Microsoft set the gaming world on fire yesterday when it announced a $7.5 billion takeover of ZeniMax Media.
While the parent company's name might not register with some, the company it owns, Bethesda Studios, definitely will. Bethesda has been responsible for the likes of The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Wolfenstein, DOOM and Quake.
Since news of the takeover broke, there have been many discussions about the future of those franchises.
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Developer Obsidian was responsible for the Fallout: New Vegas instalment, which is widely regarded as one of the best in the series, and it's understood the company wasn't asked back for more. Bethesda Studios developed the other titles in the franchise and that's where we were left.
However, as part of Microsoft's takeover of ZeniMax Media, it will also control Bethesda and Obsidian, paving the way for a potential New Vegas sequel.
When a Twitter user asked Obsidian whether another title was on the cards, the company replied with a shrug.
While that isn't a confirmation of anything, it's not a no.
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Even if it goes ahead, don't get your hopes up of the game coming anytime soon as Obsidian is still working on The Outer Worlds and has also revealed a new fantasy RPG Avowed.
Details of how the Microsoft takeover will affect the rollout of future games is unclear and the company will decide whether it has exclusive console rights over a title on a 'case by case' basis.
Until then, we can get excited for a TV adaptation of Fallout. Amazon Studios is developing a live-action series based on the post-apocalyptic series.
A brief teaser was shared on Twitter, as the franchises' iconic 'Please Stand By' test card flashed up on a screen before vanishing in a haze of static.
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The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Westworld creators Lisa Joy and Jonah Nolan are attached to oversee the potential TV series.
It's very early days for the project, and currently has something called a commitment penalty attached. According to THR, this means if Amazon top brass like the script, Fallout would get a series straight away and skip the traditional pilot phase.
Joy and Nolan are set to exec produce the series under their Kilter Films banner. They'll work alongside Bethesda Game Studios and Fallout developer Bethesda Softworks. Todd Howard also serve as an executive producer on the project.
It'll certainly be interesting to see what the studio can do with Fallout as a TV series. The franchise has always boasted a fascinating aesthetic, combining 1940's kitsch with a grotesque vision of a nuclear-ravaged future.
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There are also more than enough characters and plot threads for Amazon to adapt into a series, if it so wishes.
Featured Image Credit: Bethesda/ObsidianTopics: News
