Midway Announces Purchase of Unreal Catalog Publishing Rights

[fitbabits]

Gamasutra (http://www.gamasutra.com) is reporting that Midway has acquired the rights to publish select games from Epic Games' catalog of existing Unreal PC titles from down-in-the-dumps Atari.

You can read the full article here (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=9740).

Publisher Midway has announced it has acquired the retail publishing rights to select games from Epic Games' catalog of existing Unreal PC titles from struggling publisher Atari, including top-selling titles Unreal Tournament and the original Unreal.

..........

Midway also announced plans to publish the first-ever compilation of Unreal and Unreal Tournament titles, Unreal Anthology, scheduled to ship this fall for personal computers at a U.S. suggested MSRP of $29.95.

Unreal Anthology will include Unreal (including Return to Na Pali expansion pack), as well as Unreal II: The Awakening, Unreal Tournament (Game of the Year Edition), and Unreal Tournament 2004 (Editors Choice Edition).

"We're excited to continue working with Midway to expand the audience for Unreal franchise" said Mark Rein, Vice President, Epic Games, Inc. "A whole new set of players will get to play these fantastic games for the first time and those who have already played them will be able to get the definitive boxed set for a great low price. Midway is going to publish the future of Unreal, with Unreal Tournament 2007. So it's only fitting that they're helping us pay homage to the rich history of the Unreal universe as well."
I got all giddy when I first heard about this, thinking that there was some possibility of getting the old Unreal games on Xbox Live Arcade. Little did I know it was simply a cynical cash-in!

[Borys]

I got all giddy when I first heard about this, thinking that there was some possibility of getting the old Unreal games on Xbox Live Arcade. Little did I know it was simply a cynical cash-in!

1) $30 for Unreal, Unreal 2, Unreal Tournament and Unreal Tournament 2004 is a STEAL.

2) Xbox Live games have to be 50 MB MAXIMUM in size.

3) Buy a PC :)

[Kefkataran]

2) Xbox Live games have to be 50 MB MAXIMUM in size.

Is that a set-in-stone for-good rule? Because if the rumors of doing old Xbox games as XBLA downloads are true, that would have to change, and personally, I wouldn't mind. Hell, I could've sworn some of the games up there already break that by a bit.

Cool announcement. I have all the games in it already, but still. Good stuff for a great price!

[DingBat]

I got all giddy when I first heard about this, thinking that there was some possibility of getting the old Unreal games on Xbox Live Arcade. Little did I know it was simply a cynical cash-in!

You guys need some sort of update. The "omg someone is actually doing something to make a little money" cynicism is wearing thin.

Everyone is all "if you don't like the language/pictures/content/whatever, don't play it" when it comes to game content. How about, if you don't like the price, DON'T BUY IT?

[Borys]

Is that a set-in-stone for-good rule? Because if the rumors of doing old Xbox games as XBLA downloads are true, that would have to change, and personally, I wouldn't mind. Hell, I could've sworn some of the games up there already break that by a bit.


Nothing is set in stone when it comes to MS :) So far every XBLA game is under that limit.

[fitbabits]

1) $30 for Unreal, Unreal 2, Unreal Tournament and Unreal Tournament 2004 is a STEAL.

2) Xbox Live games have to be 50 MB MAXIMUM in size.

3) Buy a PC :)
1. Undoubtedly! Thing is, I already own them.

2. That, I believe, is not absolutely the case. Remember, there has been talk of old Sega games and even Xbox games coming to Live Arcade some time in the future.

3. I already have one, smarty! :)

[fitbabits]

You guys need some sort of update. The "omg someone is actually doing something to make a little money" cynicism is wearing thin.

Everyone is all "if you don't like the language/pictures/content/whatever, don't play it" when it comes to game content. How about, if you don't like the price, DON'T BUY IT?
Here's an idea, try practicing what you're preaching! If you don't like the comments, don't reply to them - you don't have to, you know.

Whichever way you look at it, Midway are cashing in on the success of the Unreal brand. If you don't agree, then you are the one with blinkers on.

