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Bethesda, Brian Fargo crafting new co-op fantasy game

  • By , GameSpot
  • Posted Mar 15, 2010 8:44 am PT

Elder Scrolls publisher, Interplay founder's inXile Entertainment developing Hunted: The Demon's Forge for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

In 1984, Brian Fargo founded Interplay, the publisher of the first Fallout games. He left the company in 2002, two years before it licensed Fallout to Bethesda Softworks and five years before the Fallout IP was sold off outright.

He seems friendly.

He seems friendly.

Though Bethesda's and Interplay's current management are engaged in a nasty legal fight, the Fallout 3 developer today announced a deal with Fargo's studio inXile Entertainment (The Bard's Tale remake) to publish an all-new project. Titled Hunted: The Demon's Forge, the game will be a third-person "fantasy action" title with a heavy emphasis on cooperative play. It is being developed under the auspices of game director Michael "Maxx" Kaufman, who also worked on Kingpin: Life of Crime, Redneck Rampage, and Return to Castle Wolfenstein.

Hunted: The Demon's Forge is in development for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Though Bethesda did not offer a launch window for the game, it offered some details on its official Web site. Players can take on the role of the master swordsman Caddoc or the ranged weapon expert E'lara, both of whom can wield magic spells. Gameplay will focus on cover combat and puzzle solving, coupled with exploration of dungeons, ruins, and urban areas.

As far as Hunted's story goes, Bethesda offered the following summary:

The dark ages have become corrupted. Heinous creatures have emerged from underground. Townsfolk across the land are disappearing. Upon the promise of their fortune in gold, mercenaries E'lara and Caddoc take on the daunting task of discovering where the innocent villagers have been taken. Their journey will lead them on a dark and twisted path where they will encounter death, slavery, and sacrifice. Travel deep within the world of Kala Moor…and to the secrets of The Demon's Forge.

95 Comments

  • ZarboneD

    Posted May 5, 2010 6:30 pm GMT

    A Cover system, as in, The Archer needs to COVER (shooting arrows at exposed enemies to make them take... .... ... COVER!!!!) the melee fighter as he charges down the corridor to bowl of some squishies.

  • Arghyeeho

    Posted Mar 27, 2010 8:57 am GMT

    @Vampiro_HuntT3R,

    Hahaha. What do you expect to happen when you send a developer an idea scott-free? "Oh, that's a good idea, we'll pay you royalties for this e-mailed paragraph"? That's just silly.

    But let's be honest...that idea iiiiissn't exactly original. A 5 year old could pull it out of his ass, so don't get too worked up.

  • McNeelyJ39

    Posted Mar 24, 2010 10:13 am GMT

    @ Vampiro_HuntT3R - #1 Games developers don't even look at those submissions.

    #2 if you sent this idea to InExile who is developing the product you might have something to complain about, but Bethesda is just publishing the game not developing, the game was fully created by InExile and was pitched to Bethesda so someone would publish, or that is at least what typically happens.

  • Panth3rfan1

    Posted Mar 22, 2010 12:10 pm GMT

    Bethesda where is elder scrolls 5?

  • Georg_Maximus

    Posted Mar 22, 2010 12:44 am GMT

    Vampiro Hunter: so you basically took some ideas yourself from games like Gears of War, Diablo, Dante's Inferno etc and sent it off to Bethesda? People disappearing into the underworld, having some other people to rescue them is not a revolutionising concept you know And that is exactly why game developers don't want outside people to send them ideas: the chances that you come up with something extremely generic that they have thought of themselves is astronomical, and even if it were something original you came up with, they would serve themselves the right to have the same idea without having some legal issue around every corner. If Bethesda realises an idea you think kicks butt, be happy that you can soon play it at home.

  • Vampiro_HuntT3R

    Posted Mar 18, 2010 10:31 am GMT

    Sh!tty Bethesday stole my ideas. I had sent them my ideas for a game and they said, "According to our company policy, we don't accept ideas from outside the company" and now look at the sh!t holes. They have totally stolen my ideas of creatures coming from the underworld and taking away the people and then a man goes to seal them away. They just made it a co-op. These @$$holes.

  • calm_syrface

    Posted Mar 17, 2010 11:49 pm GMT

    Sounds like somebody noticed Demon Souls...I mean the similarities are obvious. Fallout 3 is a classic hands down so I know Bethesda is going to come through for us.

