Brian Fargo's inXile registers Van Buren, Meantime trademarks

Sander

Sander

This ghoul has seen it all
Staff member
Admin
Orderite
A couple of days ago, inXile revealed that it was working on a new, "passionately demanded" RPG after completing Wasteland 2 and continuing work on Torment: Tides of Numenera. While there has been no official announcement from the studio, RPG Codex has managed to uncover a few interesting facts: inXile filed a Van Buren trademark registration and a Meantime trademark registration over the past couple of months.

For those who don't know what those names mean, they're kind of important to Fallout's and Wasteland's history. Van Buren was the codename for the ultimately cancelled Fallout 3 project at Interplay, some of which was later imported into Fallout: New Vegas. Not coincidentally, Josh Sawyer was the lead designer for both of those games. Meantime was another canceled Interplay project, a time-travel game set in the same universe and using the same engine as the original Wasteland.

The Van Buren trademark doesn't actually make any sense, though. While I'm sure inXile can get the trademark for that project name, they'd have to partner with Bethesda to get any access to anything related to Fallout, and many of the concepts that formed the foundation of Van Buren were incorporated into New Vegas anyway. Meantime would make more sense as inXile's next project, but that may be a red herring (or pre-emptive trademarking), too. Another realistic option would be a sequel to the original three Bard's Tale games, rather than the satire that was the 2004 remake produced by inXile.

We probably won't see any confirmation of any of this until the new year, though. We'll just have to wait and see when inXile comes up with another crowdfunding campaign to get their new project going in earnest.
 
Feeling kind of chuftie that I predicted the Meantime thing a while back, although I imagine others beat me to it in their droves.

This is all tantalising, and indeed, boner-ific news. For a Fallout fix, this will do very nicely. Pass me that spoon, lighter and rubber hose.
 
I would actually really like to see Meantime being made as there aren't that many RPGs which central theme is about time travel, it is usually a plot device that just comes along in the campaign.
But I honestly do hope that it has better writing than Wasteland 2 because that was definitely not the game's highlight.

Van Buren (the Fallout 3 that wasn't), hah very unlikely.
It is pretty much like Sander said.
 
What if ZeniMax contracted inXile to do a Fallout game? I know it's unlikely, but I can dream.

Anyhow, these are exciting news, but I can't imagine that these would be projects for the near future since they already have Torment in the works.
 
I don't think I could handle them making Van Buren happen, because there'd be no blood left in my brain as it would all be needed to fuel my raging erection.
 
They could make another post-nuclear RPG with the title Van Buren that's unrelated to Fallout.

Also, I thought I remember Interplay saying that Meantime didn't have anything to do with Wasteland, but people thought it was going to be a sequel.
 
then why buying the title? Just do your own game ... and that's it. At this point Van Buren is really just a name like any other, what about Helga Koschlik? Yes. Call the next post Apoc game Helga. Why? Who cares. Its fancy.
 
I know Meantime was not a Wasteland sequel but rather its own thing using a similar engine/gameplay.
I don't even want Meantime to be a sequel to Wasteland 2 or in the same universe, let it be its own game, and again I hope it will be more story driven and have more dialogue and non combat stuff.
 
Maybe it's just Fargo's OCD working...gotta catch 'em all.

That being said, I doubt this thing would rouse some feathers if it went for crowdfunding like WL2 or new Torment. Neither Meantime nor Van Buren are exactly famous titles, compared to the other two mentioned anyway.
Maybe he's planning on some small level projects...RPGs for iOS in a post-apoc setting?
In any case, any sort of speculation at this point won't net any proper results. Let's just wait and see.
 
Last edited:
"Maybe we get to time travel back to 2003 in Meantime and kidnap Herve Caen? Thus Interplay never cancel Van Buren."

LMAO


 
oxidize said:
"Maybe we get to time travel back to 2003 in Meantime and kidnap Herve Caen? Thus Interplay never cancel Van Buren."

LMAO
Click to expand...

We would have to go further in time and probably bail out Interplay before the Herve Caen appeared on the scene.
 
Crni Vuk said:
then why buying the title? Just do your own game ... and that's it. At this point Van Buren is really just a name like any other, what about Helga Koschlik? Yes. Call the next post Apoc game Helga. Why? Who cares. Its fancy.
Click to expand...

To generate buzz? Instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars on a marketing budget for your next big RPG project, you spend a few hundred on an additional trademark and generate speculation among people like us.
 
In the light of the recent news that InXile trademarked Van Buren, I want to clarify that I didn't take the pause from Van Buren because of that, but only because of my business. I just found out about the trademark 10 minutes ago and don't know what to think of it...

We haven't been contacted by anyone but in case they're developing the game on their own, it would be cool if they would check out what we plan to do. We're fans, not boogeymen. In any case, I wish them the best.
 
WorstUsernameEver said:
inXile publicly cut every tie with Bethesda and treated them as the devil. No way they're going to work with them in the future.
Click to expand...
When did this happen? All I know is that Sea shit talks them on the RPGCodex forums, but I don't know what role does he have at inXile. Did Brian Fargo go out and specifically say "fuck Bethesda"?

edit: nevermind, I found it. Well, that's that for an inXile Fallout game. Shit talking ZeniMax has to be done, and I guess the chance of them doing a Fallout title was miniscule to begin with.
 
Last edited:
Nas92 said:
WorstUsernameEver said:
inXile publicly cut every tie with Bethesda and treated them as the devil. No way they're going to work with them in the future.
Click to expand...
When did this happen? All I know is that Sea shit talks them on the RPGCodex forums, but I don't know what role does he have at inXile. Did Brian Fargo go out and specifically say "fuck Bethesda"?

edit: nevermind, I found it. Well, that's that for an inXile Fallout game. Shit talking ZeniMax has to be done, and I guess the chance of them doing a Fallout title was miniscule to begin with.
Click to expand...

Astounding what you must think of Brian Fargo. He only takes the trademark to anger Bethesda (which actually doesnt care that much).
Yeah the big devils that can be angered with trademark snatching.... :wiggle:

Not that some forum members here could bring some light in the whole thing but they are surely not allowed to. At least not yet.
 
Last edited:
sesom said:
Yeah the big devils that can be angered with trademark snatching.... :wiggle:
Click to expand...
I wouldn't be surprised if inXile got sued. What was that I heard, that Bethesda sued people for using the word "scroll" somewhere in a trademark?
 
Meantime looks interisting but I don't know how to feel or think about Van Buren, maybe a Wasteland 2 Expansion?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top