Interplay Says Fallout MMO Might Get 2012 Beta

The Fallout MMO soap opera continues. Interplay, the company that still holds the rights to develop an online experience based on the Fallout universe, has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Masthead Studios, a Bulgarian development studio, related to the creation of the new game.

A deal between Interplay and Bethesda stipulated that development on the Fallout MMO had to begin within two years of the rights sales for other Fallout games. Masthead is also working on Earthrise, another MMO that has no release date.

Herve Caen, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Interplay, offered some information on when fans of the license can expect to see the first images of Project V13 in action. He stated that “This MMOG will have many unique features that we will disclose before [the] launch of the public beta in 2012.”

Bethesda Softworks sued Interplay claiming that the MMO project was not being worked on and that the rights to its creation should be taken away from the culprit. Bethesda paid no less than 5.75 million dollars for the right to put out Fallout titles in 2007 and one year later, it released the critically acclaimed and multi-million selling Fallout 3, which got several Game of the Year awards. With a single player title being so successful, Bethesda must be eager to release a MMO that might attract an even larger player base.

The Interplay-Bethesda suit was settled in December as a judge decided that the former proved that work was being done on the MMO. Still, the 2012 beta stage date seems a bit optimistic considering the fact that we have only seen a few concept art shots related to the Fallout MMO and seeing the rather poor financial shape of Interplay. The game and the franchise might be better served if Bethesda, which has more money and development resources, gets the rights and starts working on it.