Tim Cain
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Weekend Discussion - September 27, 2026
This Weekend Discussion post from Shacknews reflects on various gaming topics from the past week, including retro-style shooters like Derelikt, the Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve review, and the Resident Evil Remake Trilogy on Nintendo Switch 2. It also touches on Fallout's publishing history and mentions staff writer Sam Chandler.
Tim Cain claims Vault Boy caused issues with Fallout's original publishing partner
Tim Cain revealed that the original tabletop publishing partner for Fallout, Steve Jackson Games, took issue with the mascot Vault Boy and the game's violence. This disagreement led to the deal falling through, prompting the creation of the SPECIAL system for Fallout.
Tim Cain: 'Among other things that Steve Jackson Games didn't like about Fallout was Vault Boy'
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain discussed the controversy surrounding the game's mascot, Vault Boy, and how Steve Jackson Games objected to its inclusion. Jackson's company felt Vault Boy was tonally unfitting and requested its removal, a point of contention that contributed to the breakdown of the licensing deal with Interplay.
Fallout's iconic Vault Boy exists because the devs were struggling to solve an old-school RPG problem
The iconic Vault Boy mascot for the Fallout series originated from a need to create distinct icons for the original game's SPECIAL stat system, which was initially based on the GURPS system. Art director Leonard Boyarsky proposed a cartoon character to represent attributes, leading to the development of Vault Boy, though objections from Steve Jackson Games ultimately led to the creation of the custom SPECIAL system.
Fallout dev Tim Cain says the games industry's volatility is 'always gonna be around': 'What's happening now isn't novel, it isn't new'
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain discusses the inherent volatility and cyclical nature of the games industry, stating that current issues like layoffs and consolidation are not new phenomena. He attributes these cycles to the industry's intersection of art and rapidly changing technology, advising workers to develop broad skills or hyper-specialize to navigate these challenges.
Fallout co-creator tells new devs terrified of layoffs they're "wrong" to expect making games to be a "stable job": "Art itself is inherently unstable"
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain asserts that the video game industry has never been stable and will not improve, advising new developers against expecting job security. He draws parallels to past industry crashes and technological shifts, highlighting current instability exacerbated by generative AI and the post-COVID-19 market.
What made the OG Fallout so great is "overlooked" these days, says co-creator Tim Cain
Co-creator Tim Cain believes the original Fallout's success stemmed from its development process, specifically how the team fostered open discussion and challenged ideas, a practice he feels is overlooked today. He contrasts this with the "Abilene paradox" where developers may avoid conflict and not push back on potentially weak features.
Fallout dev Tim Cain says we should pay more attention to bad games: '[Publishers] often don't learn from failure because they only look at the games that sold well'
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain argues that both publishers and players should pay more attention to poorly received games to learn from failures. He suggests that analyzing unsuccessful titles, not just bestsellers or notorious flops, can provide valuable insights into game design and market trends. Cain believes this approach is crucial for industry growth and avoiding repeated mistakes.
Fallout co-creator says turn-based and real-time RPGs both have "loud vocal advocates" who won't play anything else, so devs can't please everyone
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain discussed the ongoing debate between turn-based and real-time combat in RPGs, noting that both have dedicated fanbases who often refuse to play games with the other system. He suggested that while real-time combat offers faster pacing and player reaction, turn-based combat allows for more tactical depth. Cain also advised developers to choose the combat system that best suits their game's perspective, recommending real-time for first-person RPGs and turn-based for isometric party-based titles.
Even though turn-based and real time RPGs 'have their loud, vocal advocates,' Fallout developer Tim Cain thinks they both have a place in the genre
Legendary developer Tim Cain believes both turn-based and real-time combat systems have their place in role-playing games, rather than viewing them as mutually exclusive. He argues that real-time combat is naturally superior for first-person games and allows for faster pacing, while turn-based combat offers strategic depth. Cain cautions against designing games that allow players to switch between modes due to the significant development effort involved.
