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==Premise==
==Premise==
[[Image:Fallout Van Buren Screenshot.jpg|thumb|right|''Van Buren'' would have used [[Isometric video game graphics|isometric graphics]]]]
[[Image:Fallout Van Buren Screenshot.jpg|thumb|right|''Van Buren'' would have used [[Isometric video game graphics|isometric graphics]]]]
Set in the year 2253, the plot of ''Van Buren'' revolved around a prisoner, who the player could decide was either guilty or wrongfully accused of their crime.<ref name="Eurogamer"/><ref name="PC Gamer Mod">{{Cite web|last=MacGregor|first=Jody|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-cancelled-fallout-van-buren-is-being-remade-as-a-new-vegas-mod/|title=The cancelled Fallout Van Buren is being remade as a New Vegas mod|website=[[PC Gamer]]|date=May 30, 2021|accessdate=May 31, 2021}}</ref> The player could also decide the race of the prisoner: human, [[ghoul (Fallout)|ghoul]], or super mutant.<ref name="Eurogamer"/> This decision would affect which [[quest (video games)|quests]], communities, and skills the player could interact with.<ref name="Eurogamer"/> At the beginning of the game, the prisoner would escape, and explore the [[Southwestern United States|American Southwest]] while being chased by robotic prison guards.<ref name="PC Gamer Mod"/> The map consisted of [[Arizona]], [[Colorado]], [[Nevada]], and [[Utah]], and the player could visit locations like [[Denver]] and the [[Grand Canyon]].<ref name="PC Gamer Mod"/><ref name="Retro Gamer">{{cite magazine|last=Dransfield|first=Ian|title=The History of Fallout|magazine=[[Retro Gamer]]|issue=186|year=2018|pages=26–27|issn=1742-3155}}</ref>
Set in the year 2253, the plot of ''Van Buren'' revolved around a prisoner, who the player could decide was either guilty or wrongfully accused of their crime.<ref name="Eurogamer"/><ref name="PC Gamer Mod">{{Cite web|last=MacGregor|first=Jody|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-cancelled-fallout-van-buren-is-being-remade-as-a-new-vegas-mod/|title=The cancelled Fallout Van Buren is being remade as a New Vegas mod|website=[[PC Gamer]]|date=May 30, 2021|accessdate=May 31, 2021}}</ref> The player could decide the race of the prisoner: human, [[ghoul (Fallout)|ghoul]], or super mutant.<ref name="Eurogamer"/> This decision would affect which [[quest (video games)|quests]], communities, and skills the player could interact with.<ref name="Eurogamer"/> At the beginning of the game, the prisoner would escape, and explore the [[Southwestern United States|American Southwest]] while being chased by robotic prison guards.<ref name="PC Gamer Mod"/> The map consisted of [[Arizona]], [[Colorado]], [[Nevada]], and [[Utah]], and the player could visit locations like [[Denver]] and the [[Grand Canyon]].<ref name="PC Gamer Mod"/><ref name="Retro Gamer">{{cite magazine|last=Dransfield|first=Ian|title=The History of Fallout|magazine=[[Retro Gamer]]|issue=186|year=2018|pages=26–27|issn=1742-3155}}</ref>


During the game, the player would learn that the prisoner carries a virus that either kills its host or makes them sterile.<ref name="Kotaku"/> The player would also learn that in order to get the prison guards to stop following them, they would need to capture other escaped prisoners.<ref name="Kotaku"/> The climax of the game would reveal that a [[mad scientist]] named Victor Presper tricked the player into capturing prisoners so that they could spread the virus as a [[Disease vector|vector]].<ref name="Kotaku"/><ref name="HG 101"/> Presper would then enact a [[nuclear holocaust]] on the infected population.<ref name="Kotaku"/> There were several endings, which were determined by the player's actions throughout the story.<ref name="HG 101"/> One of the endings involved the prisoner using Presper's nuclear satellite to destroy part of the world.<ref name="HG 101"/> In addition to Presper, there were multiple subplots related to different factions, such as a war between the [[Brotherhood of Steel]] and the [[New California Republic]], a tribal army inspired by the [[Roman legion]] called Caesar's Legion, and a matriarchal tribe called the Daughters of Hecate.<ref name="HG 101"/>
During the game, the player would learn that the prisoner carries a virus that either kills its host or makes them sterile.<ref name="Kotaku"/> The player would learn that in order to get the prison guards to stop following them, they would need to capture other escaped prisoners.<ref name="Kotaku"/> The climax of the game would reveal that a [[mad scientist]] named Victor Presper tricked the player into capturing prisoners so that they could spread the virus as a [[Disease vector|vector]].<ref name="Kotaku"/><ref name="HG 101"/> Presper would enact a [[nuclear holocaust]] on the infected population.<ref name="Kotaku"/> There were several endings, which were determined by the player's actions throughout the story.<ref name="HG 101"/> One of the endings involved the prisoner using Presper's nuclear satellite to destroy part of the world.<ref name="HG 101"/> In addition to Presper, there were multiple subplots related to different factions, such as a war between the [[Brotherhood of Steel]] and the [[New California Republic]], a tribal army inspired by the [[Roman legion]] called Caesar's Legion, and a matriarchal tribe called the Daughters of Hecate.<ref name="HG 101"/>