  • ivanfred

    Posted Mar 17, 2010 6:55 pm GMT

    Please let this be a well developed game so that I can buy it. The closest game PS3 has to this is Sacred 2: Fallen Angel.

  • shooters125

    Posted Mar 17, 2010 5:39 pm GMT

    A co-op Bethesda game? Its a dream come true!

  • KamuiFei

    Posted Mar 17, 2010 5:06 pm GMT

    As long as Bethesda is working on Elder Scrolls 5 for PC and consoles, they can do all the co-op projects they want. Just don't delay TES5 any longer.

  • Supaman222

    Posted Mar 17, 2010 4:02 pm GMT

    Hopefully theyve already been working on this for a while.. that would be GREAT

  • sieg6529

    Posted Mar 17, 2010 7:30 am GMT

    Oooh ooh! Maybe this is an experiment for them - if it works out well, then maybe they'll do co-op in Elder Scrolls 5! Madgod make it so!

  • Gooshnads

    Posted Mar 17, 2010 6:38 am GMT

    @Godspoison

    Chest high walls D=
    cover.. based... rpg... huh
    mass effect. LOL

  • GodsPoison

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 9:30 pm GMT

    "Gameplay will focus on cover combat"

    Am i misreading this? cover as in cover based like hiding behind a wall while the you take turns shooting at enemies? In a fantasy action RPG......uhuh.....Hopefully it means cover as in ill watch your back you watch mine....

  • taxonomic

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 2:32 pm GMT

    @clap-trap0095 : Bethesda isn't making this game. Actually, they are merely acting as the publisher and dishing up the money to fund Fargo's development of this game. I used to post in the Dragonplay Tavern back in 97 when Fargo was the king of this hobby, and a lot of people in Bethesda's HQ understand how valuable and talented he is. They want him to have a shot at making a big budget AA title, and this is it.

    Also, don't worry about TES, it won't be long until you hear about it. Probably halfway finished with the next one as I type this. That's why Obsidian is handling the next FO game, to give Betehsda time to finish TES5 or TES Online.

  • TheGravy02

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 2:22 pm GMT

    @clap-trap0095 i agree. i wanna see a continuation of elder scrolls rather than a new IP.

  • clap-trap0095

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 2:15 pm GMT

    why make this?! why?! bethesda, just make elder scrolls V already! oh well might keep me entertained until elder scrolls V comes out.

  • dimiowned

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 12:38 pm GMT

    To deadlysilence82, hell no, its going to have nothing to do with dragon age! Its like comparing a potato with a pencil - nothing in common!

  • ShadowOfKratos

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 12:23 pm GMT

    Saije wrote:
    ...InExile is going to be developing this not Bethesda. Bethesda will probably just be the publisher....
    Yea, Bethesda is going to be the Publisher, not the developers. But still, Bethesda is at least staring (yes, looking) at the game, and that's enough for me! :p

  • aaron263

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 10:58 am GMT

    JUST GIVE ME ELDER SCROLLS 5!!!!!! >:O

  • deadlysilence82

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 10:17 am GMT

    this game look good but i wonder if it going to be like dragon age ...

  • MasterDalton

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 8:54 am GMT

    Knowing Bethesda, it will be a few years until Elder Scrolls V comes out, which I find quite upsetting. Until then though, Fallout 3 (and maybe New Vegas) and possibly this should do me fine

  • dovonob

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 8:01 am GMT

    @ iowastate..........we can only dream mate, daggerfall as a co-op game, i'd probably still be playing it now if that existed ;o) it's a bit hard to compare daggerfall to modern games though, you'll never get a game that big again as 99% of the world in daggerfall was pointless plus there was about 4 textures and about 5 different building models ;o) still, that was half the reason daggerfall was the best game of all time (sod all this mario nonsense), what other game have you played where you've only visited 1% of the total locations on the map even after playing it for 200 hours.

    ah man i'm getting a bit teary eyed, hopefully when i walk up the stairs to my office in a minute i won't fall through it and end up in a black abyss. aaahhh the memories ;o)

  • Saije

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 5:03 am GMT

    Well I'll just have to wait till I see more. Summing it up the way they did all I felt in the back of my brain was "Been there Done that" but who knows. I like to give them the benefit of the doubt. Also what are you all upset about. InExile is going to be developing this not Bethesda. Bethesda will probably just be the publisher. Its completely separate from Bethesdas own in-house work. Bethesda will be free to work on ESV if they so choose. Probably also why they outsourced New Vegas to Obsidian.

