The Fallout MMO is now in (greater) jeopardy thanks to a severe financial crisis at Interplay.
An SEC Filing from Interplay has revealed that the company is in dire financial straits and may be forced to fold if new finances aren’t procured soon. According to the filing, Interplay only had $3000 (US) in the bank at the end of 2010 and has accumulated $2.8 million of debt over the past few years. The deficit includes approximately $239,000 owed to the Interplay board of directors, as well as $410,000 in unpaid federal taxes and over $80,000 in unpaid state taxes in California.
“We currently have some obligations that we are unable to meet without generating additional income or raising additional capital,” Interplay told stockholders. “If we cannot generate additional income or raise additional capital in the near future, we may become insolvent and/or be made bankrupt and/or may become illiquid or worthless.”
Interplay has said that it may have to reduce its small 11 person staff or sell other assets if new financing can’t be found. Those assets could include licenses for properties like Battlechess, ClayFighter, Dark Alliance, Descent, Earthworm Jim, MDK, and Stonekeep, all of which have been farmed out for “production or pre-production” with other game studios.
The news also casts some doubt on Interplay’s upcoming Fallout MMO. The game has been in development since 2007, but the studio has been engaged in a nasty legal battle with Bethesda for publishing rights and the lack of funding could prove to be a death knell for the title.
Source: Gamasutra
