Fallout Extreme Xbox concept submission

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Title: Fallout Extreme
Submit Date: 11/27/00
Publisher: Interplay Entertainment Corp.
Developer: 14 Degrees East

Territory and "street" dates:
Y North America on 03/15/2002
N Japan
Y Europe/RoW on 03/15/2002
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Xbox Concept Submission

The "Hook": -- Please use 2 or 3 paragraphs to tell the concept review committee what kind of title this game is and why it will be successful. This is the place to really "hype" the overall strengths of your title.

Set in the post-apocalyptic wasteland forged after the near global destruction as chronicled in Interplay's hit series Fallout. Fallout Extreme puts the player in an immersive real-time 3D environment giving him command of a four-man squad of soldiers all with very specialized skills. While controlling each team member individually or in unison, the player will learn different approaches to solving combat-oriented challenges, giving the player varying results depending on his approach. Fallout Extreme is not a First Person Shooter, but rather a game of action, tactics and strategies where moving into position, planning, and falling back is just as important as having the biggest and baddest weapons. From Thief - like sneaking and reconnaissance to the explosive action of Unreal Tournament, the experience is a blast fest that will not be forgotten! With, characters, weapons, Team Campaign play, and Competition matches, Fallout Extreme will keep the adrenaline pumping long after its initial release.

Strategy exists beyond the tactics employed within the individual missions. The dynamics of each mission change based on where the player enters the territory (from the west, south, east, or north) and on what the player did in previously fought missions. I.e. The player, in a territory of a previous mission, destroys a bridge, and the enemy forces of a neighboring territory are weakened because they can no longer receive supplies or reinforcements! A situation like this interconnects the missions enhancing the players feeling of accomplishment and cunning. It is this control of the individual squad members combined with territory conquests that heightens replay ability.

[Footer (omitted on subsequent pages)] Xbox Concept Submission Form v2.0 page 1 of 23
Confidential Microsoft 2000
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Unique Selling Points: -- Please list the top 3-5 differentiating features that will compel gamers to purchase and play this title - if necessary for comprehension, give in-game examples.

1. Squad combat and tactics, controlling members individually or in unison. The player can position characters by taking control of each squaddie, playing in either Chase of First Person view within the stunning 3D world of Fallout Extreme. Play ranges from slow suspenseful stealth times to high-speed adrenaline pounding blast fests! Positioning each character for ambush, solving unique puzzles with individual skills (such as disarming an explosive by a character who is a Demolitions Expert), leaving a lookout to warn when an enemy comes into view, Sniping a watchtower guard to prevent detection, and more. As a group, the Squad can travel together following the orders of the Lead, representing unequaled firepower. Without sacrificing fast and exciting game play, Fallout
Extreme lets the player experience the power of having an Assault Team at his control.

2. Rich and exciting world, visually stunning, audibly powerful, totally immersive. From the strategic Campaign Map to the action packed 3D game play, sound and graphics combine to bring the experience to life in Fallout Extreme. Characters speak throughout the action, calling for help, voicing concerns, requesting support, and screaming agony! Music scores the events, heavier in threat and eerily slow in stealth. Local ambient sounds emphasize unique locations with full 3D Doppler-shifted positioned effects; e.g. steam spewing from an ancient pipe, dripping water, gurgling sludge in vats, whirring fans, footsteps, weapon fire, etc. Local music and enemy speech ignite moments, commanding attention and action.

3. Customized character management makes each game experience unique, allowing the player to assign the right squad members to deal with situations and adapt to the player's personal style. As campaign missions proceed, new characters encountered may be used in subsequent missions as squad members. Although characters can evolve core abilities for greater skill during play, new characters bring with them different skills. Selecting the right characters for the mission makes a difference to how the mission should be played; every mission offers a number of approaches to succeed (stealth, assault, puzzles, skill utilization, and more).

4. Maps crafted to allow numerous avenues of play. Each map is designed with neutral characters, enemy characters, planned situations & scenarios based on location and player actions, and strategic routes changing based on where the player succeeds but also on how he plays the game.

5. Multiplayer features include Campaign, Death match, Assault Missions. Local Area Network (LAN), Machine-To-Machine, and Internet will all support Fallout Extreme's many venues of interactive play. Players can team together in the campaign, compete head-to-head as single characters or commanding full Assault Squads in simple Death matches tallying total kills, and Assault Missions seeking specific triggers or items in a level.

