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[IbizaPocholo]

Obsidian Founder Says He Would 'Love To Make A New Fallout Game'

"I hung around at Interplay for probably an extra year because I wanted to work on Fallout more."

www.dualshockers.com

In a recent chat with DualShockers, Obsidian co-founder Feargus Urquhart revealed his studio's ongoing interest in Fallout.

Now, speaking with DualShockers to celebrate Fallout's 25th anniversary, Obsidian founder Feargus Urquhart shared his thoughts about the possibility of the studio making another Fallout game. While Urquhart didn't give away specifics, he did reveal that Obsidian would love to return to the series.

When asked about whether Obsidian would welcome the opportunity to work on a new Fallout game, Urquhart responded assertively. "Of course, if we ever got the opportunity to make another Fallout game, we'd make it. There's not even a question of whether or not we would do it, it's just 'Will the opportunity arise?'" he said. "I hung around at Interplay for probably an extra year because I wanted to work on Fallout more. I love Fallout."

The studio is extremely busy, but once the current schedule clears up, then Urquhart said it will look at what it can do next. "At some point we'll start looking into what those next games are going to be, and I would be surprised if Fallout is not on that list," he told us. "If we were to do Fallout, it has to tie in with what Bethesda is doing with Fallout and a lot of other things, but I would always personally say my hope is that before I ride off into the sunset, I'd love to make another Fallout game."

During the interview, Urquhart also revealed other interesting tidbits, such as the fact that the first iteration of Fallout 3 that Interplay began to work on (even before Van Buren) was being made on a 3D engine called the NDL engine. "The NDL Engine became Netimmerse, which then became Gamebryo, which is the engine they actually ended up using for Fallout 3." Development didn't get far however, and the team was moved to work on Icewind Dale instead.

New Vegas was notoriously buggy on release, but unofficial patches, mods, and other community fixes over the years have eradicated most of its problems, helping the game reach its potential. With Obsidian now owned by Microsoft rather than Bethesda, the studio wouldn't be confined to using the proprietary engine Bethesda uses for its own games, like Skyrim and Fallout 4. Even though Gamebryo, the Bethesda-made engine used for New Vegas, caused problems for Obsidian, Urquhart still had some kind words for it. "From a game creator's standpoint — I mean world builders, systems people, designers — other than the bugs, it was super easy to work with," Urquhart said. "Changes that Epic are just now making in Unreal 5 in 2022 is stuff that that engine did all the way back in Oblivion time, which is that you have a big world and then it made it very easy for multiple people to work within this big world."

 

[adamsapple]

I think/hope they get the chance soon, considering they're under the same umbrella now.

 

[Trazyn the Infinite]

Depends on who they get to write it. I can’t say I have been blown away from Obsidians writing in a long, long while.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

And I would love to play it.

 

[SF Kosmo]

It's genuinely baffling to me that in this whole organization, which includes inXile, Obsidian, and Bethesda, that there is no apparently Fallout game in active development. Like every developer with ties to the franchise is on hand and you have two of them making I-can't-believe-it's-not-Fallout games. Make this make sense.

 

[amigastar]

Is Feargus Urquhart responsible for The Outer Worlds?
Currently playing it and really enjoying it.

 

[Trazyn the Infinite]

It's genuinely baffling to me that in this whole organization, which includes inXile, Obsidian, and Bethesda, that there is no apparently Fallout game in active development. Like every developer with ties to the franchise is on hand and you have two of them making I-can't-believe-it's-not-Fallout games. Make this make sense.

Same could be said about almost any franchise, to be fair. Reality is this is entirely on the publisher. Devs only have so many hands on deck to make a game.

 

[Revolutionary]

Maybe one day they'll get their hands at Fallout again, but it ain't happening anytime soon.

 

[Labadal]

Depends on who they get to write it. I can’t say I have been blown away from Obsidians writing in a long, long while.

Because all their good writers decided to leave.

 

[Wildebeest]

Shock news. Businessman would like to sign contracts to give his teams reliably profitable IP to work on.

