Van Buren (video game)

. Set in the year 2253, the plot of Van Buren revolved around a prisoner, who the player could decide was either guilty or wrongfully accused of their crime. The player could decide the race of the prisoner: human, ghoul, or super mutant. During the game, the player would learn that the prisoner carries a virus that either kills its host or makes them sterile. The player would explore the map with a team of non-playable character (NPC) companions. Each NPC would make their own independent decisions which would affect the story. Throughout the game, the player would encounter another malevolent group of AI-controlled NPCs. This group would make decisions that would affect the story. Other notable mechanics included the usage of a theme song for any skill of the player's choosing, and the need to repair railway lines in order to fast travel. ==Development==

After the release of Fallout 2 in 1998, Black Isle Studios decided the next Fallout game should feature 3D graphics. After the project's cancellation, designer Chris Avellone worked on a Fallout themed tabletop role-playing game in his spare time. Journalist Kat Bailey credits Interplay's financial struggles to the increased cost for game development, and the industry shift toward console gaming in the late 1990s. The codename was a reference to Martin Van Buren, the eighth president of the United States. Josh Sawyer took over as lead designer for Van Buren, while Tom French served as the producer. Sawyer notes that he condensed the story Avellone had already written so that it would work on a smaller scale. Sawyer believes Cain's 18 month estimation was too optimistic, and posited an actual development period of at least 24 months. In December 2003, Van Buren was canceled, and the remaining Black Isle staff were laid off. Sawyer estimates that Van Buren had been in development for around half a year before its cancellation. ==Later developments==

In 2007, Bethesda Softworks purchased the Fallout intellectual property. Fallout: New Vegas was developed by Obsidian Entertainment, a company Avellone cofounded after he left Black Isle. Meantime was the canceled follow-up to Wasteland. Fargo later told Eurogamer that he registered the Van Buren trademark in the hope of working with Avellone on a game akin to Van Buren when the two had availability. One month after Bethesda purchased the Fallout intellectual property, a playable demo for Van Buren was leaked online, along with a 700-page design document. The demo showcased what would have been the tutorial, a self-contained storyline about a town that is attacked by Chinese-affiliated communist insurgents. There have been multiple attempts by fans to recreate and finish Van Buren using the playable demo as reference, including mods for Fallout 2 and Fallout: New Vegas, as well as a full game developed in the Unity engine. Jody MacGregor of PC Gamer noted that Van Buren holds a "mythic quality among Fallout fans" due to the wealth of information about the game. ==References==