The gameplay of ''Van Buren'' would have included a mixture of [[Real-time tactics|real-time]] and [[Turn-based tactics|turn-based]] combat.<ref name="VG247 New Vegas">{{cite web|last=Bailey|first=Kat|url=https://www.vg247.com/the-making-of-fallout-new-vegas-how-obsidians-underrated-sequel-became-a-beloved-classic|title=The Making of Fallout: New Vegas: How Obsidian's Underrated Sequel Became a Beloved Classic|website=[[VG247]]|date=December 31, 2020|accessdate=April 25, 2024|archive-date=April 14, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414213631/https://www.vg247.com/the-making-of-fallout-new-vegas-how-obsidians-underrated-sequel-became-a-beloved-classic|url-status=live}}</ref> The player would explore the map with a team of [[non-playable character]] (NPC) companions.<ref name="Polygon">{{cite web|last=Frank|first=Allegra|url=https://www.polygon.com/2015/11/16/9746264/fallout-3-van-buren-chris-avellone-nyu-practice-2015|title=The aborted Fallout 3 had pen and paper origins, sounded amazing|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|date=November 16, 2015|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref> Each NPC would make their own independent decisions which would affect the story.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hillier|first=Brenna|url=https://www.vg247.com/fallout-3-van-buren-companions-would-have-changed-the-game-world|title=Fallout 3: Van Buren companions would have changed the game world|website=[[VG247]]|date=November 17, 2015|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref> Throughout the game, the player would encounter another malevolent group of [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] controlled NPCs.<ref name="Kotaku"/> This group would also make decisions that would affect the story.<ref name="Kotaku"/> Other notable mechanics included the usage of a theme song for any skill of the player's choosing, and the need to repair railway lines in order to [[fast travel]].<ref name="Polygon"/><ref name="History"/>
The gameplay of ''Van Buren'' would have included a mixture of [[Real-time tactics|real-time]] and [[Turn-based tactics|turn-based]] combat.<ref name="VG247 New Vegas">{{cite web|last=Bailey|first=Kat|url=https://www.vg247.com/the-making-of-fallout-new-vegas-how-obsidians-underrated-sequel-became-a-beloved-classic|title=The Making of Fallout: New Vegas: How Obsidian's Underrated Sequel Became a Beloved Classic|website=[[VG247]]|date=December 31, 2020|accessdate=April 25, 2024|archive-date=April 14, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414213631/https://www.vg247.com/the-making-of-fallout-new-vegas-how-obsidians-underrated-sequel-became-a-beloved-classic|url-status=live}}</ref> The player would explore the map with a team of [[non-playable character]] (NPC) companions.<ref name="Polygon">{{cite web|last=Frank|first=Allegra|url=https://www.polygon.com/2015/11/16/9746264/fallout-3-van-buren-chris-avellone-nyu-practice-2015|title=The aborted Fallout 3 had pen and paper origins, sounded amazing|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|date=November 16, 2015|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref> Each NPC would make their own independent decisions which would affect the story.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hillier|first=Brenna|url=https://www.vg247.com/fallout-3-van-buren-companions-would-have-changed-the-game-world|title=Fallout 3: Van Buren companions would have changed the game world|website=[[VG247]]|date=November 17, 2015|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref> Throughout the game, the player would encounter another malevolent group of [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] controlled NPCs.<ref name="Kotaku"/> This group would make decisions that would affect the story.<ref name="Kotaku"/> Other notable mechanics included the usage of a theme song for any skill of the player's choosing, and the need to repair railway lines in order to [[fast travel]].<ref name="Polygon"/><ref name="History"/>


