The Pip-Boy is a fictional
wearable computer
A wearable computer, also known as a body-borne computer, is a computing device worn on the body. The definition of 'wearable computer' may be narrow or broad, extending to smartphones or even ordinary wristwatches.
Wearables may be for general ...
in the
post-apocalyptic
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astro ...
''
Fallout
Nuclear fallout is the residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere following a nuclear blast, so called because it "falls out" of the sky after the explosion and the shock wave has passed. It commonly refers to the radioac ...
''
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
franchise. Manufactured in-universe by RobCo Industries prior to the devastating
nuclear
Nuclear may refer to:
Physics
Relating to the nucleus of the atom:
* Nuclear engineering
*Nuclear physics
*Nuclear power
*Nuclear reactor
*Nuclear weapon
*Nuclear medicine
*Radiation therapy
*Nuclear warfare
Mathematics
*Nuclear space
*Nuclear ...
Great War, it is capable of numerous functions depending on the model. In the ''Fallout'' games, it functions as a diegetic way for the player to access the menu and manage their inventory.
The Pip-Boy has been called one of the most iconic tools of ''Fallout'' and video games as a whole, and praised for its design, as well as compared with real-world wearable computers. Many working replicas of the Pip-Boy have been built by fans of the series, and
Bethesda, developers of ''
Fallout 3
''Fallout 3'' is a 2008 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The third major installment in the ''Fallout'' series, it is the first game to be developed by Bethesda after acquiring ...
,'' ''
4 and
76'', has released a Pip-Boy replica alongside editions of ''Fallout 4'' that can be used alongside a phone app, in limited quantities. And a D.I.Y. Pip-Boy replica as a package sold separately from ''Fallout 76.''
Characteristics
![Mr](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Mr._Pip-Boy.png)
In the
Interplay ''Fallout'' titles, the Pip-Boy serves as a menu screen, however, in the Bethesda games, it appears attached to the player character's arm and is looked at from a first-person perspective.
The newer Pip-Boy contains a map, quest tracker, a radio, and a light.
Development
Leonard Boyarsky, one of the lead designers of ''Fallout'' at Interplay, stated that he designed the Pip-Boy more towards his personal preference for "old, clunky technology" than any trend towards
retrofuturism
Retrofuturism (adjective ''retrofuturistic'' or ''retrofuture'') is a movement in the creative arts showing the influence of depictions of the future produced in an earlier era. If futurism is sometimes called a "science" bent on anticipatin ...
. The design was meant to seem like it "wasn’t all that dependable" and "kind of hacked together" to show that "the world wasn’t quite working".
The user interface was meant to feel like an in-universe object, which was rare at the time. Anthony Postma, another Interplay designer, created the device’s layout.
When Bethesda Softworks acquired the franchise, they increased its retrofuturistic themes. The redesigned Pip-Boy 3000 reflected the Streamline Moderne aesthetic, and looked sleeker and more polished, while still being relatively bulky. The new Pip-Boy also lacked the drawn mascot and exposed vacuum tubes of the original, in order to make it fit on the player's arm. These elements, however, make a return with ''
Fallout 76
''Fallout 76'' is a 2018 online action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is an installment in the ''Fallout'' series and a prequel to previous entries. ''Fallout 76'' is Bethesda ...
''
's Pip-Boy 2000 Mark VI.
Reception
The Pip-Boy is a defining symbol of the ''Fallout'' series. Khee Hoon Chan of ''
USgamer
Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British mass media company based in Brighton. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and other ...
'' called the Pip-Boy "one of the most iconic tools in video game history", also stating that "the gadget’s transformation is
..emblematic of the series’ divergence."
