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View Full Version : Elevation to Aquire Lionhead?

fitbabits
11-11-2005, 04:34 AM
UK trade weekly MCV (http://www.mcvuk.com) is reporting that Elevation, fresh off their purchase of Bioware and Pandemic, could be looking to add Lionhead to their list of aquired companies.

Click here (http://www.mcvuk.com/newsitem.php?id=595) for the full story.

Following its shock swoop for Bioware and Pandemic, sizzling senior-level chatter suggests Jon Riccitiello’s outfit could sink its rapacious claws into Lionhead Studios.

The UK firm is known to have been positioning itself for a buyout for the past year, but a recent flurry of release activity has sparked renewed interest in the Black & White creator.
A $2 billion warchest? Holy bananas, Batman! Who else could be on the list?
earthworm48
11-11-2005, 05:16 AM
They own BW/Pandemic? I thought it was just some sort of deal which meant those two had cash for games development so they didn't have to rely as heavily on publisher funds?
PIPBoy3000
11-11-2005, 05:32 AM
That's my understanding as well. The CEOs of BW/Pandemic sit on the board of Elevation as I recall.

It does sound like Elevation's goal is specifically to gather up a group of developers that aren't owned by publishers and turn them into . . . something else? Perhaps some uber development group? A way to share certain costs across a larger organization? Provide some sort of cushion from publisher demands (ship dates, features added/cut, etc.)?

Interesting times.
AspectVoid
11-11-2005, 06:02 AM
They own BW/Pandemic? I thought it was just some sort of deal which meant those two had cash for games development so they didn't have to rely as heavily on publisher funds?

The way I read it, the three companies merged, with a member of Elevation as CEO and the founders of Bioware and Pandemic being the VPs and sitting on the Board.
Xerxes
11-11-2005, 06:16 AM
Would Peter sit on board? Would this mean he can actually spend all the time he needs on some of the games he puts out?
Com_Gaunt
11-11-2005, 06:49 AM
The
The private equity firm Elevation Partners has announced the formation of a creative and management partnership with Pandemic Studios, LLC and BioWare Corp.
statement

Would indicate some kind of agreement of working together vs ownership.
Heretic Machine
11-11-2005, 07:00 AM
Sounds like they are trying to turn into EA. But that doesn't bother me much as far as Lionhead is concerned. They may want to think of turning the Lionhead offices into a fast-food place, because the employees seem to be a little limited beyond asking, "Would you like to supersize that?"
Citizen Philip
11-11-2005, 07:00 AM
Very interesting turn of events. As we've seen in the past, development houses that get bought out tend to create one more game before they cease to function, maybe this is a new solution?
Com_Gaunt
11-11-2005, 07:22 AM
Maybe if they are big enough, they can get the licenses for Syndicate and Dungeon Keeper from EA and they can make Syndicate wars 2 and Dungeon keeper 3
Oooh and MAgic Carpet 3 too :)
Citizen Philip
11-11-2005, 07:42 AM
Maybe if they are big enough, they can get the licenses for Syndicate and Dungeon Keeper from EA and they can make Syndicate wars 2 and Dungeon keeper 3
Oooh and MAgic Carpet 3 too :)

Let Irrational Games in, and get them the license to System Shock 3, so we can have the spirtual succesor Bio Shock and.. well.. another System Shock ;D

Syndicate <3
Com_Gaunt
11-11-2005, 07:58 AM
All those fucking excellent games, X-COM, All the Bullfrog stuff, System Shock, Ultima Underworld, Tie Fighter.... I had such high hopes for future PC games..... Am I getting old? all the new stuff seem shite compared to the classics...
Heretic Machine
11-11-2005, 08:18 AM
Fortunetly, the classics stand up to the test of time. I still play Dungeon Keeper II. Well, I do sometimes, but it's constant crashing pissed me off at one point and I've sworn it off... at least for a time <.<
Royal Fool
11-11-2005, 08:19 AM
Big business > Innovation and pushing the boundaries of game design.

Just look at LucasArts.
Citizen Philip
11-11-2005, 08:27 AM
All those fucking excellent games, X-COM, All the Bullfrog stuff, System Shock, Ultima Underworld, Tie Fighter.... I had such high hopes for future PC games..... Am I getting old? all the new stuff seem shite compared to the classics...

Ah, Tie Fighter. I knew you well. Serve the Emperor, above all others.
Serapth
11-11-2005, 09:03 AM
I gotta say, atleast Elevation has taste. I have to say most of those companies should gel well together. Too bad BlackIsle studios isnt still around, they would fit in nicely with that group. ( Sorry, but PlaneScape : Torment kicked ass ).
Exodus
11-11-2005, 09:21 AM
bioware + lionheard, if they could get together they just might cook up something that would rival bethesda's oblivion. Bioware knows how to make a game, lionhead knows how to make a game fun. Good times ahead of us if that happens ;o
Exodus
11-11-2005, 09:25 AM
oh yah, MAKE A NEW SHADOWRUN GAME ALREADY GODDAMMIT
/gets off soap box

okay I'm done, sorry for the double post
PIPBoy3000
11-11-2005, 09:28 AM
What would be interesting is if they ended up doing some cross-licensing. For example, Bioware doing Dungeon Keeper might be quite interesting . . .
Morrolan
11-11-2005, 10:28 AM
As has been said above, Elevation did not 'purchase' Bioware or Pandemic.
Exodus
11-11-2005, 10:30 AM
I don't see where it says they can't work together in that statement, do you?