==Development==
==Development==
After the release of ''[[Fallout 2]]'' in 1998, [[Black Isle Studios]] decided the next ''Fallout'' game should feature 3D graphics.<ref name="IGN First"/> Development on what was intended to be the third game in the ''Fallout'' series coincided with the development of ''[[Planescape: Torment]]''.<ref name="IGN First"/> Black Isle worked with the [[game engine]] NDL, but due to their inexperience with the 3D engine, development was slow.<ref name="IGN First"/> Black Isle's publisher [[Interplay Entertainment]] canceled the project, and moved the team over to the development of what would become ''[[Icewind Dale]]''.<ref name="IGN First">{{cite web|last=Osborn|first=Alex|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/01/27/obsidian-ceo-reveals-fallout-3-that-never-released-a-ign-unfiltered|title=Obsidian CEO Reveals Fallout 3 That Was Never Released — IGN Unfiltered|website=[[IGN]]|date=January 27, 2017|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref> After the project's cancellation, designer [[Chris Avellone]] worked on a ''Fallout'' themed [[tabletop role-playing game]] in his spare time.<ref name="Eurogamer"/> He ran two separate games with Black Isle members simultaneously, and did not tell them that their actions were affecting the other game.<ref name="Eurogamer"/> Nearly all of the content in ''Van Buren'', from the characters to the story, was inspired by the actions of the players during these tabletop games.<ref name="Eurogamer"/>
After the release of ''[[Fallout 2]]'' in 1998, [[Black Isle Studios]] decided the next ''Fallout'' game should feature 3D graphics.<ref name="IGN First"/> Development on what was intended to be the third game in the ''Fallout'' series coincided with the development of ''[[Planescape: Torment]]''.<ref name="IGN First"/> Black Isle worked with the [[game engine]] NDL, but due to their inexperience with the 3D engine, development was slow.<ref name="IGN First"/> Black Isle's publisher [[Interplay Entertainment]] canceled the project, and moved the team over to the development of what would become ''[[Icewind Dale]]''.<ref name="IGN First">{{cite web|last=Osborn|first=Alex|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/01/27/obsidian-ceo-reveals-fallout-3-that-never-released-a-ign-unfiltered|title=Obsidian CEO Reveals Fallout 3 That Was Never Released — IGN Unfiltered|website=[[IGN]]|date=January 27, 2017|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref> After the project's cancellation, designer [[Chris Avellone]] worked on a ''Fallout'' themed [[tabletop role-playing game]] in his spare time.<ref name="Eurogamer"/> He ran two separate games with Black Isle members simultaneously, and did not tell them that their actions were affecting the other game.<ref name="Eurogamer"/> Nearly all of the content in ''Van Buren'', from the characters to the story, was inspired by the actions of the players during these tabletop games.<ref name="Eurogamer"/>


At the time, Interplay was undergoing a period of financial hardship, an issue that would persist for several years.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle">{{cite web|last=Bailey|first=Kat|url=https://www.vg247.com/the-last-days-of-black-isle-studios|title=The Last Days of Black Isle Studios|website=[[VG247]]|date=November 24, 2017|accessdate=April 25, 2024|archive-date=April 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240421135314/https://www.vg247.com/the-last-days-of-black-isle-studios|url-status=live}}</ref> Journalist Kat Bailey credits Interplay's financial struggles to the increased cost for game development, and the industry shift toward [[Console game|console gaming]] in the late 1990s.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> As a result, layoffs and project cancellations became commonplace for Interplay affiliated studios.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> In 2003, Interplay lost the license to publish ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' games on computers, but retained the rights to publish games for consoles.<ref name="Kotaku">{{cite web|last=Klepek|first=Patrick|url=https://kotaku.com/that-time-someone-else-was-making-fallout-3-1744268228|title=That Time Someone Else Was Making Fallout 3|website=[[Kotaku]]|date=November 24, 2015|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref><ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> This occurred while Black Isle was developing the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' inspired game ''[[Baldur's Gate III: The Black Hound]]'', and the project was canceled.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> Avellone resigned shortly after.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> When asked about this period, Avellone remarked, "[Interplay founder] [[Brian Fargo]] was gone by that point, and the vision for the company went along with him. And while we knew [Interplay] needed to turn a profit, we were starting to feel it in the trenches."<ref name="Retro Gamer"/> After the cancellation of ''Baldur's Gate III: The Black Hound'', Interplay instructed Black Isle to retool the game engine and focus on making a new ''Fallout'' game, codenamed ''Van Buren''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lafleuriel|first=Erwan|title=Fallout. A Tale of Mutation|publisher=[[Third Éditions]]|year=2018|isbn=978-2-37784-032-8|type=E-book|page=Chapter 2 (Search phrase "They told us to retool the engine and create Fallout 3")}}</ref> The codename was a reference to [[Martin Van Buren]], the eighth [[president of the United States]].<ref name="Eurogamer">{{cite web|last=Bratt|first=Chris|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/the-fallout-3-we-never-got-to-play|title=The Fallout 3 we never got to play|website=[[Eurogamer]]|date=September 21, 2017|accessdate=May 7, 2024}}</ref>
At the time, Interplay was undergoing a period of financial hardship, an issue that would persist for several years.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle">{{cite web|last=Bailey|first=Kat|url=https://www.vg247.com/the-last-days-of-black-isle-studios|title=The Last Days of Black Isle Studios|website=[[VG247]]|date=November 24, 2017|accessdate=April 25, 2024|archive-date=April 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240421135314/https://www.vg247.com/the-last-days-of-black-isle-studios|url-status=live}}</ref> Journalist Kat Bailey credits Interplay's financial struggles to the increased cost for game development, and the industry shift toward [[Console game|console gaming]] in the late 1990s.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> As a result, layoffs and project cancellations became commonplace for Interplay affiliated studios.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> In 2003, Interplay lost the license to publish ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' games on computers, but retained the rights to publish games for consoles.<ref name="Kotaku">{{cite web|last=Klepek|first=Patrick|url=https://kotaku.com/that-time-someone-else-was-making-fallout-3-1744268228|title=That Time Someone Else Was Making Fallout 3|website=[[Kotaku]]|date=November 24, 2015|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref><ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> This occurred while Black Isle was developing the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game ''[[Baldur's Gate III: The Black Hound]]'', and the project was canceled.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> Avellone resigned shortly after.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> When asked about this period, Avellone remarked, "[Interplay founder] [[Brian Fargo]] was gone by that point, and the vision for the company went along with him. And while we knew [Interplay] needed to turn a profit, we were starting to feel it in the trenches."<ref name="Retro Gamer"/> After the cancellation of ''Baldur's Gate III: The Black Hound'', Interplay instructed Black Isle to retool the game engine and focus on making a new ''Fallout'' game, codenamed ''Van Buren''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lafleuriel|first=Erwan|title=Fallout. A Tale of Mutation|publisher=[[Third Éditions]]|year=2018|isbn=978-2-37784-032-8|type=E-book|page=Chapter 2 (Search phrase "They told us to retool the engine and create Fallout 3")}}</ref> The codename was a reference to [[Martin Van Buren]], the eighth [[president of the United States]].<ref name="Eurogamer">{{cite web|last=Bratt|first=Chris|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/the-fallout-3-we-never-got-to-play|title=The Fallout 3 we never got to play|website=[[Eurogamer]]|date=September 21, 2017|accessdate=May 7, 2024}}</ref>