 

[YuLY]

New Vegas is a masterpiece, one of the best RPGs ever made. But current Obsidian isnt the 2010 Obsidian. Look at The Outer Worlds, one of the most overrated games in recent memory. They dont have the same writers anymore (google the group photo, it will explain everything) and competent designers like Josh are working on small stuff.

I'd keep Fallout as far away as possible from present Obsidian.

 

[Dirk Benedict]

Shock news. Businessman would like to sign contracts to give his teams reliably profitable IP to work on.

Correction, man who helped conceive Fallout wants to make one more before he dies or leaves the company "ride into the sunset".

 

[Trazyn the Infinite]

Because all their good writers decided to leave.

Sadly. Grounded is inoffensive and rather boring - but I would rather have that than the travesty of Outer Worlds.

 

[SF Kosmo]

Same could be said about almost any franchise, to be fair. Reality is this is entirely on the publisher. Devs only have so many hands on deck to make a game.

But again games like Outer Worlds and Wasteland were created specifically because those devs didn't have access to the Fallout IP anymore. To continue working on those series when you DO have access to Fallout -- and when no one else is -- is baffling.

 

[Trazyn the Infinite]

But again games like Outer Worlds and Wasteland were created specifically because those devs didn't have access to the Fallout IP anymore. To continue working on those series when you DO have access to Fallout -- and when no one else is -- is baffling.

Wasteland was made before Fallout though? Also Outer Worlds is nothing like Fallout.

But otherwise I agree. I would love to see more Fallout games.

 

[Laptop1991]

Any new Fallout game is welcome, as long as it's not like 76, i hope he get's the chance.

 

[Irobot82]

Nothing has come close to New Vegas in modern fallouts. It would be a very welcomed addition to the franchise.

 

[Perrott]

Is Feargus Urquhart responsible for The Outer Worlds?
Currently playing it and really enjoying it.

He's just the CEO if I'm not mistaken. The creative leads behind The Outer Worlds have moved on to the sequel, while Fallout: New Vegas creative director Josh Sawyer is now about to release Pentiment this November.

Looking at Obsidian's schedule and the timing of these statements by the CEO, I'd say the most likely candidate to get to direct an hypothetical new Fallout game at the studio is Sawyer.

 

[elliot5]

He's just the CEO if I'm not mistaken. The creative leads behind The Outer Worlds have moved on to the sequel, while Fallout: New Vegas creative director Josh Sawyer is now about to release Pentiment this November.

Looking at Obsidian's schedule and the timing of these statements by the CEO, I'd say the most likely candidate to get to direct an hypothetical new Fallout game at the studio is Sawyer.

Don’t think Sawyer really wants to work on a large production game again

 

[xrnzaaas]

New Vegas 2 would be awesome, it's the only Fallout game after 1 & 2 I enjoyed.

 

[Badlucktroll]

I think Todd Howard will stop it somehow. Also, i would like to see a Fallout in a tropical setting, or one that takes place in a nuclear winter.

 

[Hendrick's]

Shock news. Businessman would like to sign contracts to give his teams reliably profitable IP to work on.

He's an employee of MS. He is not signing contracts with them to make a game, nor does he stand to profit outside of a bonus if the game does well.

 

[ACESHIGH]

Bethesda focused on fallout way too much last gen. This has to be an elder scrolls one. Let obsidian focus on awowed.

 

[SF Kosmo]

Wasteland was made before Fallout though?

But the fact is there's no way Wasteland 2 and 3 would have been if Brian Fargo had access to the Fallout IP. Fallout itself was always meant as a successor Wasteland and later Wasteland games as a successors to Fallout 1 and 2.

Also Outer Worlds is nothing like Fallout.

If you say so. They were sure marketed at Fallout fans.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

How much of the core staff who made New Vegas amazing are even still at Obsidian?

 

[Wildebeest]

Correction, man who helped conceive Fallout wants to make one more before he dies or leaves the company "ride into the sunset".

So he had a secret creative role on the project not listed in the game credits?

 

[Dirk Benedict]

So he had a secret creative role on the project not listed in the game credits?

