Interplay Entertainment

Interplay Entertainment is a developer and publisher.

Interplay Entertainment Webpage

Interplay Entertainment is an American game developer, licensor and publisher. The company has enjoyed success publishing games designed both internally and by third parties. These include titles and series such as Another World, Baldur's Gate, Descent, Fallout, Freespace, Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment and The Bard's Tale. Currently, due to financial setbacks and numerous lawsuits, it remains a shadow of its former self. The company is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, and employs approximately 10 people.

Interplay Entertainment's history

Interplay Entertainment was founded by Brian Fargo in 1983 as Interplay Productions. Initially, the company developed and published games under third-party licenses, including for Activision, including titles such as Borrowed Time, a 1985 point-and-click adventure game. Released in 1988, Battle Chess was the first game entirely developed and published by Interplay Productions.

The following years brought Interplay a prolific output. The company's publishing catalog expanded to include titles such as Descent, Star Trek: 25th Anniversary and Carmageddon. In 1997, Interplay developed and published Fallout, the cult classic A year later, the equally legendary Baldur's Gate by BioWare debuted.

In 1996, Black Isle Studio was founded, owned entirely by Interplay Productions. Before its closure in late 2003, it created several outstanding titles, including Fallout 2, both installments of Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment. Many former Black Isle Studios employees currently work at Obsidian Entertainment.

In 1998, despite the success of many of its titles, the financial situation of Interplay Productions forced the company to float its shares on the stock exchange to settle its debts. This decision proved to be a good one and Interplay Productions was subsequently renamed to Interplay Entertainment Corporation. In 2001, a majority stake in the company was acquired by Titus Software, which had previously invested in Interplay. As a result of Titus Software's decisions, Interplay's publishing functions were taken over by Vivendi Games, the former owner of Activision Blizzard.

Interplay Entertainment has been repeatedly sued for copyright infringement. The most significant lawsuits are likely those filed by Bethesda Softworks, the outcome of which ultimately led to Interplay losing all rights to the Fallout franchise.

Released game series:

• Baldur’s Gate
• Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
• Carmageddon
• Descent
• Earthworm Jim
• Fallout
• Freespace
• Icewind Dale
• Star Trek Adventure
• The Lost Vikings