[[Josh Sawyer]] took over as lead designer for ''Van Buren'', while Tom French served as the producer.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/><ref name="GD">{{cite web|last=Ooi|first=Will|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/an-interview-with-je-sawyer---game-developer-biker-and-cat-lover|title=An Interview with JE Sawyer - game developer, biker, and cat lover|website=[[Game Developer (magazine)|Game Developer]]|date=September 25, 2011|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref> Sawyer notes that he condensed the story Avellone had already written so that it would work on a smaller scale.<ref name="GD"/> During development, Sawyer made multiple attempts to get Interplay to evaluate the work that had been done, but he never received a response.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> According to Sawyer, "It basically made me think, 'They have either no interest or no care for what we're doing'."<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> When Interplay moved one of the remaining character artists for ''Van Buren'' onto a different project, Sawyer resigned.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> In December 2003, ''Van Buren'' was canceled, and the remaining Black Isle staff were laid off.<ref name="Eurogamer"/> Interplay's parent company [[Titus Interactive]] wanted to focus on console releases, and ''Van Buren'' was canceled in favor of ''[[Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel]]''.<ref name="History">{{cite web|last1=McLaughlin|first1=Rus|last2=Kaiser|first2=Rowan|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/07/21/ign-presents-the-history-of-fallout|title=IGN Presents the History of Fallout|website=[[IGN]]|date=July 21, 2010|accessdate=April 26, 2024|archive-date=July 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719000608/https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/07/21/ign-presents-the-history-of-fallout|url-status=live}}</ref> Sawyer estimates that ''Van Buren'' had been in development for half a year before its cancellation.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kelly|first=Kevin|url=https://www.engadget.com/2010-05-05-interview-josh-sawyer-on-fallout-new-vegas.html|title=Interview: Josh Sawyer on Fallout: New Vegas|website=[[Engadget]]|date=May 5, 2010|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref>
[[Josh Sawyer]] took over as lead designer for ''Van Buren'', while Tom French served as the producer.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/><ref name="GD">{{cite web|last=Ooi|first=Will|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/an-interview-with-je-sawyer---game-developer-biker-and-cat-lover|title=An Interview with JE Sawyer - game developer, biker, and cat lover|website=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]]|date=September 25, 2011|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref> Sawyer notes that he condensed the story Avellone had already written so that it would work on a smaller scale.<ref name="GD"/> During development, Sawyer made multiple attempts to get Interplay to evaluate the work that had been done, but he never received a response.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> According to Sawyer, "It basically made me think, 'They have either no interest or no care for what we're doing'."<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> When Interplay moved one of the remaining character artists for ''Van Buren'' onto a different project, Sawyer resigned.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> During this period, series creator and former Interplay developer [[Tim Cain]] was asked to play a demo of ''Van Buren''.<ref name="Cain">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwoWRj0cfag |title=The Canceling of Fallout Van Buren...And Me |date=June 19, 2024 |last=Cain |first=Timothy |type=Video |via=YouTube}}</ref> The vice president of Interplay asked Cain to estimate how long it would take to complete the game, to which Cain responded 12 to 18 months.<ref name="Cain" /> The vice president then told Cain that any estimate over 6 months would have led to the cancellation of ''Van Buren''.<ref name="Cain" /> In December 2003, ''Van Buren'' was canceled, and the remaining Black Isle staff were laid off.<ref name="Eurogamer"/>{{efn-ua|Cain does not believe that the remaining Black Isle members were laid off, and were instead either moved to different projects or left the company of their own volition.<ref name="Cain" />}} Interplay's parent company [[Titus Interactive]] wanted to focus on console releases, and ''Van Buren'' was canceled in favor of ''[[Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel]]''.<ref name="History">{{cite web|last1=McLaughlin|first1=Rus|last2=Kaiser|first2=Rowan|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/07/21/ign-presents-the-history-of-fallout|title=IGN Presents the History of Fallout|website=[[IGN]]|date=July 21, 2010|accessdate=April 26, 2024|archive-date=July 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719000608/https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/07/21/ign-presents-the-history-of-fallout|url-status=live}}</ref> Sawyer estimates that ''Van Buren'' had been in development for half a year before its cancellation.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kelly|first=Kevin|url=https://www.engadget.com/2010-05-05-interview-josh-sawyer-on-fallout-new-vegas.html|title=Interview: Josh Sawyer on Fallout: New Vegas|website=[[Engadget]]|date=May 5, 2010|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref>