6. Expansion Scenarios, Characters, and Weapons. Current discussions include the possibility of additional bonus levels for download awarded to early buyers, and more available to maintain product life and interest. These levels will be stand-alone, but allow characters to transfer from other games to continue character life and experience. Interplay's goal is to maximize the game Engine with its plug-in architecture over the Internet. Every gamer will love to have these add-ons, increasing their game's value locally and with friends online in Competitive Games and Team Campaigns.

7. A rich world of exotic, frightening, cool men, women and beasts to enlist in the squad or fight against! Fallout Extreme mixes the familiar characters from the Fallout line--including super mutant gang-bangers, slimy merchants, ghoulish refugees, post-Apocalyptic paladins, and crazed cultists--with the new factions introduced in Fallout Extreme Hawk man braves of the Issaquah Nation; survivalist bands of the Montauk; Chinese post-Apocalyptic warlords; the Horde of Huns riding astride the vicious Werebeasts; fanatic Imperial Guardsmen who protect their Emperor beyond death; beastling servants of the Brotherhood; and not least of all the merciless knights of the Brotherhood of Steel. As the tables turn in the epic campaign, the player can control in his squad the kinds of creatures he formerly fought against. Controlling a Hun, a Issaquah Hawk, a giant Super mutant, and a fallen Brotherhood Knight fighting back to back all in the same squad guarantees a rich experience that competing titles simply cannot duplicate!

Key Xbox Features: -- Please describe how the title will take advantage of the capabilities of the Xbox in a manner that players will notice and care about.

Utilizing the unified system & video memory, the rendering throughput will be greatly accelerated allowing far more polygonal detail. We are targeting to utilize the Xbox vertex shaders for in-between morph animations permitting smoother transitions between character key frames. The polyphonic sound system of the Xbox will be used to play a wide range of simultaneous digital sound effects augmented by Environmental Audio Effects (EAX). Positional sound will be leveraged to indicate location of enemies and objects, making the experience much more realistic. Provided the Voice Input Xbox feature and Internet Play is available, this game will offer Voice Chat between other human players in Internet sessions.

• High Poly Count environment
  
• Vertex Shaders for frame tweening/morphing
  
• EAX/3D Position Audio + Reverb, Occlusion and other effects
  
• Voice Input & Chat
  
• Internet Game Play
  

Additional Target Systems: -- If this title is already available on additional systems, or will be, please indicate the "street" date (or anticipated "street" date).

☒ Xbox exclusive? (Period of exclusivity): 6 MONTHS

Platform

[not filled in]

"Street" dates and territories

[not filled in]

Target Age Group(s): -- Please check each age target that applies.

☐ 0 to 5 ☐ 6 to 8 ☐ 9 to 12 ☒ 13 to 17 ☒ 18 to 24 ☒ 25 to 34 ☐ 35 to 44 ☐ 45+

Anticipated North American Rating (ESRB): -- Please check only one age rating.

☐ Early Childhood ☐ Everyone ☒Teen ☐ Mature ☐ Adult Only (not accepted)

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Anticipated European Ratings: -- Please check only one age rating.

UK (ELSPA/VSC) ☐ 3+ ☒ 11+ ☐ 15+ ☐ 18+
Germany (USK) ☐ All ☐ O6+ ☐ 12+ ☐ 16+ ☒ 18+
France (SELL) ☐ All Public ☒ 12+ ☐ 16+ ☐ 18+

Game Category: -- Please check the one NPD TRST game category that best applies and delete the rest.

ACTION
☐ 3D action/adventure ☐ Platform/Scrolling character ☐ Action oriented/Extreme sports
☒ Other Action/Compilations

"Street" Date(s) by Territory: -- Please provide an estimated "street" date for each territory.
☒ North America on 03/15/02 ☐ Japan on mm/dd/yyyy ☒ Europe/Row on 03/15/02
Languages: ☒ English ☒ Spanish ☐ Japanese ☒ German ☒ French ☐ Other languages:

Anticipated Licensed Content/Franchise Properties: -- Please list all anticipated licensed content and pre-existing intellectual properties in order of importance to title success, indicating property/content strength, licensor, period and territory. Attach copies of independent reviews from previous versions if you wish.

We will be using Interplay's own franchise of Fallout, a recognized title for its three games - Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics. With this award-winning international property, Fallout Extreme will forge new ground with its first Real-Time 3D tactical assault game.

The Competition -- Please list the top 3-5 competitive games beginning with the strongest one.

