Interplay and Masthead Team Up For Fallout Online

Interplay sent out a press release late yesterday announcing that they’ve teamed up with Earthrise developer Masthead Studios to develop Project: V13, or, as we know it, Fallout Online.

Interplay and Masthead Studios to Jointly Develop Massively Multiplayer Online Game
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., April 2 — Interplay Entertainment Corp. announced today that the company has signed a binding letter of intent with Masthead Studios to fund the development of a Massively Multiplayer Online Game , code named Project: V13.
The game has been in design and development at Interplay since November 2007. Masthead and Interplay teams will work together under the direction and control of Interplay to complete development of the project.
As a part of the agreement, the game will utilize Masthead’s proprietary tools and MMOG technology developed for Masthead’s Earthrise project.
Commenting on the announcement, Interplay Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Herve Caen said, We are looking forward to turning the vision of our game designers into a compelling online gaming experience. The planning and design completed for Project: V13 thus far, combined with
Masthead’s resources, tools, and growing team of dedicated MMOG developers, will bring this unique game to reality.
Masthead Studios President Atanas Atanasov said, This arrangement is ideal because it leverages the technology our professionals have specifically built for advanced Massively Multiplayer Online Games into what we expect will be a groundbreaking Interplay gaming title.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
About Interplay Entertainment
Founded in 1983, Interplay Entertainment is a developer, publisher and licensor of video game software headquartered in Southern California. The company has produced and licensed titles for many of the most popular interactive entertainment software platforms in the action/arcade, adventure/RPG and strategy/puzzle categories. Its portfolio of well-recognized Intellectual Properties includes Battlechess, Clayfighter, Dark Alliance, Descent, Earthworm Jim, Freespace, Giants, Messiah, MDK, Run Like Hell, Sacrifice. Interplay also holds exclusive distribution rights to certain existing Fallout and Redneck titles.
About Masthead Studios
Masthead Studios is a growing game development company focused on MMORPG games, founded in 2005 in Bulgaria. Masthead has access to abundant local and international talent, and is employing some of the best programmers and graphic artists in Europe. The company is currently developing Earthrise, a next-generation post-apocalyptic MMORPG, using its proprietary game engine and platform.

I don’t see why they would have done this, unless it saves them from the funding deadline.