[DingBat]

Whichever way you look at it, Midway are cashing in on the success of the Unreal brand. If you don't agree, then you are the one with blinkers on.

What, are they supposed to cash in on a failing game line? The success of the Unreal brand all of the sudden makes it sacrosanct and pure? C'mon.

What's the harm?

[motor]

I expect the 50MB rule to break down soon. I mean hell, the second Kameo demo was over a GB!

[Pretzel]

Whichever way you look at it, Midway are cashing in on the success of the Unreal brand. If you don't agree, then you are the one with blinkers on.

Um, isn't it in Epic's best interest to have a publisher that actually sells products? It's not like they're forcing anyone to buy the game.

It's not like Midway's been sitting there going "Holy Smokes guys! Somehow we gotta get in on this Unreal gravy train! We can sit back and just rake in the loot!" If anything it was probably an effort to allow Epic to go on creating new Unreal titles away from the failing Atari and selling older titles in combination helps generate some cash for the team and raise awareness of the brand.

Epic has hated their relationship with Atari for years. I'm sure they're glad to have a publisher that sees value in the product and can actually sell games.

[fitbabits]

What, are they supposed to cash in on a failing game line? The success of the Unreal brand all of the sudden makes it sacrosanct and pure? C'mon.

What's the harm?
No harm at all, and I didn't mention any. It is, whether you look at it as positive or negative, Midway cashing in.

[fitbabits]

Um, isn't it in Epic's best interest to have a publisher that actually sells products? It's not like they're forcing anyone to buy the game.

It's not like Midway's been sitting there going "Holy Smokes guys! Somehow we gotta get in on this Unreal gravy train! We can sit back and just rake in the loot!" If anything it was probably an effort to allow Epic to go on creating new Unreal titles away from the failing Atari and selling older titles in combination helps generate some cash for the team and raise awareness of the brand.

Epic has hated their relationship with Atari for years. I'm sure they're glad to have a publisher that sees value in the product and can actually sell games.
Look, I'm not criticizing Midway or Epic, I'm simply stating that re-releasing all the older games in a compilation package is a relatively easy way for Midway to make some quick cash. And before someone says it, yes, they are allowed to make money!

[DingBat]

Look, I'm not criticizing Midway or Epic, I'm simply stating that re-releasing all the older games in a compilation package is a relatively easy way for Midway to make some quick cash. And before someone says it, yes, they are allowed to make money!

When you use the term "CYNICAL cash-in" it sort of implies a criticism, doesn't it? Or is cynical a word you often use in friendly company?

Whether we like to face it or not, publishers are essential to our hobby. Few, if any, development houses have the skills, time, or money to self-publish. Publishers are there to make money for the developers. It's not cynical for a publisher to pick up titles and issue compilation packages, it's good common sense. If anything, your ire should be directed at Atari for NOT doing so and thereby denying the developer of additional earnings.

[fitbabits]

When you use the term "CYNICAL cash-in" it sort of implies a criticism, doesn't it? Or is cynical a word you often use in friendly company?

Whether we like to face it or not, publishers are essential to our hobby. Few, if any, development houses have the skills, time, or money to self-publish. Publishers are there to make money for the developers. It's not cynical for a publisher to pick up titles and issue compilation packages, it's good common sense. If anything, your ire should be directed at Atari for NOT doing so and thereby denying the developer of additional earnings.
My use of the word cynical was in reference to the fact that there are other platform possibilities out there for compilations like this (like Live Arcade, for example), yet Midway's first thought is "let's repackage them all and sell them to the PC fans again". It's not like they (the Unreal games) haven't been available in other iterations through the years.

I understand that publishers and developers are essential to our hobby, I'd be less than daft if I didn't!

[dr_wily]

ah original UT shockrifle, how i miss thee

[F3nyx]

Look, I'm not criticizing Midway or Epic, I'm simply stating that re-releasing all the older games in a compilation package is a relatively easy way for Midway to make some quick cash. And before someone says it, yes, they are allowed to make money!Forget Midway -- it's Atari that's cashing in. They'd have been wise to release a compilation of their own, but I guess they need cash pronto. Midway is probably just one of many vultures hovering around the incipient corpse.