The following is content from the canceled Project V13 project 
Project V13 The following includes content from the canceled game Project V13.
Project V13, also known as Fallout Online, is the name of two canceled games proposed and developed by Interplay. Chris Taylor and Mark O'Green, two of the creators of the original Fallout, were among the developers.[Dev 1]
Background
Project V13 was the internal code name for Fallout Online. In addition to the team, Jason Anderson, one of the other creators of Fallout, was involved in the project between 2007 and 2009. Interplay's rights to developing and publishing the game were the subject of a legal dispute between Bethesda Softworks, the current owner of the Fallout franchise, and Interplay.
Feargus Urquhart cited reservations about an idea proposed by Brian Fargo for creating a Fallout MMO. Urquhart stated that he "would have loved to have made a Fallout MMO" but did not believe Interplay had sufficient resources at the time.[Dev 2] The project was passed to Engage, a subsidiary of Interplay, and then to Fallout Tactics developer Micro Forté, but the project was eventually canceled.[Ext 1][Ext 2]
Content
Development
The Armageddon Rag
The Armageddon Rag was an email newsletter used to promote the development of the game, written by Mark O'Green and Chris Taylor. It was presented as an in-universe magazine with short stories about the adventures of people in the Wasteland, as well as features like a Church of Harold brochure. The third and fourth issues were presented on a screen of a RobCo PIP-Pad. The third issue was also the first one in which gameplay info was teased.
- The Armageddon Rag, Vol. 1 (July 3, 2010)
- The Armageddon Rag, Vol. 2 (September 18, 2010)
- The Armageddon Rag, Vol. 3 (November 19, 2010)
- The Armageddon Rag, Vol. 4 (February 26, 2011)
Interplay Masthead Project
In November 2006, Interplay, headed by Hervé Caen, filed a Form 8-K filing to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding a potential Fallout massively multiplayer online game.[Ext 3] In April 2007, Bethesda Softworks, the developer of Fallout 3, purchased full rights to the Fallout IP for $5.75 million USD. While Bethesda owned the rights to the Fallout MMO IP as well, clauses in the purchase agreement allowed Interplay to license the rights to develop the MMO.[Ext 4]
Specific requirements were stated in the agreement that if not met, Interplay would immediately lose and surrender its license rights for Fallout. Development must have begun within 24 months of the date of the agreement (April 4, 2007), and Interplay must have secured $30 million within that time frame or forfeit its rights to license. Interplay would furthermore need to launch the MMOG within four years of the beginning of development and pay Bethesda 12 percent of sales and subscription fees for the use of the IP.
On August 1, 2007, ZeniMax Media Inc., the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, announced the creation of ZeniMax Online Studios. The division was headed by Matt Firor, an online gaming specialist, and focused on the MMO market segment.[Dev 3]
In November 2007, Interplay reopened in-house development and hired Fallout developer Jason D. Anderson as creative director.[Ext 5][Ext 6] In March 2009, Anderson left Interplay and joined InXile Entertainment.
In February 2009, Atanas Atanasov, president of Masthead Studios, a Bulgarian-based developer contacted Interplay offering their services in helping to develop the title.[Ext 7][Ext 8]
In March 2009 Hervé Caen visited Masthead Studios in Bulgaria and took a 90-second gameplay video of the game in development. At this point, Hervé Caen considered the game to be in full-scale development.[Ext 7] On April 2, 2009, Interplay announced a binding letter of intent with Masthead Studios to develop Project V13. Masthead and Interplay teams were to work together under the direction and control of Interplay to complete the development of the project[Ext 8][Ext 9] Under the agreement Interplay would pay between 25% and 45% of net receipts to Masthead, depending on the number of subscribers. Interplay valued this assistance at $US 20 million based upon the cost of the work.[Ext 7] Hervé Caen testified on December 10, 2009, that he was unaware if Masthead had ever launched a game, or MMO.[Ext 7]
As of April 4, 2009, the internal Project V13 wiki at Interplay consisted of at least 2,500 pages.[Ext 10] On June 15, 2010, the game was officially announced as Fallout Online.
Legal Dispute
On April 15, 2009, it was announced that Bethesda Softworks moved to rescind the Fallout MMORPG license. Interplay received notice from Bethesda that it intends to terminate the trademark license agreement, claiming that Interplay is in breach of the agreement for failure to commence full-scale development by April 4, 2009, and to secure certain funding for the game. Interplay disputed these claims.[Ext 11]
On July 15, 2009 Interplay's Project V13 developer Chris Taylor posted a reply on the Interplay website "Project V13" forum thread refuting the claims that Interplay lost the rights to the Fallout MMORPG. On September 8, 2009, Bethesda filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Interplay in the Maryland District Court.[Ext 12]
On December 10, 2009, the Maryland District Court denied Bethesda's request for a preliminary injunction. Interplay was able to continue development on the project until the case finished.[Ext 13]
A second case Bethesda Softworks LLC v Masthead Studios Ltd was filed to prevent Masthead from continuing to develop the game. They confirmed work had ceased as of May 2011, and their work did not involve any use of the Fallout trademarks or copyrights.
On January 10, 2012, the Fallout MMO rights were restored to Bethesda Softworks as a part of a settlement agreement. Project V13 was still promoted on the Interplay website for most of the year, but with no word on its current status until December 20, 2012, when it was officially confirmed to be canceled in favor of a new project by the same name.[Dev 4]
Gallery
Videos
External links
References
- ↑ Interplay Forums Project V13 (Archived)
- ↑ Feargus Urquhart: "The reason at the time, because I would have loved to have made a Fallout MMO, was that I believed that Interplay was just not in a situation where they had the resources to do it."
TotalVideoGames (Archived) - ↑ ZeniMax Online Studios press release (Archived)
- ↑ BlackIsle.com (Archived)
- ↑ GamesTM - Issue 124, pp. 76-81 (Archived)
- ↑ Gamesonline.com (Archived) and Engagegames.com (Archived)
- ↑ SEC filing
- ↑ "Fallout IP Sold to Bethesda" on Gamasutra.com (Archived)
- ↑ "Interplay Reopens Inhouse Development, Hires Former Fallout Designer" on Gamasutra.com (Archived)
- ↑ "Shady Sands: Black Isle Kicks Off Troubling Crowd-Funding Campaign For Non-Fallout RPG, Project V13" on GameSpy.com (Archived)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Exhibit 34, Bethesda Softworks v Interplay Entertainment
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Interplay and Masthead Studios to Jointly Develop Massively Multiplayer Online Game" on MarketScreener.com (Archived)
- ↑ "Earthrise studio arming Fallout MMORPG" on Gamespot.com (Archived)
- ↑ Bethesda Softworks v Interplay Entertainment trial court transcript
- ↑ Interplay's 10-K for 2008 on EdgarOnline (Archived)
- ↑ Bethesda Softworks LLC v. Interplay Entertainment Corporation court filing on Justia.com
- ↑ "Interplay staves off Fallout MMORPG shutdown" on Gamespot.com (Archived)