25 Things You DIDN'T Know About Fallout
25 Things You Didn’t Know About Fallout
Welcome to MojoPlays, and THAT’S RIGHT! I’M DOING THIS AGAIN. There is no type of list that gets me more comments that read like, “DUHHH, YOU BIG DUMB IDIOT, WE ALL KNEW THAT.” So, on that note, these are 25 Things That I Didn’t Know About Fallout. Ha! Loophole. Looking forward to all the friendly comments… Oh god, what have I done?
Med-X was Australia’s Fault
As it turns out, the ever-fitting title of the health drug in the Fallout universe wasn’t always going to be Med-X. When Fallout 3 was in development, the item was simply called "morphine" right up until the end. But due to Australia's strong drug laws in video games, the game wasn't going to get its worldwide release, as us Aussies said, “Get that junk outta here.” Lame, but it happened. In order to get the worldwide release, Bethesda simply changed the drug from morphine to the fictional Med-X. The release was cemented, and so was the lore… AND LAW, which annoyingly sound exactly the same in my accent.
The Real Fat Man
Fiction meets reality; enter The Fat Man. Did you know (get used to me saying that) that The Fat Man is based on an actual nuke launcher? It's called the M-388 Davy Crockett Tactical Nuclear Recoilless Rifle and was made in the 1950s. You may even recognize it from MGS3, when Colonel Volgin uses a Davy Crockett to fire a nuke. IT’S REAL, YOU GUYS! REAL!!
The Ford Nucleon
Guess what else is real! Those beautiful goddamn cars. Gorgeous, sleek, and potentially a real part of our society had things gone slightly differently. As it turns out, the cars in Fallout are inspired by the 1950s Ford Nucleon, a concept vehicle designed to run on a nuclear reactor. What could possibly go wrong? Imagine driving your nuclear-reactor-powered car into a family's Ford Fiesta. Chernobyl on the go.
Fallout 4’s Leaked Script
Hardcore Fallout fans will remember when Kotaku leaked a casting call script for Fallout 4, sparking debates because it seemed like the player character actually talked. Skeptics scoffed, but two years later, the game dropped, and the script was basically spot-on. In it, the player meets Preston Garvey, a Minuteman holdout pinned down by Raiders. They hatch a plan to use a fusion core in the museum to turn the tide. In the final game, it’s almost identical, except instead of powering guns, you strap into Power Armor like a post-apocalyptic Iron Man.
Masthead’s Fallout MMO
Bethesda may have hyped Fallout 76 as a bold multiplayer experiment, but a Fallout MMO isn’t exactly a new idea. Back in 2007, Masthead Studios was developing Fallout Online with creative input from Interplay. When Bethesda bought the Fallout license for 2008’s Fallout 3, things got messy. Masthead was initially allowed to keep working under certain conditions, but by 2009, Bethesda accused them of breaching the agreement. After years of legal wrangling, Fallout Online was officially canceled in December 2012. And Bethesda NEVER stole their idea… Ever.
Brahmin Tipping
I KNOW people are gonna be upset who thought this was obvious, BUT I HAD NO IDEA! Did you know you can tip over Brahmin in every main Fallout game except Fallout 4? In the first game, it required giving them beer, because even in the Wasteland, cows need happy hour. Fallout 2 let you use the “push” command, while 3 and New Vegas added a sneaky animation for maximum satisfaction. The Brahmin topple, flop, and then slowly get back up like the stubborn bovine warriors they are.
Lunch Bomb
Did you know (I’m so sorry) that the little ding sound effect that plays after you fire the Fat Man came directly from the Bethesda offices? As it turns out, that was the same bell from the lunchroom at Bethesda HQ. So when workers were enjoying a delicious Caesar salad, they always felt like they’d fired a world-ending bullet.
Dash Dies
It’s funny how many game developers use toys to visualize camera angles. Kojima infamously used LEGOs to build the sets of Metal Gear Solid 1, while Bethesda took a more animated angle. Artist Grant Struthers prototyped the V.A.T.S. camera system by filming his Incredibles action figures duking it out. Yes, he literally set up Dash in action poses. Are you imagining his legs flying off? Yeah… I’ve definitely never done that. Nope. Not once. Nuh-uh.
V.A.T.S. Inspiration
Speaking of! One of Fallout 3’s best additions was the V.A.T.S. targeting system—finally, a way to aim for a raider’s knee instead of wildly spraying bullets like a caffeinated toddler. This limb-targeting mechanic added a strategic twist to the FPS formula. But DID YOU KNOW?! The idea came from the crash mode in the Burnout racing games. Yep, a game about smashing cars inspired a system for methodically crippling bandits.
Vault 34 Lady
Some secrets are hiding in plain sight, even in Bethesda’s marketing for New Vegas. Take that wallpaper of a flirty young woman in a Vault 34 jumpsuit: turns out, it’s a young Pearl, the Boomers’ leader, according to lead designer J.E. Sawyer. That’s why her name pops up next to the picture on the side of the Boomers’ B-29 in their ending slide. It’s nice to put a face to a face.
Was Originally Based on GURPS
When most people think of Fallout, they picture Vault Boy and the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats system. But it wasn’t always that way. The original plan was to use Steve Jackson Games’ GURPS system to manage the player's stats. After a legal squabble, the rights got yanked, forcing Black Isle to cook up their own system. They first called it A.C.E.L.I.P.S., which was later rearranged to spell S.P.E.C.I.A.L., proving that your second idea is always your best... The f*** is Acelips?
