Author Topic: Silicon Knights Partners with SEGA (Read 11633 times)

Bloodworth · « **on:** March 23, 2005, 05:34:10 AM »

Silicon Knights and SEGA are collaborating on a new franchise for next generation systems.

SEGA Partners With Silicon Knights To Create Next Generation Content

Acquisitions of Western Content Prime SEGA for Growth

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON (March 23, 2005) – SEGA of America, Inc. and SEGA, Europe Ltd. today announced an agreement to acquire and publish next-generation game content from Silicon Knights, the Ontario, Canada-based development team responsible for such hits as Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, and Eternal Darkness. The partnership brings SEGA more Western-developed content in preparation for high-growth opportunities presented by next-generation hardware platforms.

Under the terms of the worldwide exclusive deal, SEGA and Silicon Knights will collaborate on creating a new franchise for next generation console systems. This agreement, along with recent partnerships with publisher, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (project: The Matrix Online); developer, Monolith Productions (project: Condemned); and the acquisition of esteemed developer, The Creative Assembly (project: Spartan: Total Warrior) continues to highlight SEGA's emphasis on the Western market.

"We intend to establish SEGA as a leading publisher on the next generation of game hardware and only the highest possible quality of Western-developed content will get us there," said Simon Jeffery, President and COO, SEGA of America. "Silicon Knights has a rich history of developing great games that push hardware technology, so we expect this relationship will result in a powerful, new, and highly commercial franchise."

"Silicon Knights believes that the next generation systems will be the catalyst propelling video games as the dominant form of entertainment in this century," said Denis Dyack, President of Silicon Knights. "We are very excited to collaborate with SEGA on a next generation project because we share a vision – to take the medium of games to new heights and move people as never before." SEGA will manage all marketing and distribution activities and work in hand with Silicon Knights to supervise ongoing game development. Both companies have decided not to release product, platform, or release details at this time.

ThePerm · « **Reply #1 on:** March 23, 2005, 05:45:28 AM »

So SK is owned by Sega now? Or is it just partnership? I'm betting the reason why SK fell out with Nintendo is because they wanted to be purchased just for a nice taste of security. I would feel completely screwed over working for Sega management considering their track record of blunders. Maybe Nintendo will finaly come around and buy Sega...lol

Avinash_Tyagi · « **Reply #2 on:** March 23, 2005, 05:51:00 AM »

Well this kind of indicates to me we won't be seeing SK on the REV for a while, if ever, sega doesn't seem very interested in working with Ninty except with the Sonic property.

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #3 on:** March 23, 2005, 05:55:50 AM »

I am completely and utterly confused now!

(Ack, Sega + SK = worst sales ever?)

Pale · « **Reply #4 on:** March 23, 2005, 06:03:57 AM »

This is really the farthest thing from what I expected. Some of Sega's teams like Nintendo. Hopefully Silicon Knights still likes Nintendo. Maybe this will lead to better Sega support on the systems... and by Sega support I mean Silicon Knights support.

Avinash_Tyagi · « **Reply #5 on:** March 23, 2005, 06:04:24 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Bill Aurion
I am completely and utterly confused now!

(Ack, Sega + SK = worst sales ever?)

It would serve them right for snubbing Ninty.

pudu · « **Reply #6 on:** March 23, 2005, 06:05:27 AM »

It says they are only "collaborating on a new franchise", which doesn't indicate any sort of takeover. Sega will be the publisher of this new game franchise while SK is the developer. Now if only we knew what kind of franchise would a company like Sega want a company like SK to develope for? Something more mature? An RPG perhaps?

Savior · « **Reply #7 on:** March 23, 2005, 06:17:07 AM »

Pretty suprising. I would have thought SK would like Konami more

Too Human published by Sega on the X-box 360? Id say so... For shame,

kennyb27 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 23, 2005, 06:32:39 AM »

I didn't see this coming at all. How could they have differences with Nintendo, but then embrace Sega like this? No sense...