Thanks for pointing out what has been said though, good to know my eyes still work as well as they did 30 minutes ago.
megaman
11-11-2005, 10:31 AM
But they can surely pull out if the games don't do well can't they?
Magnanimous Gnome
11-11-2005, 11:48 AM
That's my understanding as well. The CEOs of BW/Pandemic sit on the board of Elevation as I recall.

It does sound like Elevation's goal is specifically to gather up a group of developers that aren't owned by publishers and turn them into . . . something else? Perhaps some uber development group? A way to share certain costs across a larger organization? Provide some sort of cushion from publisher demands (ship dates, features added/cut, etc.)?

Interesting times.

Isn't that kind of what Lionhead's already doing though? They develop titles like Black & White internally, but they also have "satellite" developers that they oversee and guide through the development of other games. That's how Fable came to be, and BC was being developed in the same way before it sadly got canned.


Maybe if they are big enough, they can get the licenses for Syndicate and Dungeon Keeper from EA and they can make Syndicate wars 2 and Dungeon keeper 3
Oooh and MAgic Carpet 3 too :)


Be quiet - don't get me excited for something that will most likely never happen. :(


Fortunetly, the classics stand up to the test of time. I still play Dungeon Keeper II. Well, I do sometimes, but it's constant crashing pissed me off at one point and I've sworn it off... at least for a time <.<

Go back and play Dungeon Keeper, the original, instead. It doesn't have all the damn bugs of 2, and personally I prefer it over the second one. Sure the graphics are worse, but there are many more monsters to get and they all have a much wider range of abilities. I really think they screwed the pooch with DK2, and I fully blame stupid EA.

What would be interesting is if they ended up doing some cross-licensing. For example, Bioware doing Dungeon Keeper might be quite interesting . . .

Unfortunately that won't be happening. EA owns the rights to all the old Bullfrog titles, including Dungeon Keeper. EA will continue to sit on these rights for all of eternity, much as Microsoft sits on the Shadowrun license. Tis a shame.
bapenguin
11-11-2005, 12:10 PM
Fortunetly, the classics stand up to the test of time. I still play Dungeon Keeper II. Well, I do sometimes, but it's constant crashing pissed me off at one point and I've sworn it off... at least for a time <.<

What a great game. I still want to play the original Syndicate again, but no longer have the CD. :(
Serapth
11-11-2005, 12:17 PM
oh yah, MAKE A NEW SHADOWRUN GAME ALREADY GODDAMMIT
/gets off soap box

okay I'm done, sorry for the double post

Seconded!
Shadowrun is ripe for another game, or even an MMORPG. Shadowrun on the genesis kicked ass. So did an old 8bit game called Neuromancer
Xerxes
11-11-2005, 12:41 PM
Only if this brings BC back is it good...
Roc Ingersol
11-11-2005, 12:53 PM
1. Acquire Valve.
2. Expand Steam.
3. Profit.
Xerxes
11-11-2005, 09:08 PM
I don't know about all that. It's one way to do it but for one BioWare is cranking out console games now. Steam wouldn't help them.
Exodus
11-11-2005, 09:15 PM
1. Acquire Valve.
2. Expand Steam.
3. Profit.

Somehow if a huge business/money first, consumer second corpy taking over steam sounds wrong. Steam's a great idea and I'd hate for it to somehow get twisted into an even dirtier way to serve greedy suits needs.

I'll agree with it as long as valve can decide to do whatever they want with steam with resources available. But that will never happen because companies just don't like what steam entails. See Valve vs. Vivendi.
Xerxes
11-12-2005, 12:20 AM
business/money first? You bitter about Bioware doing console games now?
Exodus
11-12-2005, 12:23 AM
? you didn't even read what I said, rofl
/insert name for one who posts without actually reading here
Xerxes
11-12-2005, 03:25 AM
You called Bioware and Pandemic a huge business/money first and consumer second entity. All game companies are that way to some extent. But they aren't an EA by no means. I wouldn't see whatever Elevation is that way. Jaded PC gamers would, who hate the cold shoulder from BW. I read what you said. O_o
Exodus
11-12-2005, 07:21 AM
I never said bioware and pandemic was either of those but Elevation is something I would consider that, yes, you're completely right, and you can't prove I'm wrong and I can't prove you're wrong either. Jaded? get real.
DigiWiz
11-13-2005, 02:09 PM
BioWare has always been doing console games (i.e. MDK2 was released for the Dreamcast).

It's funny how people who predicted a Microsoft buyout here for years have been proven wrong, but Elevation bought both BW and Pandemic (the press releases stated "aquired a controlling majority of stock in both companies"), it was not a simple merger with a partner. Their CEOs are apparently on the board of the new company they formed, but they are no longer independent developers.
DigiWiz
11-13-2005, 02:12 PM
You called Bioware and Pandemic a huge business/money first and consumer second entity. All game companies are that way to some extent.

All companies are money first. It's why they exist. Otherwise they would be charities. But you can put money first by treating your consumers fairly, and my take is that Bioware obviously does that (i.e. ongoing support with content patches for Neverwinter) but Pandemic does not, they seem to be release and forget. So it shall be interesting to see how the new company handles that.