This is definitely more of a sequel. Fallout "3" had nothing to do with the storylines and Bethesda just included things like the Brotherhood, super mutants, and even vaults for the gimmick factor.
Yeah, definitely great that some of the Fallout 2 devs are on it. The studio is also headed by Fallout vets Chris Avellone and Feargus Urquhart, to name a couple. And Josh Sawyer, the lead on the cancelled Fallout 3 "Van Buren" is the lead on New Vegas. Can't wait!
MRV, definitely think you're right about Van Buren stuff being in the game. I mean, it's pretty obvious seeing as how the guy that was lead on Van Buren (JE Sawyer) is also the lead on Fallout: New Vegas. Although the war between NCR and the Brotherhood that was a major part of Van buren doesn't appear to be in New Vegas at all (the article at Duck and Cover say that the Brotherhood only have a minor role in the game).
I think it might be a Microsoft/Bethesda partnership thing that's making the OXM article so pro-Bethesda and pro-Fallout 3. The PSM3 and PCGamer articles were MUCH more pro-Obsidian, pointing out the inherent flaws in both Bethesda and Fallout 3. Hah, the PSM3 article even went so far as to say that Bethesda has crappy writers.
In the article, there's a link to download remastered versions of the original soundtracks.