Interplay re-opens studio

Author: Joe Martin
Published: 14th November 2007

Interplay are back and working on a new Fallout MMO game by the sounds of things.

Interplay, the developer behind such classic games as Fallout: A Post-Apocalyptic Adventure Game, are officially back in business after an much-lamented hiatus.

Interplay originally started suffering financial problems in 2004 when it emerged that the rent hadn't been paid in a while. Then it turned out nobody at the office was getting paid either and the company was forced to abandon development of it's last game, codenamed Van Buren. Van Buren was later revealed to be the third instalment in the incredibly well-crafted and popular Fallout game.

Although the developer and publisher has been out of business for the last few years, it looks like it's time for the company to rise from the ashes. Gamasutra has reported that the company has re-opened it's internal development studio and put Jason Anderson in charge as the Creative Director. Anderson was one of the core design team for the original Fallout games.

So, what's on the cards for the reformed development team? Well, the only other announcement is that the team is being focused on a top-secret MMO. It doesn't take much to figure out what the game is though - the only license Interplay still owns is the rights to a Fallout MMO, even though the singleplayer game has been sold to Bethesda.

Personally, I can't tell you how great it feels to see a company like Interplay - who were connected to all of the best RPGs ever, including Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment before the company dissolved and the developers spread to make games like Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines - return to glory.

What about you though? Are you glad that the boys are back in town, or do you think BioWare can handle things solo on the RPG front? Let us know your thoughts in the forums.