Here's what happens when a third-party developer makes a successful game for a publisher -- that publisher acquires them.
Such is the case with Warner Bros. and Rocksteady Studios, the developer of last year's critically and commercially successful Batman: Arkham Asylum. Warner Bros. has announced that its acquired a majority stake of the UK-based developer.
Interestingly, Rocksteady studio director Jamie Walker hints at other projects beyond Batman saying "The Rocksteady team is very much looking forward to creating more great games based on widely recognized Warner Bros. brands like Batman."
What those widely recognized brands could be is anyone's guess. The studio is currently working with Warner to bring the sequel to Arkham Asylum to retail, which is rumored to be shipping in 2011.
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Contest:
10:30 AM on 02.23.2010
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Anyway, yes, can we have a JLA game? Written by Grant Morrison?
Disney are about to get a great game hit in the form of Split Second, but are already scaling back to focus on Wii/DS games (Go figure). That's not a good kind of creative environment to be in, when there's not enough creative balls and patience, and too much money and pressured expectation flying around.
Warner Bros could end up wrecking Rock Steady, by pressuring their creative juices and getting them to shovel film and comic license material, when that's not what Rock Steady should be about. These big cats hate risk, so Rock Steady may loose out. At least EA and Activision understand the market. Warner have a lot to learn, but I guess there's nothing like a baptism of fire.
The possibility of MK in fresh hands scares and excites me, though. That series needs a super major reboot, for any of us to take it ever as a serious fighter, like SFIV or Tekken 6. If Rock Steady could co-produce it with Capcom, Arc System Works or Namco, and something interesting might happen with it.
I'll try to keep an open mind.
In movies specifically, is seems that recently Marvel has gotten it's act together as far as being more careful with script approval and assembling good production teams (Spiderman 3 not withstanding). DC/Warner however, has been floundering around with it's comic book properties for while until Christopher Noland and his team made Batman Begins. After that, very mythicly strict picture, he was given a lot more freedom for Dark Night, the third sequel, etc.
Now they want him to reboot the Superman franchise, too!
They have pinned all their hopes on one production team, and now it sounds like they are trying to do the same with Rocksteady! I loved B:AA and I hope for the best, but you can only get so much milk from a cow. Hopefully, they will understand how long it takes to make a great Batman game, as their current portfolio doesn't seem to suggest they do.
So long as Warner doesn't suffocate the team and just provides stable financial support this is a completely win.
Hear that Warner? Keep you hands away from the machine cogs! Keep the machine lubed with greenbacks but DO NOT TOUCH, OR CHANGE ANYTHING!