Tim Cain, the original creator of Fallout, doesn’t want to return to the series, for the most part. He didn’t even want to make the second game. It’s not just a matter of money or authority, but something much more human in nature.
Creative directors work best when they have some sort of interest in the project they’re working on. You can’t give it your all if you’re not invested in your project—and that’s exactly the issue Cain faced.
The Original Creator of Fallout Explains Why He Left the Franchise
In a YouTube video from his official channel, Cain was candid to explain the entire context behind why he decided to move on from the franchise.
To outsiders, it might be shocking to see someone leave their passion project so easily and move on to other things. Cain reveals a pretty understandable reason for why, however.
He explains how his passion for game development is driven by novelty and change.
If you look at all the RPGs I’ve made over the years, there is a pattern. Every RPG I ever made offered me something new and different that got me interested in making it. It had nothing to do with money, power, or authority. It was the game itself that offered me something interesting.
Not everyone in the industry has the freedom to pick their projects, and Tim Cain explains he was lucky to do so… after 13 years of grinding in the industry, that is.
So when he had the freedom to choose, the director vowed to pursue projects that genuinely interested him, rather than taking on whatever paid or commercially performed well.
I didn’t want to work on sequels. There was basically nothing about Fallout 2 that said to me, ‘Hey, you want to do this; it’s really cool.’ I just spent three and a half years working on Fallout. Why would I want to make Fallout 2?
His mindset is something to be admired. It would be easy to cash in on the fame of his post-apocalyptic RPG and continue pumping out sequels, but Cain followed passion over money.
The Reluctance to Revisit Projects
Cain’s reluctance to work on the Fallout 2 wasn’t an isolated incident. After leaving Interplay, he turned down a well-paying offer from EA to work on Wasteland 2 for the same reason.
I just made a post-apocalyptic game. Why would I want to do another one?
This doesn’t mean he is entirely against returning to the Fallout universe.
He notes that his interest would only be piqued if the project offered something genuinely new and challenging.
While it would be great to see what Cain could do if given free rein over a modern entry in the franchise, it’s understandable why he isn’t interested in returning currently.
How do you think the franchise would’ve turned out if Cain was still involved in the franchise? Let us know in the comments below!