==Later developments==
==Later developments==
In 2007, [[Bethesda Softworks]] purchased the ''Fallout'' [[intellectual property]].<ref name="History"/> The following year they released ''[[Fallout 3]]''.<ref name="History"/> ''Fallout 3'' was well received by critics, and sold more than 5 million copies in 2008.<ref name="Eurogamer"/><ref name="History"/> Although the plot of ''Fallout 3'' was completely unrelated to ''Van Buren'', some story elements from the canceled game were used in the follow-up ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'', such as the American Southwest setting and Caesar's Legion.<ref name="PC Gamer Mod"/><ref name="HG 101">{{cite web|last=Miszczyk|first=Maciej|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/fallout-3-van-buren/|title=Fallout 3: Van Buren|website=[[Hardcore Gaming 101]]|date=November 6, 2016|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref> ''Fallout: New Vegas'' was developed by [[Obsidian Entertainment]], a company Avellone cofounded after he left Black Isle.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> In 2014, the company Roxy Friday LLC registered a trademark for the names "Meantime" and "Van Buren."<ref name="PC Gamer">{{cite web|last=Chalk|first=Andy|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/van-buren-and-meantime-trademarks-filed-by-inxile/|title=Van Buren and Meantime trademarks filed by inXile|website=[[PC Gamer]]|date=December 8, 2014|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref> ''[[Meantime (video game)|Meantime]]'' was the canceled follow-up to ''[[Wasteland (video game)|Wasteland]]''.<ref name="PC Gamer"/> Some journalists noted that Roxy Friday LLC was a subsidiary of Brian Fargo's company [[inXile Entertainment]], and since Fargo directed ''Wasteland'', he might try to resurrect the ''Meantime'' and ''Van Buren'' projects.<ref name="PC Gamer"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Benson|first=Julian|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/van-buren/inxile-trademark-van-buren-and-meantime-the-most-famous-rpgs-never-made|title=InXile trademark Van Buren and Meantime. The most famous RPGs never made|website=[[PCGamesN]]|date=December 10, 2014|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref> Fargo later told ''[[Eurogamer]]'' that he registered the ''Van Buren'' trademark in the hope of working with Avellone on a game akin to ''Van Buren'' when the two had availability.<ref>{{cite web|last=Purchese|first=Robert|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/inxile-fallout-van-buren-trademark|title=inXile saving Van Buren trademark for a rainy day|website=[[Eurogamer]]|date=June 9, 2015|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref>
In 2007, [[Bethesda Softworks]] purchased the ''Fallout'' [[intellectual property]].<ref name="History"/> The following year they released ''[[Fallout 3]]''.<ref name="History"/> ''Fallout 3'' was well received by critics, and sold more than 5 million copies in 2008.<ref name="Eurogamer"/><ref name="History"/> Although the plot of ''Fallout 3'' was completely unrelated to ''Van Buren'', some story elements from the canceled game were used in the follow-up ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'', such as the American Southwest setting and Caesar's Legion.<ref name="PC Gamer Mod"/><ref name="HG 101">{{cite web|last=Miszczyk|first=Maciej|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/fallout-3-van-buren/|title=Fallout 3: Van Buren|website=[[Hardcore Gaming 101]]|date=November 6, 2016|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref> ''Fallout: New Vegas'' was developed by [[Obsidian Entertainment]], a company Avellone cofounded after he left Black Isle.<ref name="VG247 Black Isle"/> In 2014, the company Roxy Friday LLC registered a trademark for the names "Meantime" and "Van Buren".<ref name="PC Gamer">{{cite web|last=Chalk|first=Andy|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/van-buren-and-meantime-trademarks-filed-by-inxile/|title=Van Buren and Meantime trademarks filed by inXile|website=[[PC Gamer]]|date=December 8, 2014|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref> ''[[Meantime (video game)|Meantime]]'' was the canceled follow-up to ''[[Wasteland (video game)|Wasteland]]''.<ref name="PC Gamer"/> Some journalists noted that Roxy Friday LLC was a subsidiary of Brian Fargo's company [[inXile Entertainment]], and since Fargo directed ''Wasteland'', he might try to resurrect the ''Meantime'' and ''Van Buren'' projects.<ref name="PC Gamer"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Benson|first=Julian|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/van-buren/inxile-trademark-van-buren-and-meantime-the-most-famous-rpgs-never-made|title=InXile trademark Van Buren and Meantime. The most famous RPGs never made|website=[[PCGamesN]]|date=December 10, 2014|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref> Fargo later told ''[[Eurogamer]]'' that he registered the ''Van Buren'' trademark in the hope of working with Avellone on a game akin to ''Van Buren'' when the two had availability.<ref>{{cite web|last=Purchese|first=Robert|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/inxile-fallout-van-buren-trademark|title=inXile saving Van Buren trademark for a rainy day|website=[[Eurogamer]]|date=June 9, 2015|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref>


