'Why Didn't We Do That?': Fallout Game Boss Shares Thoughts On Amazon's New Streaming Series, But I'm All About That Vault Boy Update
Amazon just released new looks from the upcoming streaming Fallout series coming to Prime, and fans also now have a few more details to get excited about ahead of the post-apocalyptic franchise's live-action debut. Video game behemoth Bethesda's director Todd Howard, who serves as an executive producer on the series, had high praise to share while lamenting that he and the game developers hadn't first come up with some of the TV universe's unique concepts. It's all very exciting to hear, especially when it comes to what's ahead for the iconic mascot, Vault Boy.
While I'm admittedly wary about each and every upcoming video game adaptation when it's first announced, Fallout's recent piece in Vanity Fair heavily soothed my early worries about whether it could live up to expectations. Beyond the stunning images shown, the following stood out as clear indicators to me that the series is on the right path.
Bethesda's Todd Howard Wished The Games Came Up With Stuff The Show Did
The Fallout franchise has existed as one of gaming's most creative storylines. Exploring the United States decades after nuclear strikes with pre-war tech while listening to music from the early 1900s has become a vibe and one that's unique to this world. After several games, one would think no one can best Bethesda when it comes to recreating this aesthetic, but Todd Howard's comments may suggest otherwise.
Howard explained that the Fallout series, available to stream with a Prime subscription in April 2024, is meant to exist as canon alongside the rest of the games rather than adapt any of them. The Bethesda director complimented the show helmed by Westworld creator Jonathan Nolan and even regretted he hadn't used some of their ideas first:
That’s what’s great, when someone else looks at your work and then translates it in some fashion. I sort of looked at it like, ‘Ah, why didn’t we do that?
When the creative mind behind some of Westworld's biggest twists is working on Fallout, there are bound to be a few ideas that slide out that game developers hadn't previously thought of. Still, to hear the guy who was behind some of Bethesda's most creative and narratively compelling games drop that kind of compliment gives me great faith this show will impress.
And while Todd Howard may feel a tad jealous by some of the Fallout show's ideas, it ultimately aligns with what he wanted when adapting the hit game series. Howard explained that he heard previous pitches before this one of people who wanted to make a series and why they didn't get the job:
I did not want to do an interpretation of an existing story we did. That was the other thing—a lot of pitches were, you know, ‘This is the movie of Fallout 3…’ I was like, ‘Yeah, we told that story.’ I don’t have a lot of interest seeing those translated. I was interested in someone telling a unique Fallout story. Treat it like a game. It gives the creators of the series their own playground to play in.
Fallout will have its own ways to stand out as a television series, and as mentioned, some creative free reign to maybe even introduce things that people haven't previously seen. Fortunately, each of the games has prepared its fanbase for that with new mutated monsters and an understanding that different locations around the United States were impacted differently by the nuclear disaster. Provided viewers aren't expecting to see the series updated with nude mods or other weird game-specific tweaks, they should be thrilled.
Fallout's TV Show Will Explain Vault Boy's Origin
Vault Boy is the iconic mascot of Fallout, and whether it's informing on the dangers of the wasteland or explaining the importance of strength, he's seen quite often in the games. Todd Howard revealed that the character isn't just in the show but that viewers will learn the origins of the imagery:
That was something that they came up with that’s just really smart.
As someone who was jealous of videos of real-life Pip Boys with Vault Boy walking around on the screen, it thrills me to learn we're going to see the origin of this iconic character. Presumably, that means there will be some exploration of the world pre-nuclear disaster, but we can only continue to wait for more details and for April to come as soon as possible.
Fallout will be available to stream on Prime Video beginning April 12th. There's other great content to watch on the platform in the meantime for those who love sci-fi, so pop it on to see what's available.