Here, let me do the "work" for you:

Feargus Urquhart

Feargus MacRae Urquhart is the former President at Interplay Entertainment, Black Isle Studios and is the current CEO of Obsidian Entertainment. Urquhart was involved with the production of both Fallout and Fallout 2, and had been working on the Van Buren project up until its cancellation. In...

fallout.fandom.com

 

[Wildebeest]

Here, let me do the "work" for you:

Feargus Urquhart

Feargus MacRae Urquhart is the former President at Interplay Entertainment, Black Isle Studios and is the current CEO of Obsidian Entertainment. Urquhart was involved with the production of both Fallout and Fallout 2, and had been working on the Van Buren project up until its cancellation. In...

fallout.fandom.com

Do you think that CEO is a creative role?

 

[Dirk Benedict]

Do you think that CEO is a creative role?

Did you even bother fucking reading the wiki article? He's also a designer, TOO JFC.

 

[Wildebeest]

Did you even bother fucking reading the wiki article? He's also a designer, TOO JFC.

You said he "helped conceive Fallout" so where does it say that in the Fallout 1 credits?

 

[Dirk Benedict]

You said he "helped conceive Fallout" so where does it say that in the Fallout 1 credits?

First person on the ignore. Welcome to the "Special" club. After years of having this feature, I get to test it out on you. FWIW: Keep doubling down on your idiotic comment and ride along.

 

[Wildebeest]

First person on the ignore. Welcome to the "Special" club. After years of having this feature, I get to test it out on you. FWIW: Keep doubling down on your idiotic comment and ride along.

You could have just said, he was a manager on Fallout and not a creative involved in the conception of the game, and left it at that.

 

[Punished Miku]

No thanks. Make new IP. We've all played plenty of Fallout

 

[CatLady]

No thanks. Make new IP. We've all played plenty of Fallout

There is NEVER enough Fallout!

 

[zcaa0g]

New Vegas was held back by the shittiest map compared to 3 and 4. It had the best story and interactions, but the map was a bore to explore.

 

[Robb]

Go for it!

 

[Trazyn the Infinite]

But the fact is there's no way Wasteland 2 and 3 would have been if Brian Fargo had access to the Fallout IP. Fallout itself was always meant as a successor Wasteland and later Wasteland games as a successors to Fallout 1 and 2.

I was unaware of this. I thought that the only reason he moved to Fallout was because he couldn’t create the Wasteland sequel he wanted.

If you say so. They were sure marketed at Fallout fans.

I do remember Wasteland 2 being marketed in its kickstarter to fans of old CRPGs, but not specifically Fallout Fans. Outer Worlds I went back to look at all the pre-release information and I don’t see anything trying to sell itself to Fallout fans other than “From the minds of New Vegas and KOTOR 2 creators“ which was incredibly suspect for many, many reasons. But again - that isn’t selling itself to Fallout Fans, just Obisidian fans.

 

[xpresstuning]

I don't know, i don't think they still got it. What made New Vegas great was that it was a story sandbox. It was cohesive and made sense, and it was intertwined in a way to be almost endlessly replayable. I can't think of any game, really, any game which has a story as replayable as New Vegas. Fantastic game, probably one of the best ever made (with 25 - 30 mods as a requirement for a first time playthrough in 2022).

I don't mind Fallout 3 and 4 - albeit with mods (especially in the case of 3 nowadays) to make them stable and fun to actually play through that shit engine they're on - i think they're good, in some cases even great, but their writing is shit. Everything from the characters to the main plot, to all the quests. They're like a parody that i can't really wrap my head around why they're so awful. And "radiant" quests, for fuck's sake, are the most useless ways to make you waste the precious time you have on this Earth. Fallout 4 was ridiculously flawed in the narrative department in particular, flaws magnified by one of the worst dialogue mechanics i have ever seen in a video game, making the Extended Dialogue Interface an essential mod for anyone starting it.

So imagine my surprised with FO4's expansion - Far Harbor. What? A fantastic atmosphere, good writing? Compelling characters? Well damn. Whoever made this should absolutely be put in charge of the quest design and writing of the next future Fallout.

New Vegas was held back by the shittiest map compared to 3 and 4. It had the best story and interactions, but the map was a bore to explore.

It had some of the best locations ever tho., making it worth exploring.

