IO Interactive has just announced that it is now officially an independent studio. This basically means that the studio will have complete control over its direction and the Hitman IP. Yeap, you read that right; IO Interactive will keep all of the rights to the Hitman IP.
As Hakan, Studio Head at Io-Interactive, said:
“I am proud to announce today that IOI is now officially an independent studio. We have successfully concluded our negotiations with Square Enix and have agreed to a management buyout. Crucially, we will keep all of the rights to the Hitman IP.
This is a watershed moment for IOI. As of today, we have complete control over the direction for our studio and the Hitman IP – we’re about to forge our own future and it’s incredibly exciting. We are now open to opportunities with future collaborators and partners to help strengthen us as a studio and ensure that we can produce the best games possible for our community.”
Our guess is that IO Interactive will keep working on the second season of Hitman for the time being.
Nevertheless, this is great news for IO Interactive (unless of course it does not come up with a great game that publishers will be willing to support; an issue that most independent studios currently face)!
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I wonder why they bothered. Sure, there are upsides but were SE that much of an impediment. Let’s hope they don’t get sloppy.
SE didn’t want them and were trying to sell them off.
And here I though that Hitman sold well?
Technically the first episode sold well enough (the subsequent ones sold average, I think), but SE being SE of course wasn’t satisfied by it, & since they were the ones who forced the ridiculous episodic bullsh*t onto Hitman in the first place, they had to turn them into scapegoats by blaming it all on the developers, etc.
So, yeah, it was either this, or shelving Hitman indefinitely in much the same way as Deus Ex, Thief, etc. before it.
“This is a watershed moment for IOI’ wow lol wow WFT is that
Congratulations IO. You’re a talented studio that’s spend far too long under the thumb of corporate meddling and interference. Can’t wait to see where you take your fans next.
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You think, you think the fans could fund them? It could work.
Good, they are free now. Now make a proper offline mode for season 1 and upcoming season 2 without online bulls**t restrictions and DRM then we talk, other than that you are as s**t as your Ex-Publisher.
Also less grindy unlocks and turn elusive targets into proper challenge missions that don’t disappear.
This.
“We are no longer being fracked! We’re looking for new partners…..” WTF?
They need funding.
They own Hitman IP, in the digital age, in a time where they could get crowdfunding to do whatever they want…..
crowdfunding doesnt normally give you nearly as much as a publisher does
“Normally” being the operative word here. Double Fine and Devolver Digital are growing a lot and they started like that. And this is a Hitman game. They would get what they would ask for in less than a day.
Agreed…but if they plan to maybe design a good business model on their own terms with customer in mind, they could still make it work.
Very much gooder.
Congrats
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Sony will buy them out.
Ew. F*ck that.
is ms better? or ea?
How about nobody? How about they just stay independent & do good sh*t without being wh*red out to some f*cknugget that’ll force them to make Hitman: Absolution 2 because they think that’s what’ll net them the most profits?
Like, sure, there’s a chance this was an improvised decision, absolutely, but I doubt it, which means they most likely have a plan for what to do next – at least in part, if not entirely.
Besides, Square Enix was trying to sell them off for months & nothing happened, what makes you think Scamy, Microsh*ts or Electronic *sscancer is suddenly interested in buying them out now?
Exactly and seeing a developer themselves ruin something is much much more tolerable at this point rather than big companies
Exactly. Especially since in that case there’s no confusion as to whom to blame, unless some rumour emerges that the publisher was putting heavy pressures on the studio, like ZeniMax & Human Head, which resulted in the project getting sh*tcanned because the publisher ended up throwing a tantrum over the f*cking thing.
don’t be surprised if they end up with Deep Silver or THQ Nordic haha.
Good. This is good. Now big paws Square won’t fk up the Hitman franchise.
Nice, ndependant studio and starting with one of popular franchise… Tired of studios that only care about money. I wish them luck. 🙂
Fantastic news!
I’d like to see a sort of Gathering of Developers consortium formed by IOI, Remedy and Warhorse. Throw in Obsidian too.
Called The Consortium? ;D
OMG Please go back to making good Hitman games now :’)
Fantastic. All devs should go this route.
Not a fan, but it’s always nice when a studio gets free and manages to do so with the rights to their creations. Good for them.
this sounds good but how they get the money ?