Tim Cain, the creator of Fallout, one of the iconic series in the video game world, made a statement that upset his fans. Cain, in a new YouTube announced in a video that the original source code and early design archives for the first game in the series, Fallout, have been completely lost. This loss is being described as a major blow to the game's preservation and possible future restoration work.
Destroy Order and Failed Archiving Attempt
Tim Cain has stated that he created a personal archive while working on Fallout. However, he explained that he was forced to destroy all of these early design notes, code, and prototypes after receiving an order when he left Interplay. “When I left Fallout, I was told, ‘You have to destroy everything,’ and so I did. All the drafts, the code from different versions, the GURPS system — all that was gone,” Cain said.
According to Cain, Interplay had planned to create its own comprehensive archive, but that attempt also failed. Years later, the studio contacted him and said, “We lost the archive,” and Cain said that he initially thought it was a trap, but was saddened to learn that the truth was that it was indeed lost. At the moment, it is known that only the code for the retail version of the game has been recovered, while valuable materials and original artwork from the game’s early development stages have been irretrievably lost.
The Importance of Game Protection Efforts Emphasized Once Again
This sad incident highlights once again how vital proper archiving and preservation practices are in the video game industry. Examples such as Ubisoft’s efforts to make older games playable offline or PlayStation’s attempt to preserve its historical game archive with special data tapes in mines show the important work being done to prevent such irreversible losses.
The lost source code and design materials of the first Fallout game are a painful reminder that not only a game, but also an important piece of video game history has been irretrievably lost. This event once again emphasizes the important lesson that in the future, both newly developed and past titles must be protected much more carefully and systematically.