 

[Ozriel]

It's genuinely baffling to me that in this whole organization, which includes inXile, Obsidian, and Bethesda, that there is no apparently Fallout game in active development. Like every developer with ties to the franchise is on hand and you have two of them making I-can't-believe-it's-not-Fallout games. Make this make sense.

Because the development teams are at work making other AAA RPGs? The ones they really want to make?

 

[semiconscious]

New Vegas is a masterpiece, one of the best RPGs ever made. But current Obsidian isnt the 2010 Obsidian. Look at The Outer Worlds, one of the most overrated games in recent memory. They dont have the same writers anymore (google the group photo, it will explain everything) and competent designers like Josh are working on small stuff.

I'd keep Fallout as far away as possible from present Obsidian.

yep. an 'outer worlds fallout' might just be the death of me...

 

[TintoConCasera]

Nah, if it's going to be written by the same hacks that wrote The Outer Worlds, then they better not.

I'm far more hyped about New Blood's take on classic Fallout.

 

[BennyBlanco]

Nah, if it's going to be written by the same hacks that wrote The Outer Worlds, then they better not.

I'm far more hyped about New Blood's take on classic Fallout.

wow this is gonna be sick

 

[JohnnyFootball]

We'd love for you to make a new Fallout game, but Microsoft is too fucking stupid to allow Obsidian to make one.

 

[KungFucius]

This is a lame tease. Fallout 5 won't come until 2037 at this pace. Obsidian absolutely should be making a FO game now or at least planning it out.

 

[Frank Horrigan]

I would say remaster the originals, but they would have to butcher so much content and side missions that it isn't worth it.

Remaster NV though, That game was ahead of it's time and the ps360 didn't do their vision justice.

 

[fermcr]

Microsoft... please make it happen.

 

[YuLY]

I think InXile are better positioned to make a Fallout game, they have the experience in that thematic setting with Wasteland. I think people dont realize that the current Obsidian isnt the one that gave us Kotor 2, New Vegas and Alpha Protocol.

 

[ungalo]

The Outer Worlds is well written, i'll keep repeating myself about that. The ones behind TOW are Cain and Boyarsky (lead writer also Boyarsky) and you can tell because the dialogue options are a delight when you like this kind of games. The narrative that says the game was written by blue hair obese girls and that the plot itself is some sort of leftist garbage fantasy is really weird, like we didn't play the same game. Except Disco Elysium i don't see a game that's funnier this last few years. It's not because the Parvati quest is a little cringe that the game should be defined by that.

As for a Fallout game by Obsidian, it could be a lot of different things. Industry changed since New Vegas, even though New Vegas was already a deeply flawed game technically wise, it was still a big open world AAA developed in less than 2 years. Now even if they're 250 in the studio in total, i doubt they would be able to handle a development like that. And i would not be excited for a minor spin off.

Of course it could be a co-dev with Bethesda, it would be interesting but even then a lot of challenges.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

I think InXile are better positioned to make a Fallout game, they have the experience in that thematic setting with Wasteland. I think people dont realize that the current Obsidian isnt the one that gave us Kotor 2, New Vegas and Alpha Protocol.

Pentiment release isn't that far off.

I would hold my horses before making a judgement.

 

[Godot25]

He said it again

https://www.gamepressure.com/editor...ian-survived-feargus-urquhart-interview/za604

We’re not working on it right now, our plate is pretty full with Avowed, Grounded and Outer Worlds 2. I don’t know when we’re going to start talking about new games, maybe towards the end of next year [conversation took place before Christmas 2022 – ed. note]. We just have to see what’s going on. That’s the best way to say it. There’s nothing in the plans, nothing on the piece of paper that says that. But I’ll stick to what I said. I would love to make another Fallout before I retire. I don’t know when that is, I don’t have a date of my retirement. It’s funny – you can say I’m already 52, or only 52. It’s one of those two, depending on the day. My hope is that’ll happen, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Also, I find it interesting that he specifically mentioned end of this year as time to start talking about new game. It really sounds like he expects one of the teams (Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 teams) to be free from development of their current game at the end of the year.

So. Avowed in 2023/start of 2024?