New Fallout game reportedly led by Josh Sawyer would be "good" for both Obsidian and Bethesda "in many ways," says former New Vegas creative lead
Former Fallout: New Vegas designer Chris Avellone expressed excitement over reports that Josh Sawyer is directing a new Fallout game at Obsidian Entertainment. Avellone believes this project would benefit both Obsidian and publisher Bethesda by potentially increasing the release cadence of major titles, given Bethesda's historically long development times. While John Gonzalez, a key writer for New Vegas, has returned to Obsidian, his specific role on the new Fallout project remains unclear due to recent Xbox restructuring.
OG Fallout was "entirely different" from foundational RPGs like Ultima because those games "expect you to be good," says co-creator: "Fallout has no such expectation"
Original Fallout co-creator Tim Cain discusses how the series' focus on exploring the ethics of a post-nuclear world, with its absence of authority and gray morality, differentiates it from foundational RPGs like Ultima. He emphasizes that Fallout's core appeal lies in allowing players to make their own choices and face the consequences, rather than expecting them to adhere to a predetermined moral code.
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain says Morrowind on Xbox changed everything for console RPGs: "It stunned me"
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain stated that The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind's 2002 release on the Xbox was a pivotal moment for console role-playing games. He explained that Morrowind felt like a PC game on a console, bridging the gap in complexity and features that previously separated the two platforms. Cain believes this marked the beginning of greater parity between PC and console RPG development.
Fallout: New Vegas director Josh Sawyer says it was "pure luck" he directed the RPG at Obsidian: "Almost…
Fallout: New Vegas director Josh Sawyer attributes his involvement with the RPG to "pure luck," stating he was not part of the initial concept discussions at Obsidian Entertainment. He was approached by studio head Feargus Urquhart to direct the game after a previous project was canceled. Sawyer also mentions the collaborative nature of game development and credits Chris Avellone for the initial idea of the courier being shot.
Fallout designer Tim Cain "fumbled" through his career and "didn't think about a sequel" to the first apocalyptic RPG or Arcanum while making them
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain reflects on his career, admitting he "fumbled" through it and rarely thought about sequels for games like Fallout or Arcanum while developing them. He now advises younger developers to plan their careers more strategically, despite his own passive approach yielding significant success.
Evening Postmortems/Retrospectives
Fallout lead Tim Cain believes the current games industry crisis has not reached the severity of the 1983 crash. He suggests that while challenging, the industry has faced worse periods historically.
Fallout lead Tim Cain argues games industry crisis hasn't reached the level of the 1983 crash: 'I don't…
Veteran developer Tim Cain argues that the current video game industry crisis, marked by layoffs and studio closures, does not yet match the severity of the 1983 crash. While acknowledging the current situation is dire for many, Cain believes the '80s collapse was more devastating, leading to a complete collapse of the US console market and the loss of a generation of developers.
The original GURPS Fallout campaign predating the entire franchise still exists thanks to a handwritten note just found…
Franchise co-creator Tim Cain has unearthed handwritten notes detailing the GURPS version of Fallout, which predates the final game's SPECIAL ruleset. These notes reveal a comprehensive list of advantages, disadvantages, quirks, and skills that were developed before a licensing deal shifted the project. Cain shared these lost design documents in a YouTube video, offering a rare glimpse into the early development of the iconic RPG.
Quoteworthy
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain once proposed a first-person time-travel RPG concept. In this game, players would have the ability to assassinate historical figures and create paradoxes.
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain once proposed a first-person time-travel RPG where you could assassinate historical figures…
Fallout co-creator Tim Cain discussed 'Time Walker,' a first-person RPG concept he drafted at Troika Games in 2001. The ambitious proposal involved a 'temporal agent' traveling through time to assassinate historical figures and prevent reality from unraveling, with gameplay mechanics that would become easier as the timeline destabilized. The game was also envisioned for the Xbox with online multiplayer and an open-ended skill tree.
