This year marks the 15th anniversary of Fallout: New Vegas, the beloved spin-off that was developed by Obsidian Entertainment. Bethesda hasn’t entrusted the franchise to many other developers, and according to studio boss Todd Howard, Obsidian was the only choice to take on New Vegas.
“They were the only choice,” Howard told Game Informer (via GamesRadar). “They had done something similar with [Star Wars] Knights of the Old Republic 2, and we knew them really well. We knew we were going onto Skyrim, the franchise was back, but we knew there was going to be a long break until Fallout 4–how can we keep this going?”
Obsidian was founded by ex-Interplay and Black Isle Studios devs who previously worked on the original Fallout as well as a canceled version of Fallout 3. That made the studio a natural home for New Vegas. Howard also said that the only note Bethesda had ahead of development was to focus on the game’s warring factions and the players’ ability to choose between them.
It’s great to see a celebration of Fallout: New Vegas and its lasting impact on the gaming community. Todd Howard’s insights into Obsidian’s role really highlight the unique qualities that made the game special. Here’s to many more years of exploring the Mojave Wasteland!