Platform Title
Dreamcast Rainbow Six
Dreamcast Hidden & Dangerous
PS 2 Metal Gear Solid
PS 2 X-Squad
Marketing Plans: -- Please describe any specific advertising plans, promotions or events (including demo discs) you are considering that you feel we should be aware of when considering approval of this title.

Interplay is solidly behind Fallout Extreme as a brand extension of one of our key internal franchises. Creatively, the product's positioning will be designed to distinguish the game from both its strategy and RPG PC predecessors. Interplay Marketing will be supporting the X-Box title with a variety of marketing programs. Some of the programs currently under consideration include:

1) Advertising in key gamer publications
2) Radio promotions in major Metro markets.
3) Targeted television campaign designed to reach the X-Box audience.
4) Participation in various Microsoft X-Box promotional programs.
5) Promotional alliance with a premier third party distributor of X-Box peripherals.
6) Aggressive PR campaign targeting mainstream and gaming publications as well as Men's interest and lifestyle venues.
7) Extensive presence at company's E3 booth.
8) Innovative retailers promotions with creative point-of-purchase marketing materials and retailer incentives.
9) Dedicated on-line Web site separated from other Fallout PC properties

Supplemental Materials: -- Please list any additional "must-see" materials provided with the submission.

See attached presentation document.

Gameplay Detail

Story Elements: -- Please provide a 1-2 paragraph description of the characters, background story elements, and theme that motivates a player to succeed. Include descriptions of the non-interactive "cut-scenes".

The world is decaying. Death is everywhere. Violence rules. Power is everything.
Ever since the catastrophe that sent mankind into chaos and gave birth to mutant species, man has struggled to keep life and hope alive. Almost a century has passed and civilization is still a loose organization of townships built from the ruins left behind. Radiation has left the world a wasteland, fraught with peril and disease. Clinging to life in a cruel and harsh world with little resource, mutants and man work together to survive.

The once silent organization of pure non-mutant humans, known as The Brotherhood of Steel, has been expanding. As if over night, the Brotherhood has seized control of the territories the player has called home. The Brotherhood ruthlessly takes the inhabitants by force, sending them into battle without concern for their welfare.

Taking control back from the Brotherhood as revolutionaries represents the first half of Fallout Extreme, waging tactical battles and strategically mounting surgical strikes on specific territories. As the player wrests control from the Brotherhood, each reclaimed township vows loyalty to the player's cause.

Once the Brotherhood's domination has been thwarted, the player must take on the now discovered cause the Brotherhood had set out to do in the first place. We, the once revolutionaries, are now the only chance to save the world, from the sleeping enemy in the Far East, by stopping another nuclear strike

The missile, worshipped by the Eastern Army, represents the final blow to North America. Without the spiritual icon of the still un-launched Doom's Day missile, the amassing armies will disband, its morale broken and their supreme power lost.

The player will take his best four soldiers, veterans of his campaign, and destroy the missile launch system. Civilization is now free to develop under the direction of the triumphant player.

60 Seconds of Gameplay

Single Player Mission - Destroy the Brotherhood's Barracks

After climbing UberDan halfway up the water tower, you change view to scope mode and pick out a solitary Brotherhood sentry patrolling the compound below.

A quick sweep of the area through the high-powered scope reveals nothing. An important target like this warrants better protection, shouldn't it? Quickly cycling through the eyes of your other squad members placed around the site confirms only the presence of the sole sentry.

Anticipating the sentry's route, a plan begins to form in your mind, a course of action that will eliminate the guard before the barracks can be called to arms. The sentry moves closer, unaware of your team, but then stops just short of a clear shot! If he just took a few steps more...

You quickly cycle through the rest of the team; Abel, Big Betty & Caleb, momentarily considering them to take out the sentry. But their less than subtle approach would, without a doubt, bring the Brotherhood platoon from their barrack and down on your heads. Cycling back to UberDan, you hit the Order button, commanding him to wait for a clear shot. "If he comes in my sights, he's history!" He drawls.

With this done, you cycle to the stealthiest of your squad: Abel...

...And change view to third-person revealing Abel before you, crouched in the dirt.

You move him carefully forward along the hedgerow following the sound of heavy footfalls and avoiding the sentry's line of site. Suddenly, the footfalls stop. Only the thinning hedge and a short distance separates Abel from the sentry. Suddenly a cough bellows out, followed by the wet sounds of the sentry clearing his throat. The man turns and retraces his steps back along the compound. "I still ain't got a clear shot!" Uber Dan complains.