One month after Bethesda purchased the ''Fallout'' intellectual property, a playable demo for ''Van Buren'' was leaked online, along with a 700-page design document.<ref name="History"/><ref name="PC Gamer Game">{{cite web|last=Litchfield|first=Ted|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/canceled-fallout-rpg-from-2003-is-being-resurrected/|title=Canceled Fallout RPG from 2003 is being resurrected|website=[[PC Gamer]]|date=November 23, 2021|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref> The demo showcased what would have been the [[Tutorial (video games)|tutorial]], a self-contained storyline about a town that is attacked by Chinese-affiliated [[Communism|communist]] insurgents.<ref name="HG 101"/> There have been multiple attempts by fans to recreate and finish ''Van Buren'' using the playable demo as reference, including [[Video game modding|mods]] for ''Fallout 2'' and ''Fallout: New Vegas'', as well as a full game developed in the [[Unity (game engine)|Unity]] engine.<ref name="PC Gamer Mod"/><ref name="PC Gamer Game"/> Jody MacGregor of ''[[PC Gamer]]'' noted that ''Van Buren'' holds a "mythic quality among ''Fallout'' fans" due to the wealth of information about the game.<ref name="PC Gamer Mod"/>
One month after Bethesda purchased the ''Fallout'' intellectual property, a playable demo for ''Van Buren'' was leaked online, along with a 700-page design document.<ref name="History"/><ref name="PC Gamer Game">{{cite web|last=Litchfield|first=Ted|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/canceled-fallout-rpg-from-2003-is-being-resurrected/|title=Canceled Fallout RPG from 2003 is being resurrected|website=[[PC Gamer]]|date=November 23, 2021|accessdate=May 6, 2024}}</ref> The demo showcased what would have been the [[Tutorial (video games)|tutorial]], a self-contained storyline about a town that is attacked by Chinese-affiliated [[Communism|communist]] insurgents.<ref name="HG 101"/> There have been multiple attempts by fans to recreate and finish ''Van Buren'' using the playable demo as reference, including [[Video game modding|mods]] for ''Fallout 2'' and ''Fallout: New Vegas'', as well as a full game developed in the [[Unity (game engine)|Unity]] engine.<ref name="PC Gamer Mod"/><ref name="PC Gamer Game"/> Jody MacGregor of ''[[PC Gamer]]'' noted that ''Van Buren'' holds a "mythic quality among ''Fallout'' fans" due to the wealth of information about the game.<ref name="PC Gamer Mod"/>

==Notes==
{{notelist-ua}}


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 21:09, 14 July 2024

Van Buren
The logo for Van Buren used in promotional artwork
Developer(s)Black Isle Studios
Publisher(s)Interplay Entertainment
Designer(s)Chris Avellone
Josh Sawyer
SeriesFallout
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
ReleaseCanceled
Genre(s)Role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Van Buren was the codename of a canceled role-playing video game developed by Black Isle Studios. It was intended to be the third game in the mainline Fallout series. Set in the year 2253, the plot of Van Buren revolved around a prisoner who would explore the American Southwest while being chased by robotic prison guards. The main antagonist was a mad scientist named Victor Presper, who planned on using the prisoner as an inadvertent vector to spread a deadly virus. Gameplay would have included a mixture of real-time and turn-based combat. The player would explore the map with a team of non-playable character (NPC) companions. Each NPC would make their own independent decisions which would affect the story.

