temporal sense. There's probably no need to bore you with the way the action cuts in and out of various events of your childhood, nor with the fact that many of your perks, stats and abilities will be selected at various points within this.
So let's just cut to the meat and reveal that when you're born, a left-click of your mouse will make you cry. And then, when you're a year old and escaping from your wire-fence playpen, the same button will make your character say stuff like, "Dadda!"
No word if you can go rooting though Liam Neeson's cupboards and valiantly attempt to drink bleach just yet though.
As soon as you're out in the wilderness in your late teens, everything opens up before you - the landmass is smaller than that in Oblivion, but Bethesda insist that it won't necessarily feel that way.
"When you started Oblivion you had all these cities around that you knew about - you could travel all over the world, then explore from each one," says Hines. "In Fallout 3, you emerge from the Vault and you don't know ****. You're not getting anywhere in a hurry."
The idea is that being forced to travel around on foot, with no real idea of what direction stuff lies in, will force you to appreciate your immediate environs more - as well as give you a strong sense of exploration.
Much as in the original Fallout games, where you'd only be told settlements were vaguely to the south or were completely unmarked.
This 'less is more' ethic extends to NPCs as well, having a more limited number of wordier tykes milling around, rather than the hundreds of three-line conversation 'tell me rumours!' variety that inhabited Oblivion.
In the new scenes on show in Pete Hines' presentation, the improvement was marked - when bickering with a childhood bully there are at least six or seven different retorts to your foe, for example.
We're also promised that there are at least 60 voice actors and that the more recognisable ones from Oblivion ('You have my ear, citizen!') haven't made the cut. Hines reckons they've nixed the old chestnut of conversation between NPCs being stilted and dull to boot.
Read more below:
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Fallout 3 pre-order goodness:
We already know that you can get the Collector’s Edition of Fallout 3 and get a snazzy lunchbox filled to the brim with bonuses. Now we know if you pre-order either version at GameStop you get a 5-track disc and a Brotherhood of Steel poster. As I just mentioned, keep in mind this bonus is exclusive to GameStop, so other retailers might be confused if you threaten them with something related to nuclear fallout.
Pics of disk at link:
Fallout 3 Pre-Order Bonus At GameStop - The best source for RPG news, reviews, and rumors on the net.
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Finally a game without a mandatory install!
If you have a Playstation 3, then you probably know about the mandatory installs that many Playstation 3 games need to go through in order to play them. Games such as Capcom’s Devil May Cry 4, Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto IV and the recently launched HAZE, all required between 5 to 10 minutes installs onto the Playstation 3 hard disk drive taking up to 4GB of space. As part of our Fallout 3 blowout, TheGameReviews.com was able to spend some time with the latest build of Fallout 3 and have two Bethesda Software employees walk us through and answer our questions regarding Fallout 3.
While being shown the Fallout 3 universe, TheGameReviews.com asked whether or not Fallout 3 would require a Mandatory Install for the Playstation 3. Bethesda responded:
“We do not do that, no. We do the put you know, put the stuff down there that we need to be there, we can stream it on in and out of there but we do not do the ‘we need ten minutes of your time.’” They went on to explain, “We will cache the same way on both (Xbox 360 and PS3) we basically just like everybody you know if you have a hard drive, it does this.” Much like how they did Oblivion
Fallout 3: No Mandatory Install for Playstation 3 News from The Game Reviews
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this is a game i'm looking forward to. i'm not reading up on it though. id like to find out about it on the day.
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For those of you wanting the Collectors Edition, this is what youll get:
The contents are:
* Vault Boy Bobblehead: Enjoy your very own Vault Boy with this collector’s item direct from Vault-Tec.
* The Art of Fallout 3: This hardcover book features nearly 100 pages of never-before seen concept art and commentary from Bethesda Game Studios artists.
* The Making of Fallout 3: Get an exclusive, inside look at Bethesda Game Studios and the team behind the game with this special DVD.
* Vault-Tec Lunch Box: The entire package comes in a fully customized metal lunchbox.
videogaming247 » Blog Archive » Fallout 3 Collectors Edition detailed
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Fallout 3 Survival Edition only for the US:
Bethesda Softworks has today revealed the Fallout 3 Survival Edition for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but it's currently just for America.
The set includes a life-size replica of the wrist-mounted Pip-Boy 3000 worn by characters in-game, a Vault-Tech lunch box, a Vault Boy Bobblehead, an Art of Fallout 3 book and a making of DVD. Oh, and the game too.
News: Fallout 3 Survival Edition not for Europe - ComputerAndVideoGames.com
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Banned in Australia! Its been refused a classification- probably meaning it will have to have some edits, if thats possible, for it to make a release there....
Bethesda’s forthcoming post-apocalyptic RPG Fallout 3 has been refused rating by Australia’s Office of Film and Literature Classification, according to reports from VG247.com
The news comes just days after Bethesda revealed a number of controversial themes included in the highly anticipated title, such as slavery, drugs and addiction.
As mentioned previously on PSU, Australia does not permit the sale and distribution of any title beyond that of an MA 15+ rating in the territory, with Fallout 3 joining a host of games that have been refused rating, the most recent case being that of horror FPS, Shellshock: Blood Trail.
Fallout 3 banned in Australia :: PlayStation Universe (PSU)
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looks like there may be a lot of exclusive downloadable content for the game:
Bethesda’s Peter Hines has said that Fallout 3’s DLC will be coming to PC as well as 360.
The company’s comms boss also said that gamers can expect a serious upgrade to the anticipated RPG.
“I couldn’t even tell you right now what the DLC would be, but our plans are for substantial stuff,” he said. “The equivalent of things like Knights of the Nine for Oblivion, where it provides many hours of gameplay, not just a one-off thing of an item (or items) or a hangout, or things like that.”
Todd Howard used the word “substantial” to describe the additional content at E3, where he also said it would be 360-exclusive. Hines told us, though, that the PC version would be getting the DLC as well.
“DLC is going to be exclusive to the PC and 360, not just 360,” he said. “Every platform has its advantages and disadvantages when it comes to DLC, and I assure you we are intimately aware of every technical, business, and fan-service aspect when it comes to DLC and any given platform.
“We felt [PC and 360 exclusivity] was the right thing to do for Fallout 3.”
Fallout 3 ships on October 7. No date’s been even hinted at the DLC as yet.
videogaming247 » Blog Archive » “Substantial” 360 and PC Fallout 3 DLC equivalent to Oblivion’s KotN, says Hines
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Bethesda talk about a wide range of things- 360, DLC and even Fallout 4:
Bethesda Softworks' head Pete Hines has explained why his company picks the Xbox 360 as their main development platform rather than the PLAYSTATION 3 or PC.
"If you have the PC as your lead machine you have the problem of not knowing what configurations people have, how many gigs of RAM or what graphics card they have," explained Hines.
"Obviously we are more familiar with the Xbox because we are familiar and the other thing is that the Xbox is much easier to take to tech shows.
"We can just pop the hard-drive off the Xbox and put it on any machine which is an advantage. Taking the PC or PS3 to these things just isn't convenient."
Peter Hines started talking about the exclusive content for the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game.
"When I say exclusive I mean it is exclusive to just the Xbox 360.
"If you want to play the Fallout 3 downloadable content you will need to have an Xbox 360 or a PC."
Will there be any future Fallouts after this one?
"We didn't buy the Fallout franchise to just do Fallout 3 and then stop," he said.
"But let's get this one out of the door before we worry about the next one."
SCRAWL: Bethesda: Why We Prefer 360, DLC, and Fallout 4
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