Much of the notoriety of the Pip-Boy has stemmed from its design, which has reflected the rise of later real-world wearable technology, and has also directly inspired the creation of functioning devices, both by fans and engineers. In 2010, Sean Hollister of
Engadget
''Engadget'' ( ) is a multilingual technology blog network with daily coverage of gadgets and consumer electronics. ''Engadget'' manages ten blogs four of which are written in English and six have international versions with independent editori ...
compared the
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is an American publicly traded, aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Reston, Virginia. As of 2020, it was the fifth-largest defense contractor in the world by arms sales, and 5th largest in the Uni ...
Itronix GD300 wrist-mounted GPS unit with the design of the Pip-Boy, saying, "no word on whether it will pick up post-apocalyptic radio stations as your mission unfolds". Similarly, the prototype wrist-mounted
OLED
An organic light-emitting diode (OLED or organic LED), also known as organic electroluminescent (organic EL) diode, is a light-emitting diode (LED) in which the emissive electroluminescent layer is a film of organic compound that emits light i ...
screens developed by L-3 Display Systems for use in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
were compared to Pip-Boys by Mike Fahey of ''Kotaku'', who called them "just another fine example of PIPBoy technology in real life".
Fans have created numerous working replicas, utilizing technology such as
Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi () is a series of small single-board computers (SBCs) developed in the United Kingdom by the Raspberry Pi Foundation in association with Broadcom. The Raspberry Pi project originally leaned towards the promotion of teaching basic ...
. In 2014, a team of coders created a working replica for
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
's SpaceWearables: Fashion Designer to Astronauts' challenge. Replicas were also built for commercial sale, with
ThinkGeek
ThinkGeek was an American retailer that catered to computer enthusiasts and "geek culture". Described as a "Sharper Image for sysadmins", their merchandise has been likened to "toys for adults, novelties designed to appeal to both your inner child ...
designing a "Deluxe Bluetooth Edition".
''Fallout 4'' Pip-Boy Edition controversy
At Bethesda's first
E3 media briefing in 2015,
Todd Howard
Todd Andrew Howard (born 1970) is an American video game designer, director, and producer. He serves as director and executive producer at Bethesda Game Studios, where he has led the development of the ''Fallout'' and ''The Elder Scrolls'' s ...
stated that Bethesda would be releasing a deluxe version of ''Fallout 4'' containing a Pip-Boy, stating, "The Pip-Boy is an important part of ''Fallout'' and we love it so much we made a real one." However, this led to criticism when it was revealed that the Pip-Boy was a non-functional
plastic
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...
enclosure for a
smartphone
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
, which would operate as the Pip-Boy's display.
Timothy J. Seppala of
Engadget
''Engadget'' ( ) is a multilingual technology blog network with daily coverage of gadgets and consumer electronics. ''Engadget'' manages ten blogs four of which are written in English and six have international versions with independent editori ...
called it a "glorified smartphone case", and said that while it was comfortable to wear, the Pip-Boy app functioned better on a larger screen, stating that while "
cosplayers
Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and Fashion accessory, fashion accessories to represent a specific Character (arts), character. Cosplayers oft ...
(and
eBay
eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became a ...
resellers) will likely eat this up
..once the novelty of the Pip-Boy wears off, the rest of us won't use it much."
The limited availability of the Pip-Boy Edition was also criticized, as the replicas sold out almost as soon as they were put on sale, angering fans and quickly being listed on eBay by
scalpers
Scalpers is a chain of men's fashion stores founded in Seville, Spain, in 2007. In 2018, Scalpers reported €42 million in sales, with 132 stores and other points of sale and 314 employees. In the same year it reported that 8.5% of its sales w ...
. However, as a replacement, some fans created 3D-printable Pip-Boys with space for a custom computer inside and a working
tape deck
An audio tape recorder, also known as a tape deck, tape player or tape machine or simply a tape recorder, is a sound recording and reproduction device that records and plays back sounds usually using magnetic tape for storage. In its present- ...
. The fact that it did not work with larger phones was cited as an additional hurdle in getting the replica to function properly.
References
External links
Pip-Boyat
The Vault, the ''Fallout'' wiki
{{Fallout series
Fictional computers
Fallout (series)
Video game objects