Van Buren was Black Isle's second attempt at making a third mainline Fallout game. After the initial project was canceled, designer Chris Avellone worked on a Fallout themed tabletop role-playing game in his spare time. He ran two separate games with Black Isle members, and the actions of the players inspired nearly all of the content in Van Buren. The development of Van Buren was hampered by the financial struggles of publisher Interplay Entertainment. When the Black Isle game Baldur's Gate III: The Black Hound was canceled, Avellone resigned. Josh Sawyer replaced Avellone as the lead designer, but he too resigned due to mismanagement from Interplay. In December 2003, Van Buren was canceled in favor of Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel. Some of the story elements from Van Buren were later used in the 2010 game Fallout: New Vegas. Fans have attempted to recreate and finish Van Buren using a leaked playable demo and 700-page design document as reference.

Premise

Van Buren would have used isometric graphics

Set in the year 2253, the plot of Van Buren revolved around a prisoner, who the player could decide was either guilty or wrongfully accused of their crime.[1][2] The player could decide the race of the prisoner: human, ghoul, or super mutant.[1] This decision would affect which quests, communities, and skills the player could interact with.[1] At the beginning of the game, the prisoner would escape, and explore the American Southwest while being chased by robotic prison guards.[2] The map consisted of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah, and the player could visit locations like Denver and the Grand Canyon.[2][3]

During the game, the player would learn that the prisoner carries a virus that either kills its host or makes them sterile.[4] The player would learn that in order to get the prison guards to stop following them, they would need to capture other escaped prisoners.[4] The climax of the game would reveal that a mad scientist named Victor Presper tricked the player into capturing prisoners so that they could spread the virus as a vector.[4][5] Presper would enact a nuclear holocaust on the infected population.[4] There were several endings, which were determined by the player's actions throughout the story.[5] One of the endings involved the prisoner using Presper's nuclear satellite to destroy part of the world.[5] In addition to Presper, there were multiple subplots related to different factions, such as a war between the Brotherhood of Steel and the New California Republic, a tribal army inspired by the Roman legion called Caesar's Legion, and a matriarchal tribe called the Daughters of Hecate.[5]

The gameplay of Van Buren would have included a mixture of real-time and turn-based combat.[6] The player would explore the map with a team of non-playable character (NPC) companions.[7] Each NPC would make their own independent decisions which would affect the story.[8] Throughout the game, the player would encounter another malevolent group of AI controlled NPCs.[4] This group would make decisions that would affect the story.[4] Other notable mechanics included the usage of a theme song for any skill of the player's choosing, and the need to repair railway lines in order to fast travel.[7][9]

Development

After the release of Fallout 2 in 1998, Black Isle Studios decided the next Fallout game should feature 3D graphics.[10] Development on what was intended to be the third game in the Fallout series coincided with the development of Planescape: Torment.[10] Black Isle worked with the game engine NDL, but due to their inexperience with the 3D engine, development was slow.[10] Black Isle's publisher Interplay Entertainment canceled the project, and moved the team over to the development of what would become Icewind Dale.[10] After the project's cancellation, designer Chris Avellone worked on a Fallout themed tabletop role-playing game in his spare time.[1] He ran two separate games with Black Isle members simultaneously, and did not tell them that their actions were affecting the other game.[1] Nearly all of the content in Van Buren, from the characters to the story, was inspired by the actions of the players during these tabletop games.[1]

At the time, Interplay was undergoing a period of financial hardship, an issue that would persist for several years.[11] Journalist Kat Bailey credits Interplay's financial struggles to the increased cost for game development, and the industry shift toward console gaming in the late 1990s.[11] As a result, layoffs and project cancellations became commonplace for Interplay affiliated studios.[11] In 2003, Interplay lost the license to publish Dungeons & Dragons games on computers, but retained the rights to publish games for consoles.[4][11] This occurred while Black Isle was developing the Dungeons & Dragons game Baldur's Gate III: The Black Hound, and the project was canceled.[11] Avellone resigned shortly after.[11] When asked about this period, Avellone remarked, "[Interplay founder] Brian Fargo was gone by that point, and the vision for the company went along with him. And while we knew [Interplay] needed to turn a profit, we were starting to feel it in the trenches."[3] After the cancellation of Baldur's Gate III: The Black Hound, Interplay instructed Black Isle to retool the game engine and focus on making a new Fallout game, codenamed Van Buren.[12] The codename was a reference to Martin Van Buren, the eighth president of the United States.[1]

Josh Sawyer took over as lead designer for Van Buren, while Tom French served as the producer.[11][13] Sawyer notes that he condensed the story Avellone had already written so that it would work on a smaller scale.[13] During development, Sawyer made multiple attempts to get Interplay to evaluate the work that had been done, but he never received a response.[11] According to Sawyer, "It basically made me think, 'They have either no interest or no care for what we're doing'."[11] When Interplay moved one of the remaining character artists for Van Buren onto a different project, Sawyer resigned.[11] During this period, series creator and former Interplay developer Tim Cain was asked to play a demo of Van Buren.[14] The vice president of Interplay asked Cain to estimate how long it would take to complete the game, to which Cain responded 12 to 18 months.[14] The vice president then told Cain that any estimate over 6 months would have led to the cancellation of Van Buren.[14] In December 2003, Van Buren was canceled, and the remaining Black Isle staff were laid off.[1][A] Interplay's parent company Titus Interactive wanted to focus on console releases, and Van Buren was canceled in favor of Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel.[9] Sawyer estimates that Van Buren had been in development for half a year before its cancellation.[15]

