Wanted: Movie Licenses - See Ubisoft for Details [Archive]

fitbabits

01-17-2006, 05:43 AM

Following on from the rip-roaring success of King Kong, Ubisoft have announced that they are actively seeking to expand their stable of licensed games.

GamesIndustry.biz (http://www.gamesindustry.biz) has more details (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=14096):

Software publisher Ubisoft has announced its intention to create more games based on movie licences following the success of its King Kong tie-in, which narrowly missed the coveted Christmas number one spot in 2005.

In a recent interview with trade magazine MCV, Ubisoft president and CEO Yves Guillemot said that the company intends to generate a quarter of its revenues from movie licenses in the future, leveraging the technical power of next-generation hardware to create the most authentic and exciting film tie-ins.

"We want to get 25% of our turnover coming from movie licensed games. We have a few things on the way that can help us to continue to do business in this segment of the market," Guillemot stated.
What better way to fend off a hostile takeover by Electronic Arts than to beat them at their own game!

kokyunage

01-17-2006, 05:57 AM

Unlike EA and their movie franchise games, King Kong was actually a pretty good game.

fitbabits

01-17-2006, 05:58 AM

Unlike EA and their movie franchise games, King Kong was actually a pretty good game.
And the early Electronic Arts movie-licensed fodder wasn't too shabby either. I was referring to complaceny setting in.

KamaItachi

01-17-2006, 06:11 AM

What films are left that aren't being made into games.

How about Brazil?

Escaping from a nightmarish reality into your own mind where you are an all conquering hero, adored by beautiful women should be right up most gamer's alley.

MaiXu

01-17-2006, 06:26 AM

thecrazyd

01-17-2006, 06:34 AM

Watch... it already began, and this is the next step. We will not see new material coming from them again. Nothing but the annual Splinter Cell and PoP, and a ton of shitty movie games. Ubisoft will never have another Beyond Good and Evil.

fitbabits

01-17-2006, 06:34 AM

Good lord, please let them take some of EA's licenses that are up for renewal! I can only dream what proper games Ubisoft might have made from Lord of the Rings, instead of EA's shitty slash-and-hacks. If they can do futuristic as well as they do near-future in Splinter Cell, I'd love to see some sci-fi flicks headed their way.
Just thought of something ironic/terrifying - if Electronic Arts are successful in their takeover of UbiSoft, that would mean that the game based on the Splinter Cell movie would likely be released by Electronic Arts!

fitbabits

01-17-2006, 06:37 AM

Ubisoft will never have another Beyond Good and Evil.
And that's because nobody bought the fucker (plus it got released at a very bad time) - it's all our fault. We cry out for originality and reward said originality with apathy!

By the way, I bought BG&E on PS2, Xbox and PC - all new.

Nite_Moogle

01-17-2006, 06:42 AM

Remember like 4 years ago when nobody had heard of Ubisoft?

Tia

01-17-2006, 06:42 AM

And that's because nobody bought the fucker (plus it got released at a very bad time) - it's all our fault. We cry out for originality and reward said originality with apathy!

By the way, I bought BG&E on PS2, Xbox and PC - all new.

I bought it also.

As far as I heard, what's his name was talking about a sequel to BG&E after he is done with kong. Regardless of how well the game did. So there is still hope. I love this game, mm... maybe I should reply it.

fitbabits

01-17-2006, 06:55 AM

I bought it also.

As far as I heard, what's his name was talking about a sequel to BG&E after he is done with kong. Regardless of how well the game did. So there is still hope. I love this game, mm... maybe I should reply it.
I've read that he was thinking about it (a BG&E sequel), but that the final decision ultimately lay with UbiSoft. If that's the case, then the chances are very slim - especially with UbiSoft looking to cash in on licensed material.

MaiXu

01-17-2006, 06:56 AM

And that's because nobody bought the fucker (plus it got released at a very bad time) - it's all our fault. We cry out for originality and reward said originality with apathy!

By the way, I bought BG&E on PS2, Xbox and PC - all new.

Whoa, fitbababy, isn't that kind of over doing it? I bought BG&E as well, new, for Xbox. And yeah, it was released at a really shitty time, in the December holiday crush. It would have been a great summer or spring release, when people weren't all grabbing the big-name games and the masses would have been more likely to take a chance on a new title. As it stands, I really enjoyed BG&E, but I don't think it's the godsend of originality that many christen it. It was a fun, Zelda-sequel adventure with a lot of interesting elements, but a lot of trite and uninspired ideas, too.

Still loved it, though. Same with Psychonauts and Call of Cthulhu: DCotE. Brilliant, artistic games that made no bones about breaking convention, and were rewarded with dismal sales. It's a shame, really.

thecrazyd

01-17-2006, 07:00 AM

I bought it also.

