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Fallout is Released
Developed by Interplay Productions, Inspiration for the game came from the 1988 game Wasteland and and from various other pieces of film and literature from the Atomic Age. After its release, it became a huge success and was credited with reviving the RPG genre.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_(video_game))
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgjd4i1o4UY) -
Fallout 2 Released
Following the success of Fallout, work immediately began on a sequel. Development of the game was transferred over to Black Isle Studios, a division of Interplay focused on creating RPG's. Tim Cain, the lead programmer for Fallout, did some development on Fallout 2 before leaving to form Troika Games. The game was met with great success after its release. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_2)
(https://www.mobygames.com/company/black-isle-studios) -
Fallout Tactics Released
Some time after Fallout 2 was released, Interplay approached game company Micro Forté, expressing interest in their game engine for the Chimera Project and offering them a chance to make a Fallout game. Development proceeded on a game that, while keeping some RPG elements, focused more on combat and tactics. Due to lore contradictions with previous games, it and Fallout: BOS, were later decaled non-canon.
(https://www.gamebanshee.com/interviews/28262-fallout-tactics.html) -
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel Released
Due to continuing financial difficulties, Interplay had down Black Isle Studios and thus few of the people who worked on previous fallout titles were part of the development team for this game. This was the first game released exclusively on consoles and unlike previous Fallout games was more linear in its story and structure. It received mixed reviews.
(https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Fallout:_Brotherhood_of_Steel) -
Bethesda Softworks Buys the Fallout Franchise.
Unable to resolve their financial problems, Interplay is forced to auction off the Fallout franchise in June 2004. The series is bought by Bethesda, developer of the Elder Scrolls RPG series, for six million dollars. As part of the final deal in 2007, Interplay was allowed to continue development on a Fallout MMO as long as they completed it before 2009. Part of the profits would go to Bethesda.
(https://www.gamepressure.com/editorials/interplay-vs-bethesda-story-of-fallout-ip/z743) -
Fallout 3 is Released
Beginning development in 2004, the game was delayed in favor of Elder scrolls 4: Oblivion. When development did resume the game used the same Gamebryo engine as Oblivion. Fallout 3 introduced new elements into the series, including a first-person perspective in a departure from the top-down view of previous Fallout games. The game received critical acclaim upon its release.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_3) -
Fallout: New Vegas is Released
Deciding to follow up on the success of Fallout 3 but busy on develop Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Bethesda reached out to Obsidian Entertainment, a company founded by former members of Black Isle Studios, to develop the game. Despire carrying over technical problems from the previous game on launch, the game has received critical acclaim since then for its story.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout:_New_Vegas) -
Interplay Loses all rights to the Fallout Series
Unable to meet the 2009 development deadline for Fallout MMO, Bethesda accuses Interplay of breach of contract and takes them to court. After protracted proceedings the parties come to an agreement whereby Bethesda pays Interplay 2 million dollars in compensation in return for Interplay giving up the right to make any more Fallout games.
(https://www.gamepressure.com/editorials/interplay-vs-bethesda-story-of-fallout-ip/z743) -
Fall 4 Released
Using a new game engine (the Creation Engine), the game made featured for the first time a fully voice acted player character. The game received mostly positive reviews on its release.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_4) -
Fallout 76 Released
In 2018 Bethesda released Fallout 76, the first Fallout MMO game. It's reception was mixed, being criticized for numerous bugs at launch, the lack of story and NPC's, etc. Since then the game has continued to gain updates, including the Wastelanders update in 2020 which addressed several criticisms including adding in NPC's.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_76)