Bethesda Finally Wins Dispute With Interplay

Bethesda’s parent company ZeniMax Media has been in a longtime dispute with Interplay over rights to develop a Fallout MMO. Bethesda originally acquired the rights to Fallout from Interplay in 2007. Under the conditions, Interplay retained the rights to develope a Fallout MMO. However, this was only to be true should Interplay have had $30 million and have began development by April 2009. When this did not occur, Bethesda tried to revoke their rights, Interplay would not go down without a fight as it alleged it would develop it eventually.

The court has now decided on Bethesda’s side as the license granted to Interplay has been deemed null and void and all the rights have now transferred to Bethesda.

ZeniMax will play Interplay $2 million as part of the settlement and will allow them to sell Fallout Tactics, Fallout, and Fallout 2 PC games and merchandise until December 2013. After that point in time, Bethesda will now own the rights to those properties.

Robert Altman, chairman and CEO of ZeniMax Media, commented, “Fallout is an important property of ZeniMax and we are now able to develop future Fallout titles for our fans without third party involvement or the overhang of others’ legal claims.”

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