K, so I'm aware that Interplay retained rights to produce a Fallout MMO (with several strict contengencies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_MMO#Fallout_MMOG) Since I am unsure of the exact details of the arrangement, could Interplay use new additions to the setting introduced in FO:3 for their own title? Since the IP is fairly split, would Interplay have to request permission from Bethesda to re-use new concepts or characters introduced in FO:3 or do they retain the right to use all parts of the IP in an MMO including those introduced by Bethesda?

I doubt Interplay will be using any element of the FO:3 game engine, so licensing of that would be a rather moot point, to my way of thinking, I'm expecting to see a game system similar to FO:1, and FO:2 with obvious graphical improvements, and slight engine overhaul to be made more adaptive to a MMO environment.

Of course the other question is even if Interplay can use additions to the IP from FO:3.... do you think they will? I've not heard any kind of feedback from developers of the earlier FO games in response to FO:3 so I can't personally forsee where they see where the MMO is going to go.



Also does Bethesda retain rights to produce a 4th single player Fallout Title?

I'll address your last point first. Bethesda own the rights to Fallout, they can do anything they want with it, they can create a 4th single player Fallout title, and it's very likely they will judging by the mainstream success 3 has shown. And they can continue up the numerical track in sequence as they please, and create spin-offs as they please. Bethesda own Fallout.

To address your initial question, probably not without Bethesda's permission. In my personal opinion, for better or for worse, I wouldn't expect Interplay to use aspects of FO3, simply because the devs of each rendition don't see eye to eye, which is evident in the vast differences between both style and gameplay from predecessors to this 3rd instalment. They would be free to use the Gamebryo engine if they so choose, it's available for rent/purchase by any company as and when they require it.

Feedback from Chris Taylor and Jason Anderson will be close to nothing until the MMO is officially announced, which can be no later than April 4th this year. Then they will be free to submit any plans they have for the MMO.

I believe that Interplay does not have rights to new elements introduced by Bethesda. That said, they'll probably set the game on the West Coast, simply avoiding any mentions of places introduced in FO3, but also trying not to contradict any of Bethesda's lore.

Unless specifically granted by Beth, IPLAY will not have use of FO3 content. The West coast is a good bet, not only for the reason you s tate (which is a good one), but also to leverage their previous work. We already have many locations and many story threads to play with. A game which encompasses the areas of both games would be interesting

My knowledge of how MMOs work in terms of worlds are lacking at best. Wouldn't they just release expanded content into the gameworld? Possibly even allowing you to jump to different regions etc. I was always under the impression that MMO free roam game worlds tried to give the feel of being limitless. This might just be complete noobdom on my part, and probably is.

It kind of depends. Take WoW, for example: Areas are large, but there are boundries in most places. There is usually a couple ways to move from one area to another, and every other way is blocked by impassible terrain. This is a general simplification, but the reason I bring it up is that the FO MMO could easily be designed with separate areas, like FO1, for example, and an overhead map for navigation, so it would play very much like FO1: Free roaming in each zone, and the zones are "towns" on the overhead map, with, one hopes, the potential for random encounters when traveling from one zone to another.

Personally, I'd rather see one large free roaming map, ala FO3, but FO1 style would be very cool, and different for MMOs.