Ian Sane · « **Reply #9 on:** March 23, 2005, 06:50:17 AM »

Leaving Nintendo for Sega? Is SK living in 1992 or something?

Sega sucks now. Ever since Sammy bought them they just release total junk with formally well respected franchises names on the box. Their fanbase has given up on them and they for all intents and purposes are no longer the same company.

There's no advantage to working with them. Sammy doesn't care for game art. They just want product so it's not like this would be great for artistic freedom. And Sega is like a total money pit now so it's not like there's big money to be made. Nintendo is a much safer publisher for ensuring sales.

This still doesn't answer the big question. Why did SK leave Nintendo? I want to know. Did Nintendo do something bad? Is the Revolution going to be too weird so SK bailed? Was SK offered moneyhats by Sega? WHAT?

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #10 on:** March 23, 2005, 06:54:11 AM »

Actually this proves nothing in terms of exclusivity...What's another recent SK game that wasn't published by Ninty?

Smash_Brother · « **Reply #11 on:** March 23, 2005, 07:16:42 AM »

Remember the Penny Arcade comic about Sega's games directly equating snuff films? Yeah, I thought that was pretty damn accurate.

And up until this point, I thought Dyack was a reasonably sensible guy...

-SB

ThePerm · « **Reply #12 on:** March 23, 2005, 07:20:36 AM »

i just hope nintendo has the rights to eternal darkness

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #13 on:** March 23, 2005, 07:23:12 AM »

Word Mark      ETERNAL DARKNESS
Goods and Services    IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: computer game discs; computer game programs; computer game software; electronic game programs; electronic game software; video game discs; video game programs; video game software. FIRST USE: 20020624. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20020624
Mark Drawing Code    (1) TYPED DRAWING
Serial Number    75672853
Filing Date    April 1, 1999
Current Filing Basis    1A
Original Filing Basis    1B
Published for Opposition    August 8, 2000
Registration Number    2715977
Registration Date    May 13, 2003
Owner    (REGISTRANT) Nintendo of America Inc. CORPORATION WASHINGTON 4820-150th Avenue N.E. Redmond WASHINGTON 98052
Attorney of Record    Jerald E. Nagae
Type of Mark    TRADEMARK
Register    PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator    LIVE

couchmonkey · « **Reply #14 on:** March 23, 2005, 08:50:02 AM »

This just leads to more questions! I really don't think Revolution is going to be so weird that Silicon Knights would bail out for that reason alone - it's going to be backwards compatible, after all. Then again maybe that decision was made after they left.

My very wild guess is that Nintendo wanted Silicon Knights to be its personal slave. I mean, there was a lot of talk about how great it was working on Metal Gear Solid and how much they love the game and Konami and everything, but Silicon Knights seems to value its independence and the Metal Gear Solid deal may have hinted to Silicon Knights that Nintendo had an agenda and it wasn't going to give Silicon Knights the freedom it wanted.

This is the trend I've seen: On the GameCube, Nintendo has been cutting loose developers and forcing it's franchises on them more often. Rare's only GameCube title had Starfox crammed into it; Treasure got Wario, Left Field (or was it Angel?) was working on 1080 until Nintendo decided their version of 1080 was too arcade-like, and cut the developer loose. Retro was reduced from four original titles to the Metroid studio, and instead of hiring new second parties to develop original content, Nintendo has been farming its franchises out to other developers like Capcom, Sega and Namco.

I think Nintendo is becoming a bit control-freaky. It's not all Nintendo's fault: Rare sure hasn't paid off for Microsoft and Retro seemed to be in serious trouble before Nintendo took control of the situation, but I think Nintendo is starting to lose interest in helping developers make exclusive new franchises. It prefers the safe bet of giving a popular franchise to a competent developer. My feeling is that is what scared SK away.

Savior · « **Reply #15 on:** March 23, 2005, 08:53:34 AM »

I dont blame Sega. They lost the all sports titles now. They need games like Matrix Online and SK to maintain some sort of hold on the Western market.

pyrokamileon · « **Reply #16 on:** March 23, 2005, 09:07:58 AM »

I wonder if Reggie reads this stuff? our opinions I mean...