Time to get the rest of the squad ready, so you cycle to Big Betty...

... "Too quiet," she growls. The sentry is still the only guard in sight, and you agree with her. It is too quiet. You decide to install some insurance, just in case things turn ugly, so you move her into range of the barrack's doors. With her lightening fast reflexes and heavy machine gun, she will most assuredly make a mess of any Brotherhood soldiers that come barreling out the doors.

With this in mind, you line up the distant doorway within the machine gun sights and tap through commands with the Order button. "I get the GOOD jobs," she says as you select 'Guard'.

You now cycle to Caleb...

...And carefully creep, staying hidden by shadows, over to a munitions shed at the rear of the barracks. Once there, you quickly cycle through Caleb's inventory: Carbine... Grenades... Plastique, oh my. A well-placed amount should do the trick.

... "Still frosty," Big Betty comments. "I'm tired of waiting too," Uber Dan grouses in agreement. "The only thing moving is my lunch."...

Using Caleb's crosshairs, you mark a number of oil-filled barrels that line one wall and he begins to set the explosives.

You will be keeping a mindful eye on the 'all done' indicator above his Player Icon, waiting for it to light up.

"Jeez, I can almost smell him!" Abel suddenly exclaims, and your thoughts turn back to the Sentry. You cycle to Abel...

...And see the Sentry is in his sights and only a few steps away.

Hitting the Weapon Select Button, you run through Abel's arsenal. You pause on a rock, a chunk of concrete that you were gonna bean a guard with earlier but didn't. Selecting the object, you thumb the direction stick and hurl the rock up into the night sky. You hear it come down with a heavy thump, loud enough to catch the sentry's attention.

"Huh, wassat?" You hear him exclaim, then the sound of hurried footsteps confirms the distraction.

With another tap on the Weapon Select Button, Abel pulls out his sidearm. Always good to leave a man armed! Already crouching, you use the D-Pad to move Abel away from the shed and around the corner, nearer to the barracks.

You quickly cycle to UberDan...

...Just in time to see the Sentry, through the rifle's scope, reach the fallen rock.

You knew the sniper was capable of taking the Sentry out, but just to be sure you have taken control.

With a twitch of your thumb, you line up the crosshair with the distant guard's head, and wait a beat... Phuut! The sniper rifle seems to cough in your hands as your target's head snaps back.

No more sentry.

"Plastique set!" Caleb reports. You cycle to Abel...

.. You order the others to 'Rally Here'. "Get over here!" you hear him bark, quickly followed by the others: "I'm a coming," "Inbound," "Heading out."

Being the nearest, Big Betty is the first to arrive at your side. Figuring the others will catch up, you move past the fallen sentry into the compound and towards your objective: the Satellite Receiver.

"Aw, Hell!" UberDan suddenly exclaims, and his health bar suddenly begins to flash red at the corner of the screen. The sound of gunfire rings out, followed by shouting.

You cycle to Uber Dan and see an unexpected patrol group returning to the compound. They must have spotted him on his way in. Of all the lousy timing...

You quickly order 'Rally Here' thinking Abel and Big Betty should be able to back up UberDan without too many problems. On the other hand if you don't take care of the receiver soon then your teams survival ain't gonna matter squat, so you cycle to Caleb...

... Where you see the barrack's doors suddenly slam open and Brotherhood soldiers stream out into the compound. Damn it! Things are definitely not going as planed now. You were going to wait until you had downloaded the receiver data before blowing the place, but that went out the window with your stealthy approach blown. You figure the blast radius of the plastique, but the oil drums add an unknown element into the mix.

Pulling Caleb back, you cycle through his weapons selecting the detonator. Brotherhood soldiers are pouring out of the barracks, it's now or never. You hit the action button and Caleb thumbs the big red switch on the detonator.

The explosion is immense. You wince as Caleb is thrown back by the shockwave, but you note with relief that his health bar hasn't gone down. The Brotherhood soldiers, however, aren't as lucky. When the view clears, bodies and rubble litter the ground.

No time to dawdle though, the health bars of the rest of the group are flashing erratically. The patrol group is inflicting heavy damage so you cycle to Big Betty...

...And quickly order the others to "Rally Here", only then to take control of the mutant herself, bringing the large muzzle to bear on the nearest of the patrol.

Things just got really messy.