Fallout fans are familiar with the fact that Black Isle’s original Fallout 3, Van Buren, faced cancellation due to financial issues. Tim Cain, the creator of Fallout, disclosed his involvement in the cancelation.
He was asked by Interplay to evaluate a tech demo for the game and informed them that it would take 18 months to complete, far longer than the six months Interplay had hoped for. This revelation sheds light on the development challenges that led to the eventual scrapping of the project.
Fallout 3, developed by Bethesda, was a highly acclaimed title that propelled the series into a new era. However, many may not be aware that Black Isle Studios was working on their own Fallout 3 under the codename Van Buren before it was discontinued due to financial constraints.
Despite the release of screenshots and a tech demo, the game faced insurmountable obstacles that ultimately led to its demise. Tim Cain’s recent video on his personal YouTube channel revealed his role in the cancelation of Van Buren.
He was invited by a VP at Interplay to assess the tech demo, as there were concerns about meeting deadlines. Cain’s evaluation indicated that the game would require approximately 18 months to be ready for release, a timeline that did not align with Interplay’s financial limitations.
Despite his insight, the game was deemed unfeasible to continue development and was subsequently canceled. Cain’s contribution to the cancelation raises questions about the possible outcomes if the financial constraints were different.
The Fallout franchise was later acquired by ZeniMax, marking a new chapter in its history. Nevertheless, the revelation of Cain’s involvement in the cancelation adds a new dimension to the understanding of the challenges faced by the original Fallout 3 project.