  • rht992

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 4:35 am GMT

    the only thing that seems interesting is the co op. nothing new here

  • ShadowOfKratos

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 3:24 am GMT

    Bethesda, nuff said!
    I'm getting it.

  • Black_Adder_

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 2:29 am GMT

    Sounds rather strange - "Idiotic" might even be thr right word.

  • darknessdashinf

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 2:22 am GMT

    Oh wow, another Too Human, I bet this even uses UE3 too.

  • Sirbobislost

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 1:22 am GMT

    Cool sounds like demon souls hopefully this one will actually be released in Europe.....

  • gimlifn

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 12:57 am GMT

    Elder Scrolls 5 already come on

  • benswinbanks

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 11:17 pm GMT

    cough *diablo* cough

  • Chickan_117

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 10:50 pm GMT

    @Just-adam - Spells and ranged weapons at a guess.

  • Just-Adam

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 9:56 pm GMT

    Wait .. cover combat ? How does that even work in a game like that ?! ..

    Plus this sounds kinda Demon's Soul-ish ..

  • MKID232

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 8:00 pm GMT

    If this is a coop heavy game, it better have split-screen. Otherwise, no deal.

  • redmachine

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 7:49 pm GMT

    damnit, we don't want some linear co-op experience. Bethesda is known for its open world ideas and gameplay. If you want to introduce co-op to the world that trusts you, give us an RPG with openness tht lets that happen. Damn them

  • fightingfish18

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 7:02 pm GMT

    i bet Bethesda is already working on elder scrolls 5... and i bet when they're ready they're just gonna release it and see who notices. I would totally do that if I was in charge of such a huge franchise.

  • brian_13un

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 6:45 pm GMT

    Looking Forward to it

  • Darkmoone1

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 5:56 pm GMT

    OMG Bethesda! Even though I'll be checking this game out, everyone wants Elder Scrolls V!!! Come on, it's like your purposely trying to distract us from what could be RPG heaven!

  • satirewire

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 5:48 pm GMT

    Hm, sounds interesting if not a touch darkspawn-like as far as the story goes. Good co-op games are rare, so I'll be tracking this one for now.

    By the way people, this is not connected to the Elder Scrolls games based on the story summary and it being set in the world of "Kala Moor" in particular.

  • Excedra

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 5:29 pm GMT

    make it first person like oblivion! oh i can imagine it already

  • jack00

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 5:16 pm GMT

    As long as there are no elves or dwarves involed, i shall check it out.

  • rebornblood

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 4:10 pm GMT

    Bethesda should hurry up and start making the elder scrolls 5!!!
    whens that going to be coming out anyways?
    if anyone knows message me =]

  • aeros20

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 3:56 pm GMT

    sounds like the story from mass effect 2....

  • dkdk999

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 3:55 pm GMT

    bring on more coop games! i can't get enough.

  • Rickiej

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm GMT

    I really like coop games so I'll be tracking this one.

  • iowastate

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 3:16 pm GMT

    I have long awaited some type of Elder Scrolls multi player and my hope is a meld of Daggerfall, Morrowind and Oblivion that as with Arena takes place in the entire continent of Tamriel.

    or they could give all the systems some DLC for co op and add additional provinces to Oblivion. Valenwood, Elsweyr, and Summerset Isle are a good start.

    but why stop there?

    the entire place can be made available just as it was in Arena and even Daggerfall was 3,000 times larger than Oblivion.

    so get with it fellas

  • Riprock

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 3:09 pm GMT

    I'll track this. May be short on details, but it sounds very promising at this point... my kind of game.

  • VenomRitual

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 2:48 pm GMT

    love all the dumb comments. bethesda is just publishing it, not developing it. learn the difference. every other comment is just dumb "zomg elder scrolls 5 give it to me" which has nothing to do with the article. amazing. another reason kotaku is better than GS

  • linksfire

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 2:45 pm GMT

    Cant say i like the idea of a new ip when they still havent given us ES:V, i think ill stick with Fallout and Elder Scrolls till there respective sequels are out. so heres hoping ES:V is announced soon.

  • QuickDEATHS

    Posted Mar 15, 2010 2:20 pm GMT

    I want Elder Scrolls V

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