The Vanishing Act of Fallout's Early Development Materials
Fallout 1 and 2's original source code have been miraculously salvaged, thanks to a dedicated programmer's efforts: "I pursued a mission to save every detail."
In a recent confession, Tim Cain, the lead dev of the original Fallout, bemoaned his complete loss of Fallout's early development materials due to Interplay's negligence. His departure from the company left him without copies of early beta builds and even meeting notes, and unfortunately for Cain, Interplay seems to have also misplaced the source code, original Fallout artwork, and the clay models used to create the 3D speaking heads of some NPCs.
Thankfully, Interplay co-founder and programmer, Rebecca Heineman, managed to salvage the source code for Fallout 1 and 2[1]. According to a chat with VideoGamer, Heineman assembled an anthology of games Interplay published in the '90s using her own copies of the source code, except for the original Wasteland. When seeking it, she found that others were less dedicated to safeguarding their intellectual property, leading her to obtain a copy from Electronic Arts.
From the inception of Interplay in 1993, Heineman archived the code of every game she worked on, including Fallout 1 and 2. She even went as far as keeping backups of games she ported for MacPlay until long after her departure from Interplay.
Heineman's generosity didn't stop with the source code for the 3DO version of Doom, as she made it available on Github[3]. Obtaining the rights for Fallout would require permission from Bethesda[1], whom she has yet to approach. Given Bethesda's recent remastering efforts and acknowledgement of modding communities, granting permission for the Fallout archival project would be a welcome addition to their goodwill tour.
*Some Cheats for Your Wasteland Adventures*
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Jody Macgregor
Beginning with a Commodore 64 and a code wheel for Pool of Radiance, Jody Macgregor's gaming roots run deep. His extensive journalistic career has seen him interview heavyweights like Giorgio Moroder and Trent Reznor, and co-host Australia's first radio show dedicated to gaming, Zed Games. His writing has graced renowned publications such as Rock Paper Shotgun, VideoGamer, GamesRadar, Zam, Glixel, Five Out of Ten Magazine, and Playboy.com. Jody penned his first article for PC Gamer in 2015, focusing on the audio aspects of the terrifying environment of Alien Isolation[4]. Subsequent articles have explored everything from the case for Silent Hill on PC, to why Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale reigns supreme in the fantasy shopkeeper simulation genre, and the bizarre spectacles of Lost Ark[5]. Jody served as editor of PC Gamer Indie from 2017 to 2018, and has fulfilled his longstanding promise of playing every Warhammer game.[6]
[1] https://www.videogamer.com/news/fallout-developer-confirms-source-code-exists-and-needs-bethesda-s-permission-to-be-released.html[2] https://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-source-code-could-be-released-rebecca-heineman-gives-us-the-lowdown/[3] https://github.com/rebeccaise/doom[4] https://www.pcgamer.com/2015/09/22/why-alien-isolation-has-the-best-soundscape-of-the-year/[5] https://www.pcgamer.com/lost-ark-is-mythical-and-absurd/[6] https://www.pcgamer.com/pc-gamer-indie-is-dead-long-live-pc-gamer-indie/
- Jody Macgregor, a writer known for his extensive gaming background, discussed the audio aspects of the terrifying environment in Alien Isolation, a game that showcases impressive feats in technology, much like modern gadgets and gaming systems.
- Despite the losses of early development materials due to Interplay's negligence, Rebecca Heineman, a co-founder and programmer of Interplay, managed to preserve the source code for Fallout 1 and 2, providing a chance for gamers to 'win' again amidst the season of remastering efforts.
- In a recent project, Heineman even collected and saved source codes for various games released in the '90s, potentially opening doors for bets on the recreation of classic games, while underlining the significance of holding on to intellectual property in technology and the gaming world.
