Fallout: New Vegas

[Krezack]

Obsidian Entertainment (a.k.a. Black Isle) is working on a new Fallout game set in the same universe as Fallout 1, 2, and 3. It will be a stand-alone product and not a sequel to FO3.

Presumably it will use the same engine and assets as FO3, although Obsidian do have their own specialised Onyx engine they just built which would be perfect for it (minus the asset re-creation).

It will come out in the middle of 2010.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/04/fallout-coming-to-vegas-in-2010.ars

For a taste of Obsidian's more recent work unrelated to Black Isle Studios, try Alpha Protocol, which is an FPS-RPG that comes out in a few months.

[Black Ninja]

Awesome, for Fallout 3 hath left me begging for more Fallout-y goodness.

[EvilMike]

That's interesting. I didn't think they even had the license.

I'm hoping that they make a game that is more of a "traditional" fallout. I actually loved fallout 3, and thought it was one of the best games of 2008, but I wouldn't mind seeing something done in the old style too. It would be nice because then we could have the more of FPS style (and bethesda is definitely going to be doing expansion packs, since they were blatantly hinted at in FO3) as well as another game using the RPG style.

I actually hope that this game they are working on isn't an FPS. While I enjoyed the FPS element in FO3, I think a totally different FO game with FPS gameplay would be a bit awkward.

Hopefully the storyline is consistent too (ignoring Tactics and that console game that was apparently really horrible, since I hear those games go a bit too far with contradicting the other games). A bit of inconsistency is to be expected of course, but there might be some trouble if two separate companies are concurrently developing different games set in the same universe. It probably won't be too big of a deal, since judging by the title, this game will be set very far away from FO3, geographically.

Actually, small inconsistencies can be fun, because you get to see hardcore fans jump through hoops in order to rationally explain continuity mistakes or other weird quirks (eg bottlecaps being the currency in FO3, even though FO2 used actual money). The real answer is always "because the developers decided to make it that way" but the crazy fan answer is always "well, you see, it's a different because in this point in the time line....blah blah blah". Or they can be extremely crazy and use the best phrase of all time, "NOT CANON!!!"

Kind of like what star trek fans do.

[Krezack]

That's interesting. I didn't think they even had the license.

I'm hoping that they make a game that is more of a "traditional" fallout. I actually loved fallout 3, and thought it was one of the best games of 2008, but I wouldn't mind seeing something done in the old style too. It would be nice because then we could have the more of FPS style (and bethesda is definitely going to be doing expansion packs, since they were blatantly hinted at in FO3) as well as another game using the RPG style.

I actually hope that this game they are working on isn't an FPS. While I enjoyed the FPS element in FO3, I think a totally different FO game with FPS gameplay would be a bit awkward.

Hopefully the storyline is consistent too (ignoring Tactics and that console game that was apparently really horrible, since I hear those games go a bit too far with contradicting the other games). A bit of inconsistency is to be expected of course, but there might be some trouble if two separate companies are concurrently developing different games set in the same universe. It probably won't be too big of a deal, since judging by the title, this game will be set very far away from FO3, geographically.

Actually, small inconsistencies can be fun, because you get to see hardcore fans jump through hoops in order to rationally explain continuity mistakes or other weird quirks (eg bottlecaps being the currency in FO3, even though FO2 used actual money). The real answer is always "because the developers decided to make it that way" but the crazy fan answer is always "well, you see, it's a different because in this point in the time line....blah blah blah". Or they can be extremely crazy and use the best phrase of all time, "NOT CANON!!!"

Kind of like what star trek fans do.

Skimming your post, I feel the same way.

However, since Bethesda approached them and said "here, if we license Fallout to you for a while can you make a cool game and we'll publish it?" I think they'll use the FO3 engine and assets. So it won't be turn-based or 3rd person. But it will be more traditional Fallout (hopefully), since it's Obsidian.

But Obsid could surprise us and do a 3rd person version based on Onyx.

Re bottlecaps: I thought it made sense in a way. It was about 30 years later, so perhaps people had time to establish an actual currency. Still, I prefer bottlecaps anyway.

EDIT: Tactics was fun not because it was Fallout, but because it was a Jagged Alliance 2 clone.