Bethesda files for redactions to hide MMO info

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 8:14 am

[ Company -> Article ] - More info on Company: Bethesda Softworks | More info on Company: Bethesda v. Interplay | More info on Company: ZeniMax Media Inc. | More info on Company: ZeniMax Online Studios

At this point, we know that Zenimax Media, Bethesda's parent company, opened up an MMO division headed by Dark Age of Camelot's Matt Firor and have been working on an unannounced game. What we didn't know was that Bethesda let slip some information in the court case against Interplay, and now they have filed to redact those statements so their competitors can't find out about it.

A trusted source who wishes to remain anonymous informed DAC of these actions being taken by Bethesda. The deadline to file for redactions of testimony was yesterday, 19 January 2010. As we learned from previous transcripts leaks, there are 218 pages of transcripts from the preliminary injunction hearing between Interplay and Bethesda. We've only been able to get our hands on a few pages, but what we've seen has been enlightening. What Bethesda doesn't want us to see is information about their in-the-works MMO.

The big trade secret?: Bethesda has "tens and tens of millions of dollars" and "close to a hundred people"working on a "secret" "World Of Warcraft" type MMO and they don't want their competitors knowing about it. They've been working on it pretty heavily since 2007 after assigning the team in late 2006. According to testimony given by Bethesda, the development timetable for an MMO is 4 years, so that would mean they would be releasing this game next year.

Bethesda also does not want their competitors, whether Interplay or big MMO competitors like Blizzard, to know whether it's Fallout MMO or not. Based on testimony released on DAC, they are not working on a Fallout MMO and they cannot start working on one until they win the rights from Interplay. Technically speaking, that means no Fallout MMO from Bethesda until 2014 at the earliest if the court case gets settled soon and in Bethesda's favor. However, if they are working on a Fallout MMO anyway, which would mean perjury and therefore highly unlikely [edit:And just so people aren't confused, I am in no way suggesting Bethesda committed perjury. I couldn't afford the settlement funding if anyone got the wrong idea.], next year might see a Fallout MMO from Bethesda.

Hopefully we can get our hands on the parts of the transcripts Bethesda wants redacted, which we'll then report back to you. Stay tuned!

Link: Transcripts on DAC Part 1

Link: Transcripts on DAC Part 2

UPDATE: DAC has learned that all of these transcripts are publically available at the Maryland courts, so if anyone reading this lives in Maryland, head over there, grab them while you can and send them in to DAC!

UPDATE 2: Looks like it's an Elder Scrolls MMO.

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:07 pm

I'm not really sure what's the point of redacting the testimony now, given that the full transcripts are available to be read at the court, while this redaction is even more publicly available through PACR. Hell, thanks to this filing and us posting it at DAC and The Vault, the competitors will know sooner instead of later.

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:13 pm

I'm not sure, but I think that once the redaction has gone through all the documents from PACER and the court terminals will be edited to hide the information a la military UFO document style blacking-out.

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:22 pm

Still, they should know already that we get all court documents as soon as they are filed and make their content public.

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:32 pm

Maybe it's like playing peek-a-boo. The baby covers its face and thinks we can't see it, but we obviously still know it's there.

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 1:35 pm

Geeze 218 pages of transcripts

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 2:40 pm

you mean like the fallout 3 baby that escapes the vault and fights its way through the wastes?

or are we talking about Schrodinger's kitten baby in a black box that until we do a peekaboo we won't know if the acid beaker broke and killed the kitten baby collapse of the quantum wave function thingy or not?

After all, Bethesda and Marbury interjected the terms alternate reality into actual press releases.

Do they think our reality is a Schrodinger's Hello Kitty box?

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:07 pm

Elder Scrolls MMO? Jesus, that's terrible, it'd be nothing but a coop dungeon crawler only broken up by vast expanses of woodland and nothing.

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:13 pm

But imagine the TREES!!!!

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 10:42 am

I for one had a look at the elder scrolls mmo i did miss it but thanks to this thread was able to get a quick peek at it it was not what i expected it to be icon_joy

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 11:45 am

Anyone got any SDF spray?

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 11:56 am

Johnny there is a spambot, advertising hemorroid cream in his signature. Luckily, signatures are disabled

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 3:18 pm

Hey, I needed that cream! angry

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 6:53 am

Sick, I'll take two.