inXile saving Van Buren trademark for a rainy day

[Administrator]

Van Buren was the codename for a game Black Isle Studios intended to be Fallout 3. But in 2003 Black Isle went down with the Interplay ship and the series would eventually be resuscitated by Bethesda - a series that will continue, maybe as soon as this year, with Fallout 4.
Some ideas from Van Buren would find their way into Fallout: New Vegas, made by Obsidian Entertainment - a place many old Black Isle developers call home. Among them are Chris Avellone, one of the key designers of Van Buren. For example Caesar's Legion, one of the organisations in New Vegas, emerged from a pen and paper session Black Isle held for Van Buren. (For more on what might have been, check out the Van Buren FAQ on No Mutants Allowed.)
But Van Buren as an idea hasn't died. In December last year, inXile boss Brian Fargo - founder of Interplay - trademarked Van Buren. inXile, remember, produced last year's excellent Wasteland 2 - a game being tidied up for a console release and PC and Mac re-release this year.
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