Fallout 4 features programmable music players, Minecraft-inspired DIY elements

Bethesda teased a new era of open-world possibilities when it unveiled Fallout 4 this week, announcing that the expansive quest will include town-building mechanics, among other features focused on player customization. Speaking to GamesRadar+, director Todd Howard further explained how players can leave their own distinct mark on post-apocalyptic Boston with an array of build-it-yourself creative elements - including programming your own in-game jukebox.

"One of the things we [couldn't fit in the E3 stage demo was] a music player," says Howard. "You could make things that play audio tunes, then plug the terminal in, and adjust the pitch. Because we have terminals in Fallout, we can kinda get away with pseudo-scripting, without you getting in and modding [or coding]."

Citing inspiration from sandbox-style games like Minecraft and Terraria, Howard notes that players will be able to customize their homesteads using programmable in-game terminals. "You can build a terminal, and then access everything on it," Howard said. "So as the artists and the other designers make new things, they give them properties, and those properties will feed back to the terminal, and you can see those.

"It works well in the game, but we're more excited to get it out to everybody and then see what they make with it. You look at what people do with Minecraft, just with basic timers and switches and redstones - it's bonkers."

The construction elements introduced in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim's Hearthfire expansion served as a foundation for Fallout 4's customization features, and Howard notes that the added complexity brings new challenges for internal testers.

Fallout 4 premieres for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC platforms in November. For more in-depth coverage of this week's announcements, check out our E3 2015 hub for the latest updates.

Latest in Gaming
GDC The Game Developers logo
When is the Game Developers Conference 2025 and why is it so interesting?
Pokemon Legends: Z-A screenshot
Everything announced at Pokemon Presents 2025
Saros screenshot featuring the main character and am imposing monster in the background with a swirling void in its chest and multiple arms with balls of fire
Everything announced at the PlayStation State of Play February 2025
Close up shot of an anime schoolgirl with a superhero mask over her eyes in a screenshot from Mightreya.
My Steam wishlist is bigger than ever thanks to the indie devs flooding social media with 15-second clips explaining their games
FGS Spring 2025
The Future Games Show Spring Showcase is back and will have a new live segment from the GDC event floor
A close-up of the Doom Slayer in the upcoming PC game, Doom: The Dark Ages.
Xbox Developer Direct 2025: date, time, and where to stream the showcase
Latest in News
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Dark Souls 2 fans remind Death Stranding 2 director Hideo Kojima that he won’t be taking the DS2 acronym that easily
Minecraft Diamond Armor
Minecraft Pocket Edition got its name because one of its devs was a big "Nintendo nerd" who wanted to pay homage to the Game Boy Pocket
Death Stranding 2
Hideo Kojima says Death Stranding's themes of connection came about because "I thought I lost everything when I became alone nine years ago"
Monster Hunter Wilds trailer screenshot showing a young woman with long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail smiling slightly, pumping her left fist in the air
Monster Hunter Wilds' infamously confusing menus spare no player, not even Gemma's voice actor herself: "This is honestly what I’m struggling with the most"
Death Stranding 2 kiss
Hideo Kojima says "it was very difficult to direct" Death Stranding 2's big kiss scene, but Norman Reedus thinks "it was niiice" locking lips with Léa Seydoux
Ms. Marvel alongside the mutants of Age of Apocalypse
30 years after the original Age of Apocalypse, Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan will travel to the alt-reality to save X-Men history