Interplay Ready for Fallout Online on Next Generation reports on Interplay's latest financial results, showing $5.46 million net income for the quarter ended June 30 on $5.8 million in revenues. That seemingly good news must be tempered by word that this includes $5.75 million from Bethesda for the purchase of rights to the Fallout franchise earlier this year (story). As was reported at the time of the Fallout sale, the deal included a provision for Interplay to go forward with their planned Fallout MMOG as long as development commences within two years of the sale, the game launches within six years, and the project will have no less than $30 million in funding. In spite of the improved results this quarter, Interplay is still over $2 million in debt (though this debt was as high as $59 million as recently as December 2001), but Interplay CEO Herve Caen is still optimistic they will go forward with the Fallout MMOG, saying:

With that difficult period behind us, we are focused on securing funding for development of a Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) based on the popular Fallout franchise. Along with our strategy of leveraging our existing portfolio of intellectual gaming properties, Fallout Online will play a key role in the future of Interplay.