Ninja Scooter
Member
most likely. Big publishers rarely if ever give up IPs even if they would rather just sit on them. I fear that w/o any IPs to boost up their value, there may not be a lot of takers for IO.
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Square-Enix trying to sell off IO Interactive (Hitman)
- Thread starter Edge_Maverick
- Start date
most likely. Big publishers rarely if ever give up IPs even if they would rather just sit on them. I fear that w/o any IPs to boost up their value, there may not be a lot of takers for IO.
FinaruDensetsu
Member
This is basically the perfect purchase for Microsoft no?
Well, Microsoft needs an ip that sells. I like Hitman, but clearly it's not Uncharted sales wise.
vpance
Member
When do big pubs ever give up IPs?
IO dead within 1 year, or reduced to making F2P Mini Ninjas type games
FinaruDensetsu
Member
I was thinking more along the lines of buying IO and then having them work on a new IP.
There is no way they'll sell the studio without the IP's.
Maintenance
Member
If Microsoft buys them they will become another cog in the machine. Maybe a stealth Forza game.
Screaming Meat
Unconfirmed Member
Don't worry, what you're saying is more than simple enough. I think your reading of the series is waaaaay off the mark.
It's not a "murder sim". There is nothing 'sim' like about it. It's a puzzle game, albeit one wrapped in a cartoonish, Hollywood contract killer aesthetic/power fantasy.
Manhunt is a stealth game. All of its reference points are movies (John Carpenter, The Warriors, Running Man etc.). Again, nothing 'sim' like about it.
This sounds like something a Daily Mail reader would say.
FrontalMonk
Banned
Hold up.
HOLD UP.
I've got it.
IOI gets purchased by FromSoft.
Tenchu: Social Assassins.
Coming Fall 2019.
Screaming Meat
Unconfirmed Member
Sun Bather
Member
To iOS and Android.
Steverulez
Member
Ms haven't bought a AAA sized studio since Lionhead?
Don't think they'll change it now.
Only been three other acquisitions since then anyway? Twisted Pixel, Press Play and Mojang?
I would not expect them to change course on their acquisition policy
Agnostic Priest
Member
Microsoft should buy them and have them work on a new Perfect Dark.
dreamcast210
Banned
Me thinks Microsoft would jump on this. Season 2 would be exactly something that Game Pass needs.
inpHilltr8r
Member
huh, guess what release model doesn't work as well as expected
PhantomThief
Banned
Guys guys.. Microsoft isn't gonna buy IOI lol. Just not gonna happen.
well, back to not getting a game then. That's much better.
io interactive doesn't own hitman..
Microsoft is absolute shit with talent development for acquired studios- they're like the EA of the big 3. They'd be relegated to nothing substantial
I'd rather see Sony get them if we are talking big players; otherwise being picked up by another good publisher like Deep Silver or someone would be best.
Has any team at Eidos done marketing right since they were bought by Square Enix? Just curious. We had the punishment porn thing with Tomb Raider, the "mechanical apartheid" thing with with Deus Ex, the back and forth on episodic/non-episodic thing with Hitman up until release and I'm sure I'm forgetting something with Thief other than it just being bad...
edit: I guess the marketing/messaging on Life is Strange was good? Honestly I don't remember any for that game from Square
edit: I guess the marketing/messaging on Life is Strange was good? Honestly I don't remember any for that game from Square
DriftingSpirit
Member
They split from twisted pixel a year or two ago.
No. They mishandled all their releases, and you forgot the timed exclusive that was only vaguely discussed on Rise of the Tomb Raider, as well as it being quietly dumped on PS4 a year later with little fanfare despite being a fantastic port of the game and fixing the lag issue. Mankind Divided, beyond the unnecessary bungling of the press talk, was basically a stealth release (har har) because I don't recall any prominent hype or marketing for it, and it disappeared pretty quick from the spotlight as well.
If Hitman didn't sell, even with it's model, it's because Square was absolute shit at marketing it. The model worked perfectly well for that type of game, gave tons of content and replayability, and was pretty universally well-received, as well as probably the best iteration of the Hitman concept.
They've been flailing around with properly handling Eidos properties for quite some time. Even FFXV was kind of a weird release.
To be fair, Sony is just coming off a stretch of axing several internal studios.
I see Deep Silver, WB, and Take Two as being possible suitors.
That's fair enough, yes, they've been pretty disappointing lately also.