Later developments

In 2007, Bethesda Softworks purchased the Fallout intellectual property.[9] The following year they released Fallout 3.[9] Fallout 3 was well received by critics, and sold more than 5 million copies in 2008.[1][9] Although the plot of Fallout 3 was completely unrelated to Van Buren, some story elements from the canceled game were used in the follow-up Fallout: New Vegas, such as the American Southwest setting and Caesar's Legion.[2][5] Fallout: New Vegas was developed by Obsidian Entertainment, a company Avellone cofounded after he left Black Isle.[11] In 2014, the company Roxy Friday LLC registered a trademark for the names "Meantime" and "Van Buren".[16] Meantime was the canceled follow-up to Wasteland.[16] Some journalists noted that Roxy Friday LLC was a subsidiary of Brian Fargo's company inXile Entertainment, and since Fargo directed Wasteland, he might try to resurrect the Meantime and Van Buren projects.[16][17] Fargo later told Eurogamer that he registered the Van Buren trademark in the hope of working with Avellone on a game akin to Van Buren when the two had availability.[18]

One month after Bethesda purchased the Fallout intellectual property, a playable demo for Van Buren was leaked online, along with a 700-page design document.[9][19] The demo showcased what would have been the tutorial, a self-contained storyline about a town that is attacked by Chinese-affiliated communist insurgents.[5] There have been multiple attempts by fans to recreate and finish Van Buren using the playable demo as reference, including mods for Fallout 2 and Fallout: New Vegas, as well as a full game developed in the Unity engine.[2][19] Jody MacGregor of PC Gamer noted that Van Buren holds a "mythic quality among Fallout fans" due to the wealth of information about the game.[2]

Notes

  1. ^ Cain does not believe that the remaining Black Isle members were laid off, and were instead either moved to different projects or left the company of their own volition.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Bratt, Chris (September 21, 2017). "The Fallout 3 we never got to play". Eurogamer. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f MacGregor, Jody (May 30, 2021). "The cancelled Fallout Van Buren is being remade as a New Vegas mod". PC Gamer. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Dransfield, Ian (2018). "The History of Fallout". Retro Gamer. No. 186. pp. 26–27. ISSN 1742-3155.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Klepek, Patrick (November 24, 2015). "That Time Someone Else Was Making Fallout 3". Kotaku. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Miszczyk, Maciej (November 6, 2016). "Fallout 3: Van Buren". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  6. ^ Bailey, Kat (December 31, 2020). "The Making of Fallout: New Vegas: How Obsidian's Underrated Sequel Became a Beloved Classic". VG247. Archived from the original on April 14, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Frank, Allegra (November 16, 2015). "The aborted Fallout 3 had pen and paper origins, sounded amazing". Polygon. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  8. ^ Hillier, Brenna (November 17, 2015). "Fallout 3: Van Buren companions would have changed the game world". VG247. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d e f McLaughlin, Rus; Kaiser, Rowan (July 21, 2010). "IGN Presents the History of Fallout". IGN. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d Osborn, Alex (January 27, 2017). "Obsidian CEO Reveals Fallout 3 That Was Never Released — IGN Unfiltered". IGN. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Bailey, Kat (November 24, 2017). "The Last Days of Black Isle Studios". VG247. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  12. ^ Lafleuriel, Erwan (2018). Fallout. A Tale of Mutation (E-book). Third Éditions. p. Chapter 2 (Search phrase "They told us to retool the engine and create Fallout 3"). ISBN 978-2-37784-032-8.
  13. ^ a b Ooi, Will (September 25, 2011). "An Interview with JE Sawyer - game developer, biker, and cat lover". Game Developer. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d Cain, Timothy (June 19, 2024). The Canceling of Fallout Van Buren...And Me (Video) – via YouTube.
  15. ^ Kelly, Kevin (May 5, 2010). "Interview: Josh Sawyer on Fallout: New Vegas". Engadget. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c Chalk, Andy (December 8, 2014). "Van Buren and Meantime trademarks filed by inXile". PC Gamer. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  17. ^ Benson, Julian (December 10, 2014). "InXile trademark Van Buren and Meantime. The most famous RPGs never made". PCGamesN. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  18. ^ Purchese, Robert (June 9, 2015). "inXile saving Van Buren trademark for a rainy day". Eurogamer. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Litchfield, Ted (November 23, 2021). "Canceled Fallout RPG from 2003 is being resurrected". PC Gamer. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
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