As far as I heard, what's his name was talking about a sequel to BG&E after he is done with kong. Regardless of how well the game did. So there is still hope. I love this game, mm... maybe I should reply it.
Ancel was always talking about it. He intended it to be a trilogy. I doubt Ubi will put up the cash though.

earthworm48

01-17-2006, 07:00 AM

Remember like 4 years ago when nobody had heard of Ubisoft?

No. They were known well before then.I mainly remember Rayman though when I look back.

51|RandoM

01-17-2006, 07:03 AM

Seems kind of silly to attach themselves so firmly to an entertainment medium that is struggling.

fitbabits

01-17-2006, 07:03 AM

Whoa, fitbababy, isn't that kind of over doing it? I bought BG&E as well, new, for Xbox. And yeah, it was released at a really shitty time, in the December holiday crush. It would have been a great summer or spring release, when people weren't all grabbing the big-name games and the masses would have been more likely to take a chance on a new title. As it stands, I really enjoyed BG&E, but I don't think it's the godsend of originality that many christen it. It was a fun, Zelda-sequel adventure with a lot of interesting elements, but a lot of trite and uninspired ideas, too.

Still loved it, though. Same with Psychonauts and Call of Cthulhu: DCotE. Brilliant, artistic games that made no bones about breaking convention, and were rewarded with dismal sales. It's a shame, really.
Probably, but it was my dismal attempt to push sales.

You do, though, raise an interesting point - BG&E wasn't all that and a bag of chips. It was, however, a shining light in a deluge of 'meh' games and that's probably why it's so fondly remembered.

fitbabits

01-17-2006, 07:05 AM

Seems kind of silly to attach themselves so firmly to an entertainment medium that is struggling.
The movie industry is struggling, but the games industry continues to grow. Given that, movie licenses may be better value now than in the past.

MaiXu

01-17-2006, 07:13 AM

The movie industry is struggling, but the games industry continues to grow. Given that, movie licenses may be better value now than in the past.

And the movie slump is likely temporary. It'll be up, and then back down, over time. So grabbing a cheap name is a good idea. I'm sure we all remember what happened when the Bond license was cheap, Nintendo snatched it up, and gave it to Rare ...

fitbabits

01-17-2006, 07:18 AM

And the movie slump is likely temporary. It'll be up, and then back down, over time. So grabbing a cheap name is a good idea. I'm sure we all remember what happened when the Bond license was cheap, Nintendo snatched it up, and gave it to Rare ...
GoldenEye!

Then the license went to Electronic Arts and the rest, as they say, is history.

boratika

01-17-2006, 07:47 AM

If they can do futuristic as well as they do near-future in Splinter Cell, I'd love to see some sci-fi flicks headed their way.

See Beyond Good and Evil (as mentioned in this thread.)

I have a theory of one thing that hurt BGaE's sale's. The blurb on the back. It reads:

Your mission: to expose a conspiracy...
...that has corrupted the harmony of your planet...
...and bred an evil that must be fought...
...working with your friend's help...
...using the only weapon with enough power... the Truth.

Now some people might look at that and think "The truth? That's kind of piss weak. How is that stronger than like a rail gun or a rocket launcher or , you know, a legendary sword.?"

Or maybe not...

But as a game, it wasn't unlike anything I had ever seen before, but rather recognisable elements in a rare tasty package. My only real complaint: Why doesn't the PC version have gamepad support?

Magnanimous Gnome

01-17-2006, 07:57 AM

speeder

01-17-2006, 08:02 AM

Brokeback Mountain the game coming soon for the XBox 360!

Magnanimous Gnome

01-17-2006, 08:10 AM

Brokeback Mountain the game coming soon for the XBox 360!

Oh, now there's that killer app I've been looking for.

"I can't quit you!"

"Well then bend over! Yee-hah!"

51|RandoM

01-17-2006, 09:33 AM

And the movie slump is likely temporary. It'll be up, and then back down, over time. So grabbing a cheap name is a good idea. I'm sure we all remember what happened when the Bond license was cheap, Nintendo snatched it up, and gave it to Rare ...

I expect the cinema side of the movie industry to keep shrinking, and I expect the dvd sales to plateau, if they haven't already. Sure, there will still be the occassional blockbuster, but that isn't exactly a healthy business model.

The alternative entertainment options keep increasing, while the draw of the cinema itself decreases due to inflated pricing.

fitbabits

01-17-2006, 09:39 AM

I expect the cinema side of the movie industry to keep shrinking, and I expect the dvd sales to plateau, if they haven't already. Sure, there will still be the occassional blockbuster, but that isn't exactly a healthy business model.

