Bethesda announced today on its website that Fallout New Vegas is targeted for a fall 2010 release on the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3. Along with the announcement, Bethesda released a teaser trailer showing a robot picking through rubble with a barren, debris-covered wasteland appearing, and then eventually the lit Vegas skyline, as the camera pulls back. Finally, a figure appears in the foreground wearing a long coat and what appears to be a gas mask as the announcer states ominously, “War, war never changes.”
Fallout New Vegas will be developed by Obsidian Entertainment, which developed Knights of the Old Republic 2 and Neverwinter Nights 2. Although both of Obsidian’s prior titles were not quite as good as their predecessors in the series, which were developed by other companies, both were admirable titles true to the experience of the series and definitely worth playing. So, I’m looking forward to seeing where Obsidian takes the Fallout series post-Fallout 3, especially because Bethesda points out that the Obsidian team will be led by the founders of Black Isle Studios, which developed the original Fallout and its sequel, Fallout 2.
Bethesda also provided an overview of the game, in typical Vault-Tec commercial style:
Experience all the sights and sounds of fabulous New Vegas, brought to you by Vault-Tec, America’s First Choice in Post Nuclear Simulation. Explore the treacherous wastes of the Great Southwest from the safety and comfort of your very own vault: Meet new people, confront terrifying creatures, and arm yourself with the latest high-tech weaponry as you make a name for yourself on a thrilling new journey across the Mojave wasteland. A word of warning, however – while Vault-Tec engineers have prepared for every contingency,* in Vegas, fortunes can change in an instant. Enjoy your stay.
* Should not be construed as a legally-binding claim.