Fallout is currently one of the biggest things in the world thanks to Amazon’s hit TV show. However, before all that, there was a time when Fallout as a franchise seemed dead. Then Bethesda stepped in, bought the IP in 2007, and announced plans to make Fallout 3, reviving the post-apocalyptic RPG series. And that’s when the company was flooded with death threats.
In a new video about designing the creatures in Fallout 3 and 4, former Bethesda character artist Jonah Lobe shared stories about all the planning, work, and details that went into iconic monsters like the Deathclaw and Radroach. I had no idea that Milelurks in Fallout 4 were inspired by the Droidekas in Star Wars, and now I do. It’s a great video filled with a ton of information on the making of Fallout 3 and 4 and you should watch it.
Lobe—who helped create the modern Deathclaw and who is impressed by all the porn of the monster out there—also talks honestly and openly about the negative reaction from angry, toxic, diehard Fallout fans when they found out their beloved series was being revived by the same studio behind The Elder Scrolls.
“When it was announced that Bethesda was going to take on the Fallout franchise there was a lot of excitement, a lot of enthusiasm, and a lot of death threats,” explained Lobe in the video.
“I know it might shock you to learn that not every gamer is a wonderful person. And Fallout, I’m sorry to say, had more than its average share of less-than-pleasant fans. To this small but very vocal community, our attempt to resurrect the franchise was nothing less than a sacrilege. For the first time ever, Bethesda had to hire a security guard.”
I talked to Lobe via Instagram about this detail, and he was unable to provide any more details as it’s “kinda been too long” and he couldn’t remember many more details.
“But I remember there was a lot of toxicity in places like [Fallout fan site] No Mutants Allowed,” added Lobe. He also told me that he and other devs at Bethesda weren’t “privy” to a lot of the details involving the threats and the needed security, adding: “Because obviously, you know, we were shielded from a lot of it.”
Of course, in the end, Bethesda’s Fallout 3 would go on to kickstart the franchise back to life, spawning sequels, spin-offs, expansions, thousands of mods, and now a full live-action blockbuster TV show, which is getting a second season.
So, despite the threats, Bethesda pulled off its plan to revive the franchise. Thanks to devs and artists like Lobe who added their own creative ideas and input into the games, turning them into massively popular RPGs with millions of fans around the world. Not bad for a revival that some toxic fans—before Fallout 3’s launch—claimed would kill any chance of the series continuing ever again.
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