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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

In a recent episode of Kinda Funny, Betheda’s Todd Howard took centre stage to talk about everything from Starfield to Fallout, and a key part of his discussion was around the make-up of the Fallout franchise. In one question, he was asked whether Fallout would ever leave the United States, potentially leaning into Canada or even the United Kingdom.

His answer was quite definitive.

---

Nope​

Fallout is an All-American series. From the first game in 1997, the franchise has been rooted in post-apocalyptic America and hasn’t ever left the once great nation. It has travelled around the country, taking players from Washington DC to California, but it hasn’t departed the territory. Many fans have wondered if a Fallout game could ever be set outside of America – I’m not one of them, as I firmly believe the series cannot leave the United States.

My view is, part of the Fallout schtick is on the American naivete and part of that. And so, for us right now, it’s okay to acknowledge some of those other areas, but our plans are to predominately keep it in the US. I don’t feel the need to answer… It’s okay to leave mystery or questions, ‘What’s happening in Europe, what’s happening here’. The worst thing you can do to mysterious lands is to remove the mystery.

There it is – Fallout doesn’t need to leave the United States. Firstly, it’s so firmly rooted in the nation that it would be almost impossible to uproot the series and take it somewhere else, and not knowing what has happened to the rest of the world is part of the mystery that makes the Fallout lore so intriguing.

Source - Insider Gaming

 

[John Bilbo]

So the next Fallout game is set in France, huh.

 

[violence]

Not inclusive

 

[GHG]

So that's why they fucked the Fallout London project.

 

[Draugoth]

Makes sense because of the 50's asthetic

 

[Punished Miku]

Makes sense because of the 50's asthetic

Pretty much. I never expected it would leave the US. They could maybe do a brief expansion in Cuba or something, but that's about it.

 

[Randall365]

It really only works in the US because of how spread out it is - it is believeable life would survive. The UK, or France, for example, would just be a hole in the ground.

 

[GHG]

It really only works in the US because of how spread out it is - it is believeable life would survive. The UK, or France, for example, would just be a hole in the ground.

Fallout China or Fallout Russia here we go.

 

[Diddy X]

There would be no guns if it was set somewhere else.

 

[Dirk Benedict]

Interesting, and Fallout: London was looking extremely promising...

 

[Dr.Morris79]

There would be no guns if it was set somewhere else.

Yeah, or atomic flying robots.

 

[Hugare]

Watch Fallout London being better than any of the Bethesda Fallout games

It's ok to stick to the US 'cause I think it works as a sattire to the whole "'american freedom" atitude and military focus, but it could definitely work in other settings if they wanted to

 

[Punished Miku]

Yeah, or atomic flying robots.

Fallout: Siberia

 

[Zheph]

So the next Fallout game is set in France, huh.

its time

 

[Cyberpunkd]

It really only works in the US because of how spread out it is - it is believeable life would survive. The UK, or France, for example, would just be a hole in the ground.

Bro, nobody is nuking Roubaix.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Makes sense. It belongs in the US.

 

[Varteras]

 

[mrMUR_96]

Fallout China or Fallout Russia here we go.

Fallout Russia is basically Metro or Stalker

 

[adamsapple]

Fallout Russia is basically Metro or Stalker

And Fallout: China is just the Foxconn production factories.

 

[Varteras]

And Fallout: China is just the Foxconn production factories.

 

[Punished Miku]

And Fallout: China is just the Foxconn production factories.

Fallout: North Korea ... pretty much nothing has changed.

 

[Varteras]

Fallout: North Korea ... pretty much nothing has changed.

You can actually find food in Fallout games, though

 

[Ceadeus]

What was the 50s like in China

They had their Elvis, bubblegum and coka cola over there?

 

[Deerock71]

 

[SmokedMeat]

There would be no guns if it was set somewhere else.

You’d exit the vault with a baguette as a weapon.

 

[Punished Miku]

What was the 50s like in China

They had their Elvis, bubblegum and coka cola over there?

 

[Toots]

It really only works in the US because of how spread out it is - it is believeable life would survive. The UK, or France, for example, would just be a hole in the ground.

Have you heard of a little thing called the Vault ?

Anyway even without shelters it would work if you used Europe, which is bigger than the US in square miles.
The bombs could fell on germany and the UK, and you could play as someone from the mediterranean commonwealth (Italy, Spain, France) trying to survive against hordes of german über mutants in lederhosen and british ghouls with crooked teeth.

 

[Varteras]

You’d exit the vault with a baguette as a weapon.

I mean that baguette is probably a fucking brick at that point. Ever eat the crust on Texas Toast? You can kill a man with that shit

 

[Varteras]

Have you heard of a little thing called the Vault ?

Anyway even without shelters it would work if you used Europe, which is bigger than the US in square miles.
The bombs could fell on germany and the UK, and you could play as someone from the mediterranean commonwealth (Italy, Spain, France) trying to survive against hordes of german über mutants in lederhosen and british ghouls with crooked teeth.

So kinda like World War 2 and the Colonial Times combined?

 

[Gojiira]

It absolutely can work elsewhere. People forget the ‘stuck in the Americana 50’s’ aesthetic is ONLY in the Bethesda games. Fallout 1/2 especially were just a straight up Retro Futurist Apocalypse. Bethesda made it a theme park.
For people who say ‘no guns’ outside the US, also wrong since Europe went to War with itself over resources and continued fighting into the apocalypse,there would be weapons…
Problem is Todd has no imagination, he and Bethesda never got Fallout right to begin with, they cant see beyond so its easier to just say no. Kinda sad.

