Fallout 3 lead writer Emil Pagliarulo explains Bethesda was nervous when creating the game, but by Fallout 4 the team had chilled out. It may not feel like it since it's made roughly the same number of entries as Interplay did in its seven years, but Bethesda has owned Fallout for almost two decades now (having gotten the license in 2004, before purchasing it outright in 2007). 2008's Fallout 3 immediately sent the franchise from a beloved cult hit PC game that had been dormant for a while straight into superstar status, with console gamers able to finally play a main entry in the series. Explore the history of the Fallout games with some of the devs who helped bring the iconic RPG franchise to life Bethesda reflects on 10 years of Fallout 4: "You have to accept the creative choices you make on every game" "Fallout was one of the first games that really shocked": Our first hands-on with Fallout 3 back in 2007 However, by the time Fallout 4, released, Bethesda had been the shepherd of the franchise for over a decade, releasing a game of the year winner in Fallout 3 and publishing the best Fallout game, New Vegas. Pagliarulo adds, "I think by the time Fallout 4 came around we felt more comfortable with like okay, 'we don't have to be so reverential now, it's not all nostalgia, we can create some new stuff.'" Ex-Bethesda lead reveals origins of Fallout's text and iconic "F*** You": "I was honestly expecting them to tell me to delete it"