A bit of an obvious metaphor, but you get the point.
It could be said that the gaming community at large saw this one coming. Earlier in the year Bethsoft threatened termination of contract if subsidiary company Interplay didn’t satisfactorally demonstrate their work on a proposed MMO based on the Fallout franchise, and know it appears that the issue has come full circle, and been dealt with in a more definite manner. Official documents were filed recently to dissolve the contract agreement between the two companies after the initial agreement gave Interplay the rights to the aforementioned Fallout MMO if full-scale production was to be completed in two years.
Bethsoft is also claiming mis-deeds on the part of Interplay in regards to the original titles in the franchise. When the mega-publisher placed said older titles on digital distribution chains like Steam and GOG.com, the lack of support from Interplay supposedly caused consumer confusion on the validity of the games and their copyrighted legacy. No word yet on the ramifications of these charges or of Interplay’s response, but it’s clear that the relationship between the two companies, and the possible games that could have come from it, have been irreparably strained.