 

[FireFly]

predominantly
adverb

mostly or mainly:
a predominantly Muslim community
She is predominantly a dancer, but she also sings.

predominantly

1. mostly or mainly: 2. mostly or mainly:

dictionary.cambridge.org

 

[Badlucktroll]

keep diggin that grave deeper, todd

 

[Hudo]

Fallout Russia

You wouldn't see much difference to current Russia, tho. That place is a shithole, everywhere that isn't Moscow or St. Petersburg.

Source: Some Russian colleagues I managed to talk to.

 

[shubik]

I don´t know... Fallout in france sounds dope to me:

Fallout France

 

[MujkicHaris]

Being All-American is what makes it interesting, for me. I love how different and sometimes edgy American culture is.

The other day I tried playing Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and the main hub is the main reason I might never go back to that game. Cool mechanics, intriguing story but Prague...
Prague is so boring, uninspired, small and doesn't feel like I am in a big futuristic city.

 

[SCB3]

It absolutely can work elsewhere. People forget the ‘stuck in the Americana 50’s’ aesthetic is ONLY in the Bethesda games. Fallout 1/2 especially were just a straight up Retro Futurist Apocalypse. Bethesda made it a theme park.
For people who say ‘no guns’ outside the US, also wrong since Europe went to War with itself over resources and continued fighting into the apocalypse,there would be weapons…
Problem is Todd has no imagination, he and Bethesda never got Fallout right to begin with, they cant see beyond so its easier to just say no. Kinda sad.

I was gonna say, Fallout 2 isn't like that at all, hell it has supernatural stuff in it with the Visions etc

Its a shame, like you could easily make the Spin offs be out of the US (imagine a 60's inspired Fallout UK game or a Russain Fallout) and the Main line games be in the US, Bethedsa I fully believe have mishandled Fallout and Elder Scrolls, I'm kinda glad MS bought them so we can get more games from those IP's

 

[King Dazzar]

Makes sense because of the 50's asthetic

I dont see why the 1950's aesthetic cant apply to London.

 

[Varteras]

I feel like Fallout is pretty much in the same boat as Grand Theft Auto at this point. A big portion of its charm is in the American setting. Could you put it somewhere else? Sure. Will it hit the same? Probably not.

 

[Fabieter]

I feel like Fallout is pretty much in the same boat as Grand Theft Auto at this point. A big portion of its charm is in the American setting. Could you put it somewhere else? Sure. Will it hit the same? Probably not.

It's understandable that some fans might have strong preferences for where a game is set, especially if they have a particular attachment to a specific location. But the same is true for like a dragon with japan and it still worked really well in the last game so maybe some american fans should just be a little bit more open to different settings.

 

[ManaByte]

Makes sense because of the 50's aesthetic

The core lore that Fallout is build on is alt-history 1950's America technology advancing to the point of nuclear war.

 

[Varteras]

maybe some american fans should just be a little bit more open to different settings.

Do you mean Americans or fans of the American settings?

 

[Fabieter]

Do you mean Americans or fans of the American settings?

Well since I made the example with like a dragon and iam not japanese rather the latter.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

 

[Gojiira]

I was gonna say, Fallout 2 isn't like that at all, hell it has supernatural stuff in it with the Visions etc

Its a shame, like you could easily make the Spin offs be out of the US (imagine a 60's inspired Fallout UK game or a Russain Fallout) and the Main line games be in the US, Bethedsa I fully believe have mishandled Fallout and Elder Scrolls, I'm kinda glad MS bought them so we can get more games from those IP's

Yes they 100% have mishandled the series, focusing on all the most banal,wacky and just wrong aspects of the universe. Can just look at Nuka Cola, in F1 and 2 it was just a play on words, it existed but that was it. Bethesda OMG NUKA COLA IS DISNEY with theme parks,mascots and clandestine government pseudo science. Fuck off Todd…And thats just the one example…
I have zero faith Xbox will handle it better though, they love Todd and have zero creativity so they’ll just double down on Beths ‘Vision’…Sad times

 

[mitch1971]

Fallout Japan?

 

[Xcell Miguel]

In the Fallout lore, do Vault Tech exists outside of the US ?
I mean, do they build vaults and provide PipBoys outside of the US ?

If not, I guess it won't look and feel like a Fallout game without Vault Tech (and RobCo and others).

 

[LazyParrot]

Makes sense because of the 50's asthetic

Does it really, though? The same aesthetic also existed in other parts of the world (particularly Europe) around the same time.

Also, the first two games were pretty light on that stuff to begin with. The idea was that the world before the nukes dropped was 50s inspired, then degenerated into something that's much closer to Mad Max and other more "generic" post-apocalyptic settings afterwards. Bethesda decided to really lean into that 50s aspect, to the point where you're essentially just playing in an oddly well-preserved (albeit trashed) version of that same pre-war world.

 

[Varteras]

Well since I made the example with like a dragon and iam not japanese rather the latter.

Like I said, you could do it elsewhere, but it's not likely to hit the same. The Like A Dragon games are great, but I don't think they have the same following as Fallout or GTA. It's a long time between their games, so it gets quite risky to make a change like that and have it fall flat. It's also not just about what some fans may want. But also the devs. If they have no passion to take the series elsewhere, as Bethesda doesn't, it's not gonna make for a good product. Just like Redfall when the devs didn't even want to make that game in the first place. I'm up for them trying new settings, but they're not wrong to be very hesitant about moving away from what they've done.

 

[AJUMP23]

Why not Japan?

 

[Varteras]

Fallout Japan?

Why not Japan?

I mean you've got at least a trilogy with that location...