The executive producers of the upcoming Fallout TV series have revealed Todd Howard’s one rule for the show. Howard, the director of the Fallout games, is known for his steadfast defense of the game series mechanics, famously stating “it just works.” With the game series maintaining its popularity, a TV adaptation is in the works, set to premiere on Thursday, April 11.
Executive producers Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Lisa Joy shared Howard’s rule for the TV series in an interview with SFX Magazine. Robertson-Dworet mentioned that Howard emphasized the importance of not contradicting any game endings in the TV adaptation. Joy added that to honor the gamers' experiences, they decided to craft a new story within the Fallout world, rather than adapting a specific game storyline.
Fallout is an open-world game, allowing players to explore a vast post-nuclear landscape and interact with various elements. The game's non-linear nature means that each player's experience is unique, leading to different outcomes and sequences of events. Joy's comment about players saying “That’s not the order I played it in” highlights the game's flexibility and player-driven narrative.
Unlike linear games, such as The Last of Us, adapting an open-world game like Fallout presents challenges due to its lack of a fixed chronology. Elements like DLC and side quests further complicate the adaptation process. Therefore, creating a new storyline for the TV series set in the Fallout universe seems like the most suitable approach.
By exploring new plots and characters within the Fallout world, the TV series can leverage the rich lore and world-building elements from the games without being tied to specific game protagonists. This approach allows for a fresh take on the Fallout universe while still incorporating familiar elements for fans of the game series.
Based on the popular video game franchise, the Fallout TV series is a drama set in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. The show follows the survivors of a nuclear war in an alternate 1950s timeline, navigating a world ravaged by radiation and mutated beings.
