INTERPLAY

The Studio That Shaped PC Gaming

Founded in 1983 by Brian Fargo in Irvine, California, Interplay Productions spent nearly two decades defining the possibilities of computer role-playing games. From a small development shop producing licensed titles for Activision and Electronic Arts, Interplay grew into one of the most creative and influential publishers in the industry - responsible for franchises that would echo across the entire history of PC gaming.

The studio's creative DNA was forged in a series of landmark titles: The Bard's Tale (1985) established Interplay's credentials as a premier RPG developer; Wasteland (1988) invented the post-nuclear RPG and introduced the skill-based character system that would define the genre for decades; Battle Chess (1988) sold over a million copies on the strength of unprecedented animation quality; Neuromancer (1988) translated William Gibson's cyberpunk vision to interactive form. In 1994, Interplay published Earthworm Jim, developed by Shiny Entertainment - one of the defining platformers of the console era.

The apex came in 1997: Fallout, developed by Interplay's internal Black Isle Studios division, became the spiritual successor to Wasteland and one of the most celebrated RPGs ever made. Followed by Fallout 2 (1998) and Planescape: Torment (1999), Interplay's late-decade output represents a golden age of Western RPG design that has never been equalled.