Fallout 3 was described as „Oblivion with guns” and the studio decided to bet on this instead of fighting it
Pete Hines, Bethesda's former head of marketing, revealed in a recent interview that the studio deliberately accepted the controversial „Oblivion with guns” patch tacked onto Fallout 3 instead of fighting it.
In a chat on the Slitherine Games channel, Pete Hines, who retired a couple of years back, reminisced about one of the pivotal moments in the studio's history. When Bethesda acquired the rights to the Fallout franchise, many fans were concerned about the change in perspective and engine, mockingly calling the upcoming Fallout 3 "Oblivion with guns." Hines admitted that initially, the team felt hurt by this. That term came off as dismissive and made it seem like there wasn't much creativity in building the post-apocalyptic world.
However, the strategy quickly changed. Hines and his team decided that since The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion had won around 200 Game of the Year awards, the comparison couldn't be an insult. "Yes, that's exactly it, just with guns" – this attitude allowed the devs to focus on their strongest aspect: creating immersive, open worlds, which ultimately translated into the game's massive success. Hines pointed out that even though the comparison was a bit simplified, it perfectly set players up for what the game is really about: having the freedom to choose and explore.
We were working on Fallout 3 and kept hearing: "It's just Oblivion with guns, right?" We thought it was super dismissive and insulting, like we just slapped together a post-apocalyptic version of Oblivion without much effort.
But during the work, we came to the conclusion: "What are we doing? If we set aside our egos for a moment, is there a better explanation for what this game is than Oblivion with guns? After all, this game won every possible Game of the Year award. Why are we so defensive about saying it's simply Oblivion with guns?" As a result, we actually turned the situation around and started to enjoy it, saying: "Yes, if that's how you understand games. If Oblivion with guns speaks to you, then yes, now we all know it's something more. But from the perspective of managing expectations, I actually didn't mind. Yes, I understand that you want to know what this game will look like. It will be an open world.
You will be able to make your own choices, go outside, and play the way you want. We didn't mind actually turning the tables on our haters and critics by embracing what they laugh at us for, because you know what? I'm not going to be ashamed that Oblivion won 200 Game of the Year awards and is so liked. I'm going to accept it and say: "Yes, we're making something similar, but still different." And again, after its release, Fallout 3 definitely found its own voice and its own audience, some of whom are Oblivion fans, and some are not.
Hines also talked about how the company has grown from a small team making racing games just to pay the bills to becoming a big player in the industry. A milestone was Morrowind, but it was Skyrim that ultimately "blew the doors off the hinges," becoming a cultural phenomenon. A former Bethesda VP mentioned that back then, the key to marketing was being genuine—making sure the way they promoted a game matched how the developers actually felt about it. Right now, Hines is dedicated to charitable work and mentoring, helping young people find their way in the industry.
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Author: Peter Doron
Educated as a journalist and political scientist. In GRYOnline.pl since 2004. He started with previews and reviews, to join the Newsroom after a year and stayed there ever since. Currently the head of this department, where he manages a team composed of both specialists in their field and ambitious newbies, eager to learn and do their best. Former editor of emu@dreams, where he got by his fascination with emulation and consoles, as well as a reviewer for GB More magazine. A fan of information, games (it would take a long time to list favorite genres), the Internet, a good sci-fi and fantasy book, will also watch a well-crafted series or movie. Husband, father of three children, aesthete, advocate of moderation in private life.
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