14 DAY TRIAL // Interplay has so far managed to keep the rights to create the Fallout Online MMO experience, under intense pressure from publisher Bethesda, who has launched Fallout 3 and New Vegas in the last few years, but it seems that the project is now threatened by the fact that the company has big financial problems and might declare bankruptcy soon.
Interplay has reported that it has lost 1.034 million dollars for the year that ended on December 31 of 2010 and during the same period its revenue only amounted to 1.380 million.
It's working capital deficit stands at 2.877 million dollars and it seems that the company has no credit lines that it can tap in order to get the cash needed to continue operation.
In documents that Interplay has filled with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company says, “If we do not receive sufficient financing or sufficient funds from our operations we may (i) liquidate assets, (ii) seek or be forced into bankruptcy and/or (iii) continue operations, but incur material harm to our business, operations or financial condition. These measures could have a material adverse effect on our ability to continue as a going concern.”
Interplay also says that the situation is directly linked to the Fallout Online project and that development work on it might be stopped in the coming months.
At the moment Masthead Studios, which has experience working on Earthrise, is working on Fallout Online and for the last few months Bethesda has been sending out teaser emails that are fleshing out the game world.
Interplay says that Fallout Online should be launched during 2012, but the date seems ambitious for a game that is at the moment underfunded.
Obsidian is currently preparing more downloadable content for the Bethesda published Fallout: New Vegas and another game in the series is probably in the early stages of development.