"Project V13" (AKA: FALLOUT MMO!)

[HaemishM]

From Wikipedia:

In 2001, French publisher Titus Interactive completed its acquisition of majority control of Interplay. Immediately afterwards, they shed most of its publisher functions and signed a long-term agreement by which Vivendi Universal would publish Interplay's games. Founder Brian Fargo eventually departed as Titus had changed Interplay's main focus from PC Gaming to Console Gaming.[7] However, Titus went through financial and legal difficulties, culminating in a close of business in 2005 after unsuccessfully trying to sell Interplay. Titus left many of its employees, both local and the international wholly owned developers, without redundancy or owed back-pay, and left creditors with large debts. Titus CEO Herve Caen then assumed the same capacity at Interplay.

Yeah, that's the part I'm thinking of. Herve Caen, complete cocksucker.

[Modern Angel]

Yeah, this dude is insisting that Bethesda is a big bad and Interplay was so close to having their shit together if it wasn't for this motivationless crime. I'd press things further but since I'm doing some freelance work for him I'm going to tie my hands to the chair in order to restrain myself.

Even if I grant that Bethesda was trying to box in Interplay, the bringing in a subcontractor in an explicitly no subcontractors contract really can't be laid at Bethesda's feet.

[Wolf]

the funny thing is Masthead was _actually_ developing the game. And their management truly believed they'd get to make it. That's alongside their 4 other projects, including an iphone game 

[UnSub]

Masthead has had to basically walk away from any work they've done for Interplay on this. According to their site, work on it started in 2009. Hope they got cash up front.

[Modern Angel]

the funny thing is Masthead was _actually_ developing the game.

Elaborate, please. Do you mean they farmed the entire thing out to Masthead? Like, the WHOLE thing?

[koro]

That's my understanding of it, at least.

[HaemishM]

Yeah, Interplay was farming the development of the MMOG to Masthead, even though their contract said you can't farm the MMO out, Interplay has to develop it in-house.

[Modern Angel]

Oh shit. I figured Masthead was doing engine work or motion capture or something. One thing, big or small. The whole thing is...

[Jobu]

From Wikipedia:

In 2001, French publisher Titus Interactive completed its acquisition of majority control of Interplay. Immediately afterwards, they shed most of its publisher functions and signed a long-term agreement by which Vivendi Universal would publish Interplay's games. Founder Brian Fargo eventually departed as Titus had changed Interplay's main focus from PC Gaming to Console Gaming.[7] However, Titus went through financial and legal difficulties, culminating in a close of business in 2005 after unsuccessfully trying to sell Interplay. Titus left many of its employees, both local and the international wholly owned developers, without redundancy or owed back-pay, and left creditors with large debts. Titus CEO Herve Caen then assumed the same capacity at Interplay.

Yeah, that's the part I'm thinking of. Herve Caen, complete cocksucker.

I worked for a studio owned by Titus in the late 90s. It was quite amusing after quitting watching them fly the company (subsidiaries and all) into the ground. I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop like this for like 10 years.

[Simond]

Interplay was really just one asshole trying to hold onto the name and the IP despite having run the company into the fucking ground over 8 years ago.

Obligatory: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/07/02

[Sheepherder]

There's your solution Modern Angel: link the dude to that Penny Arcade.

[Modern Angel]

It's okay, I think the subcontractor bit sealed the gentlemanly disagreement for me.

[Wolf]

Hope they got cash up front.

They didn't.