New 'Fallout' builds Bethesda video game muscle

Bethesda Software unveiled the latest installment of its "Fallout" video game franchise late Sunday, flaunting a new line-up of powerhouse sequels to its blockbuster hits.

The US video game publisher showed off the keenly awaited "Fallout 4" at its first-ever Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) media event in the Dolby Theatre.

It also released a free "Fallout Shelter" spin-off game in Apple's online App Store.

"Fallout 4" opens with scenes showing a young family in a setting that blends 1950s America with the future.

Nuclear bomb blasts send people racing for shelter, and the main character becomes the sole survivor, emerging two centuries after the devastation.

A collector version of the game comes with a real-life Pip-Boy wrist-wear device, a gadget well-known by fans of "Fallout."

The wearable Pip-Boy is designed to hold smartphones, and there will be an application to make it an extension of the game, according to Bethesda game studios director Todd Howard.
"Fallout 4" will be released on November 10, with versions of the game tailored for play on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles as well as on personal computers powered by Windows software.

Bethesda also gave a preview of "Doom" and "Dishonored 2" video games that are slated for release early next year.

The "Dishonored" sequel will let players return to roles as supernatural assassins.

In "Doom," players take on the challenge of wiping out powerful demons in a research facility on Mars.

"The foundation of any 'Doom' experience is centered around bad-ass demons, big guns and moving really fast," executive producer Marty Stratton said.

- Video games galore -

The Bethesda event gave an unofficial start to E3, the video game industry's biggest trade show, which officially opens on Tuesday in the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Blockbuster video games will be the main attraction, but in the wings attention will go to the promise of stepping into the games virtually and streaming them as spectator sport.
"Like every year, E3 will be about the marquee video game titles that will take the world by storm," TechSavvy analyst Scott Steinberg told AFP on Saturday.

"But, there are side battles going on."

Analysts expect this E3 to be a coming-of-age of sorts for virtual reality, which has been around for decades but remained an unfulfilled promise for gamers eager to immerse themselves in fantasy worlds.

Meanwhile Google-owned YouTube will be facing off with Amazon-owned Twitch, by previewing a version of its video-sharing platform tailored for gamers.

San Francisco-based Twitch, which allows viewers to watch other people's live-streamed games, plans to live-stream press conferences, demos and interviews at E3.

In keeping with years past, the day before E3 officially opens will be packed with theatrical media events revealing scenes from new versions of much-loved games on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or Wii U consoles.

Winning game franchises getting new installments will include "Batman," "Assassin's Creed," "Mass Effect" and "Call of Duty."