Fallout 2’s Sex Formula
Fallout 2 offered freedom few RPGs could dream of. Want to be a world-famous adult film star, mutant slayer, and mobster all in one playthrough? Go for it. It even has a sex rating system, calculating your bedroom prowess based on Charisma, Endurance, Agility, and Strength. Hit a high enough score and you earn the illustrious “Gigolo” title… which, spoiler alert, does absolutely nothing useful. So basically, Fallout 2 is proof that even in the Wasteland, you can be ridiculously overqualified and still not get a raise. Yep, that was a boner joke. You’re welcome.
Not Originally Post-Apocalyptic
Fallout went through wild creative detours. Tim Cain, one of the original creators, says the post-apocalyptic world we know came after scrapping a fantasy D&D-style game, a time-travel plot where you accidentally annihilate humanity, and even a girlfriend-rescue-from-dinos adventure. Yep, we almost got Jurassic 76. Eventually, all those crazy ideas boiled down into the irradiated Wasteland we love today.
Meat of Champions
Perks are a big part of what makes modern Fallout games so fun. Meat of Champions is a hidden perk in New Vegas that most strategy guides forgot to mention. It's a reward for… well, cannibalizing all the leaders of New Vegas. Grab the Cannibal perk, then politely nibble on Caesar, Mr. House, The King, and President Kimball, and voilà—stat bonuses with every bite. Bone appétit.
“Friends”
Everybody knows that Fallout: New Vegas has an odd connection with the sitcom Friends. Matthew Perry became such a big fan of Fallout 3 that he ended up voicing Benny. But, there’s one lesser-known Friends connection that rarely gets mentioned. Actress Courteney Cox (yes, Monica) worked at Bethesda for a short stint in the 1980s, and because of this, she later co-hosted the Fallout 3 launch party. I worked at Woolworths for 2 years when I was 16, and I promise if I become rich and famous, I’ll burn that store to the ground.
The Launch Party
Alright, we’re splitting hairs here, but we need an entire entry for this goddamn launch party. Fallout 3’s release felt like a Hollywood premiere, and its party didn’t disappoint: Foo Fighters rocked the stage, and regardless of my previous entry, it was hosted not just by Courteney Cox but also by her then-husband, David Arquette.
October 23rd
For those without a picture-perfect lore memory: in the Fallout universe, the nukes dropped on October 23, 2077. This date is important across all games. Bethesda tried to be clever by syncing Fallout 3’s release with the fictional apocalypse, but in real life, it hit North America a few days late on October 28th. Still pretty close to when the giant goddamn nukes destroyed the world. Wait, did that happen? Or was that the game?
Rockville Softworks
As you might imagine, Bethesda Softworks was named after the American town of Bethesda, Maryland. But, as it turns out, the company was only based there for a short time. Its offices are now located in Rockville, Maryland. Same state, different town. Time for a name change! This is why I changed my name from ‘Matthew’ to ‘your mom’s bed’… How have I not been fired yet?
Baby Talk
Fun fact! The baby you play as at the start of Fallout 3 is voiced by none other than Jake Howard, game director Todd Howard’s son, on his very first birthday. Talk about starting your career early. Timmy Neusbaum, the kid in Tranquility Lane, is voiced by Cullen Pagliarulo, son of lead designer Emil Pagliarulo. Fallout 3 is a family affair.
Cut Minigame
A bunch of stuff always gets scrapped during development. At one stage, Fallout 3 included a surgery minigame where you had to cauterize your own wounds while your character screamed in agony, which obviously ended up on the cutting room floor. The developers eventually scrapped it, feeling that making players heal their own limbs dragged down the game’s pacing.
Game-ception
We love a game within a game. Inside the Hubris Comics building in Fallout 3, the computer games division houses a terminal featuring a fully playable text adventure called The Reign of Grelok. Text adventures aren’t THAT engaging, but the effort is undeniable. Well done, Fallout 3, you made me play a text-based game.
Fallout’s Inspiration
Like most franchises, Fallout has a bunch of inspirations. Mad Max left its mark with the game’s Leather Armor. Dogmeat, everyone’s favorite four-legged sidekick, probably owes his pedigree to both Mad Max and A Boy and His Dog. And the Brotherhood of Steel? Their whole “hoard technology like sacred relics” vibe screams A Canticle for Leibowitz.
Same-Sex Wasteland
Bethesda, more like progress-da? Whatever, I hate you guys. Did you know that way back in 1998, Fallout 2 was one of the first major video games to feature same-sex marriage? It was a landmark that wouldn’t be recognized by other media, or reality, for years to come. Because of this, the game also set another record: being one of the first to feature same-sex divorce. Hey, you can’t have the yin without the yang.
Why The Thumbs Up?
This is one of those myths that has become reality, and since the TV show turned the myth into canon for a lot of fans, I am here to put my foot down and say NOT IN THE VIDEO GAME, IT AIN'T! One of Fallout’s most iconic symbols is Vault Boy giving a thumbs-up. Fans online and the Fallout TV series have said that he is measuring the blast radius of a nuke with his thumb, but sorry, myth busted. Brian Fargo, Interplay founder, confirms it’s just an ironic grin. I don’t care what the show says; that’s the main man himself, so shut it, haters.
The Fallout 3 We Never Got
Black Isle Studios created the first two Fallout games, and after Bethesda snagged the license, they made Fallout 3. But Black Isle had their own vision for a sequel, codenamed Van Buren. It would’ve taken players through the American Southwest, fighting the FEV virus while tangling with the NCR and Brotherhood of Steel. The game promised real-time and turn-based combat and even playable super mutants. Sadly, Interplay went bankrupt and Van Buren got canned. The silver lining: much of its story, like the NCR-Brotherhood drama, survived in Fallout: New Vegas.