Ian Sane · « **Reply #17 on:** March 23, 2005, 09:12:20 AM »

"I think Nintendo is becoming a bit control-freaky. It's not all Nintendo's fault: Rare sure hasn't paid off for Microsoft and Retro seemed to be in serious trouble before Nintendo took control of the situation, but I think Nintendo is starting to lose interest in helping developers make exclusive new franchises. It prefers the safe bet of giving a popular franchise to a competent developer. My feeling is that is what scared SK away."

That's pretty likely. At the time when Twin Snakes was revealed I was pretty annoyed that they were using SK as a glorified port house. I really liked the final product but there's virtually no SK touches in it (though to be fair I'm only familiar with ED). It was a great remake/port of a Konami game and felt like such. Realistically any somewhat competent dev could have made it.

I don't think Nintendo's being control freaky (though they do have a history of being bad at that) I think they're just way too focused on their franchises. Aside from Pikmin, ED, and Animal Crossing (which in Japan was not a new franchise on the Cube) Nintendo hasn't really released any new franchises this gen. It's been all sequels and spinoffs. They always talk about how their franchises are like their legacy. They NEVER said stuff like that before. It was originally all about great games and new ideas. I don't think they're forcing devs to use franchises that much. They're probably just offering it every time and naturally, due to franchise sales having less risk, the devs agree to it. I don't think they got Sega to make them a game and then said "it's going to be F-Zero dammit!" More likely they asked Sega if they wanted to work with one of their franchises and Sega for obvious reasons said yes. It's not so much that they're forcing devs to work with franchises but that they're just not encouraging the creation of new content.

Denis Dyack seemed really interested in working with Metal Gear. I don't think Nintendo twisted his arm or anything.

Don'tHate742 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 23, 2005, 09:16:16 AM »

I say we wait to see what they have to offer in terms of this new franchise.

Let's just thank God that Sega isn't forcing one of their franchises on SK. Completely new means a completely new possibility it's good. And let's thank God again that Sega isn't developing this game. It now officially has a chance of being a great game.

I just hope it's either Too Human or Raven Blade.

Rob91883 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 23, 2005, 09:21:31 AM »

"Denis Dyack seemed really interested in working with Metal Gear. I don't think Nintendo twisted his arm or anything. "

I thought I read that Nintendo asked them if they wanted to work with Metal Gear, and Denis was more than accepting of the idea. We really don’t know why Silicon Knights stopped being a 2nd party, but I can tell you that being made to work on Metal Gear isn't the case.

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #20 on:** March 23, 2005, 09:42:43 AM »

I just hope it's either Too Human or Raven Blade.

Errr, Raven Blade is Retro Studios' game...

And it's absurd to think Metal Gear was forced on SK, drop that line of thinking pronto...

That out of the way, anyone care to theorize about why Ninty's logo is STILL on SK's site? I don't want to hear "because they haven't updated," because the site has been modified as recently as this past September...There has been plenty enough time to cut out a single freaking line of html text...

Avinash_Tyagi · « **Reply #21 on:** March 23, 2005, 10:21:35 AM »

Well this is probably reading too much into it but perhaps its a signal that Nintendo may recieve the first release of its new game(hopefully).

But likely its just an oversight on the part of the webmaster.

Cubik83 · « **Reply #22 on:** March 23, 2005, 10:27:53 AM »

Eternal Darkness: Shadows' Adventure?

BlackNMild2k1 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 23, 2005, 10:57:54 AM »

"We are very excited to collaborate with SEGA on a next generation project because we share a vision – to take the medium of games to new heights and move people as never before." said Denis Dyack, President of Silicon Knights.

Doesn't that sound kinda familiar?

Deguello · « **Reply #24 on:** March 23, 2005, 11:30:00 AM »

Sounds like ReggIwata-speak.

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Author Topic: Silicon Knights Partners with SEGA (Read 11633 times)