Fallout 3 Interview

The folks at 1Up have published a two-page interview with Bethesda's Emil Pagliarulo, asking the lead designer ten questions about their upcoming Fallout sequel. The fanbase gets critiqued again:
Q: The Fallout community is very -- very -- vocal and defensive of the franchise. Why do you think the previous games have generated such a tenacious fanbase, especially in light of the disappointments of Fallout Tactics and Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel?

A: Yeah, I mean, it's no secret that there's a hardcore Fallout fanbase that can be very vocal, very defensive, and very wary of any changes to the original game. But why is that the case? Who are these people, and what is it about Fallout that awakens such passion?

In my experience, a lot of these ardent fans are old-school PC gamers who don't like many -- or any -- console games. So an amazing game like Fallout will sit on a hard drive for a long, long time. A fan will play it, then play it again, and then keep on playing it until their PC dies. That fosters a really unique, almost intimate relationship with a game.

So it's no surprise they react they way they do when a company like Bethesda obtains the license, and then makes some significant changes. They're like "GINO" -- Galactica In Name Only -- those hardcore Battlestar Galactica fans who idolize the old show and despise the new one because it's so different. Some people get really attached to something and reject change. I understand their feelings and sympathize...but I'm not one of those people.