The alternative entertainment options keep increasing, while the draw of the cinema itself decreases due to inflated pricing.
Slightly off-topis - What does your assertion mean for Blu-Ray or HD-DVD? I know I'm not about to replace my whole DVD library with overpriced Blu-Ray or HD-DVD disks, especially when you consider that there's not a damn thing 'wrong' with regular DVDs.

Tia

01-17-2006, 12:36 PM

I've read that he was thinking about it (a BG&E sequel), but that the final decision ultimately lay with UbiSoft. If that's the case, then the chances are very slim - especially with UbiSoft looking to cash in on licensed material.

One can only hope that after his success with Kong they will let him venture back into BG&E.

Don't shatter my hope damn it! Next thing you will tell me that there is no chance in hell Bungie will make Oni 2! (another damn underappreciated awesome game).

(I love the non vixen minimal outfit wearing heroine. )

MaiXu

01-17-2006, 12:43 PM

I'm pretty sure that UbiSoft and EA will be indistinguishable before too long. Ubi's already nowhere near what they used to be. Yearly PoP and Splinter Cell games along with the total immolation of the Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six names hasn't really impressed me. I know a lot of people love the company, but I honestly think that will change after a few more less than stellar sequels and/or yearly sequels that sell like hotcakes regardless - this is the EA formula afterall.

I fear this, as well. While I think they've improved SC enough to make all three versions worthwhile - I picked up the first one for an awesome single-player campaign that did stealth like it had never beem done before, Pandora Tomorrow for a blazingly unique online multiplayer, and Chaos Theory for the improved and expanded adversarial as well as the online co-op - I feel that a major change is needed for me to care about Mr. Fisher again, and Double Agent or whatever the next one is called doesn't do it for me.

On the other hand, I realize just how far Rainbow Six has strayed from its roots, and while I haven't played any of the Ghost Recon games since the first one, the Xbox 360 iteration looks to be a step down from sci-fi shooters. But my main reason for liking Ubisoft, at least right now, is that they're making games I genuinely want to play. I can usually see the shit sandwich EA is trying to sell me miles before it hits retail, while even the third PoP has me intrigued.

fitbabits

01-17-2006, 12:46 PM

One can only hope that after his success with Kong they will let him venture back into BG&E.

Don't shatter my hope damn it! Next thing you will tell me that there is no chance in hell Bungie will make Oni 2! (another damn underappreciated awesome game).

(I love the non vixen minimal outfit wearing heroine. )
I think after the success he's had with King Kong he may have a certain degree of autonomy, but whether that's enough for allow BG&E 2 is another matter.

As for Oni 2 - although developed by Bungie, the rights to Oni are owned by Take Two.

Tia

01-17-2006, 12:57 PM

I think after the success he's had with King Kong he may have a certain degree of autonomy, but whether that's enough for allow BG&E 2 is another matter.

As for Oni 2 - although developed by Bungie, the rights to Oni are owned by Take Two.

See... there you go crushing my dreams. :(

I know that Oni is the "love child" of Bungie. If you ever see movies from thier offices, they almost have more oni marchendise then Halo. Sadly what you say is probably right. Still they might make a game in the spirit of oni ;-)

fitbabits

01-17-2006, 01:02 PM

See... there you go crushing my dreams. :(

I know that Oni is the "love child" of Bungie. If you ever see movies from thier offices, they almost have more oni marchendise then Halo. Sadly what you say is probably right. Still they might make a game in the spirit of oni ;-)
Sorry! :o

Do you own it on PC? I'm pretty sure there must be some mods out there for it (excluding the infantile nude patches).

Starting point. (http://bungie.net/Inside/CustomPage.aspx?section=History&subsection=Main&page=5)

TheKeck

01-17-2006, 01:02 PM

KamaItachi

01-17-2006, 03:39 PM

Oh man, Brazil just hurt my head.

It's a good film, but when I first saw it, I think I was only 9 or 10 and hated it because of the weird narrative and downbeat ending. I think I've only seen it once since then, about 3 years ago... but yeah, it was just as weird. I should probably pick it up and give it a few more run-throughs...

Tia

01-17-2006, 04:10 PM

Sorry! :o

Do you own it on PC? I'm pretty sure there must be some mods out there for it (excluding the infantile nude patches).

Starting point. (http://bungie.net/Inside/CustomPage.aspx?section=History&subsection=Main&page=5)

Yeah I own it on PC. Haven't looked into mods, didn't even think about it. When I played Oni, a few years back, I had connection only at work and didn't do much webbing. I wonder...

Thanks for the suggestion :)