Any of those three you mentioned would be ideal acquisitions for IO. They're a really talented bunch.
And yet, they promoted the fuck out of FF XV so I fear there's a bias.
PhantomThief
Banned
Please not WB. They are awful at nickel and diming the fuck out of their games.
Unless IO leaves with their IPs, they die with Square-Enix the second IO is out the door.
Steverulez
Member
I know? Doesn't mean they aren't part of the last few studios they acquired none of which were AAA since Lionhead?
Not really sure of the relevancy to my point
Is this SE pivoting back to their Japanese games? I will be honest though, Hitman doesn't really seem to fit with the rest of their series, even the western ones. Hopefully they find a buyer who will treat the series well, since apparently it's pretty good if you're into those kind of games.
vpance
Member
Why would anyone want to buy them if the only thing they've made of any significance doesn't actually come with them? And on top of which the last title sold poorly, apparently.
They are toast. At best they will get a pity offer after cutting their staff in half. And IO will survive in name only.
Exactly, it's no Microsoft's style, nor Sony's really anymore to acquire established development studios.
If they do end up finding a buyer, I'd bet it will be one of the European based publishers, like Deep Silver or THQ Nordic but it won't be easy without the IP.
It's like how THQ couldn't find a buyer for Vigil and their project that was in development.
Steverulez
Member
My money is on Ubisoft or Bethesda.
It would fit in well with Ubisofts GAAS approach and Bethesda like a good acquisition
PhantomThief
Banned
So SE is keeping all the IP's as well? Fucking hell.
Ninja Scooter
Member
Buying a huge AAA studio with potentially no bankable IP ownership is not a perfect purchase for anyone in 2017.
The fact they're trying to sell off the studio instead of closing it down can give some small possibility there's a deal that they carry their IPs with them.
But that's likely not the case.
I had thought episodic might have hurt the game, but yikes. Doesn't really help that it went from being a retail game set for Dec. 2015 to episodes without much explanation.
Between that, how poorly ROTR was handled, and the six month DXMD delay with no additional marketing, they are screwing the pooch on western games. I am starting to hope they sell off Eidos Montreal.
Steverulez
Member
Thing is, are many people going to want the studio without a project?
Maybe if they have a new ip ready to hit full development that would be ok but otherwise you're looking at significant downtime before they can get anything going without an IP? So 200~ people on support until a new project can be prototyped and greenlit or what?
I think SE will sell the IP, even if they don't want to at first, they'll get a good price for it I think as well as the engine, maybe they'll even chuck in Kane and lynch and Mini Ninjas too.
They have projects in production. One is on UE4 and the other on Glacier 2 with multiplayer elements.
IO just moved to a new studio in November, I believe...
Steverulez
Member
Well that sounds pretty good, assuming SE don't want to keep both projects/IPs?
PhantomThief
Banned
Also Hitman Absolution was the only Hitman game with so much marketing behind it.
Too bad it was a shit game, and turned many people off from the Hitman IP for years to come, not even trusting the new game to be any fun at all. IO even said themselves Absolution was a misstep and they wanted to create a Hitman game the fans would love.
Then there was the terrible handling of the episodic structure, giving out bonus episodes to some buyers but not even available for other players. Ridiculous if you ask me.
Who would they give them to? You would assume S-E was happy with the company, as they cancelled all non-Hitman projects after Absolution. Do you really let a failing project from a studio lead into allowing that team to hire more staff and relocate to a new studio..? That sounds dumb, but awfully apt for Square-Enix to do, it seems.
The fact they were cleared for two projects makes this strange, as they didn't seem to be related to HITMAN Season Two. Maybe S-E is willing to let the studio leave with some of the projects?
Someone better snatch them up. Someone with the sense to not force them into making stupid online only, episodic games.
Hitman 2016 was incredible, but it was a marketing disaster. The dumbshit executives who forced the game to come out as it did killed it, not IO.
Uhhh what? The game was incredible as an episodic game. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. It's the best Hitman game and the best episodic game of all time. Having a new map each month to play in was incredibly fun.
They're weird, they have some garbage, but quite a few good things too. Metro, for example. Better than an EA getting it.
You liking it doesn't make it a viable product for selling to a mass market. Your average gamer is going to go to best buy and drop $60 on a full game, releasing it piecemeal like this was a mistake from a *sales* perspective.
Steverulez
Member
Maybe they just don't want another publisher to profit off their investment? (However early)
Might sound petty, guess it depends what they got going.