Silicon Knights ends Nintendo exclusivity deal

[Ruined]

We may now see Silicon Knights games on XBOX/PS2 now in addition to GC...

***

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/04...s_6093427.html

Silicon Knights ends Nintendo exclusivity deal

Twin Snakes studio now free to develop games for other platforms.
Today, Silicon Knights President and Founder Denis Dyack surprised the game industry by revealing that his company has ended its exclusivity deal with Nintendo.

For the past four years, the Canadian studio had an agreement to develop games solely for the Japanese giant's GameCube console. The deal produced two acclaimed titles--the 2002 horror adventure Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (this year's Metal Gear Solid remake).

Now, it appears that the honeymoon is over. "We decided it was best to go our own separate ways," Dyack told GameSpot. While he classified the deal as "contractually over," the Silicon Knights founder wouldn't go into the reasons for the deal's demise. "We're not disclosing them," he said.

While the news had some GameCubers panicking another developer's abandonment of the Nintendo console, Dyack did leave the door open for future collaborations with Nintendo. "The relationship is still good--very positive," he said.

Nintendo echoed that polite sentiment in a statement to GameSpot. "Nintendo respects the creative work of Silicon Knights, and the parties have left the door open to work on future projects that meet the creative vision of both companies," said a company representative. "[We] have reached an agreement to allow Silicon Knights to pursue its vision of video game entertainment with other companies."

As for Silicon Knights' next project, Dyack would not say whether it would be for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, or Xbox--or a combination of the three. "It's not clear what direction we're going in," he said. There was also no comment as to whether or not Silicon Knights would resurrect Too Human, the PlayStation title it abandoned in late 1999. Dyack has previously made public his hopes of resurrecting the ambitious sci-fi RPG, which was far along in development, for a current-generation console.

[IKEA_boy]

I wonder what's going to happen to the oft-delayed, rarely discussed Too Human.

Originally Posted by Ruined

the 2002 horror adventure Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem

At least they got the genre right. :p

[Reaver]

Wow... and the ship's supply of rats continues to diminish...

[Engineer_J]

Originally Posted by Reaver

Wow... and the ship's supply of rats continues to diminish...

I know I was surpised to hear about this, I hope we find out more in the future. It may be a situation much like Microsoft cutting off support of Tork, Oddworld, and Psychonauts develepers. If the games don't sell as expected you can only drop so much money in them.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by Engineer_J

If the games don't sell as expected you can only drop so much money in them.

I thought Eternal Darkness was a huge hit?

Originally Posted by Engineer_J

Microsoft

And of course, the obligatory reference to Microsoft.

[Engineer_J]

You sure are obessed about this Nintendo/Microsoft thing, I was just saying the situation might be similar.

[downhuman]

Actually, (believe it or not) this doesn't surprise me. I've never understood exclusivity agreements anyway. Kinda limiting for the developer no matter what platform it's for. It's sad, but still four years is a pretty good run. I don't think this will hurt Nintendo any worse than when it's happened to any other platform.

[Reaver]

Originally Posted by Engineer_J

I know I was surpised to hear about this, I hope we find out more in the future. It may be a situation much like Microsoft cutting off support of Tork, Oddworld, and Psychonauts develepers. If the games don't sell as expected you can only drop so much money in them.

Could be. Has Twin Snakes just not performed like they expected it to?

[Engineer_J]

Heard that SK was not too happy about having to do a remake.

Of course there are rumors that this is some kind of "sanity" effect before E3, but that is pretty stupid if you ask me.

[whedon]

Originally Posted by Engineer_J

Heard that SK was not too happy about having to do a remake.

Dennis Dyack jumped at the chance at developing a revision of MGS TTS, when Miyamoto and Kojima offered the oppurtunity! He sounded very very happy.

Originally Posted by Enjineer_J

Of course there are rumors that this is some kind of "sanity" effect before E3, but that is pretty stupid if you ask me.

Some things about this news doesn't add up completely and an elaborate marketing scheme using SK's insanity effect for public consumption before a cool announcement at E3 is my favourite rumour as to the reasons of the percieved break. I think it's quite funny if true. The power of the written word...

[Engineer_J]

Some things about this news doesn't add up completely and an elaborate marketing scheme using SK's insanity effect for public consumption before a cool announcement at E3 is my favourite rumour as to the reasons of the percieved break. I think it's quite funny if true. The power of the written word...

Well it would be funny, and it would certainly point out the difference to the way the media points out things on the Gamecube in a negative light ie. "Silcon Knights quits Nintendo" vs "Microsoft gets rid of Stranger, XSN, Pysconauts", I mean you can spin anything how you want it. I don't know if it is MS being better about releasing press faster then Nintendo of writers twisting the story that way.

[Reaver]

Originally Posted by Engineer_J

Well it would be funny, and it would certainly point out the difference to the way the media points out things on the Gamecube in a negative light ie. "Silcon Knights quits Nintendo" vs "Microsoft gets rid of Stranger, XSN, Pysconauts", I mean you can spin anything how you want it. I don't know if it is MS being better about releasing press faster then Nintendo of writers twisting the story that way.

Well, but to be fair, it wasn't DoubleFine that was looking to leave, was it? Or Oddworld Inhabitants? As opposed to Silicon Knights? I'm not sure, as I rarely read these things. I only bring it up as a poit of discussion.

[Engineer_J]

Originally Posted by Reaver

Well, but to be fair, it wasn't DoubleFine that was looking to leave, was it? Or Oddworld Inhabitants? As opposed to Silicon Knights? I'm not sure, as I rarely read these things. I only bring it up as a poit of discussion.

Well I imagine in both situations it came down to changes & money, while Double Fine needs a publisher so it was more likely a MS decision, Oddworld will get published so it was mutuall or a Oddworld Inhabitants decision.

Originally Posted by IKEA_boy

I wonder what's going to happen to the oft-delayed, rarely discussed Too Human.

Exclusive! Too Human will release at the same time as Duke Nukem Forever!

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by Reaver

Well, but to be fair, it wasn't DoubleFine that was looking to leave, was it?

Correct, Microsoft decided not to publish the game.

Or Oddworld Inhabitants?

And once again Microsoft decided not to renew their exclusivity contract.

As you pointed out, this is different than developers choosing not to publish exclusively for a platform anymore. In the former cases, Microsoft is the one pulling out, in the latter case it is the developer. It's a quite faulty analogy, probably brought up in an attempt to derail the thread in semantics talk

Back on topic, what SK games do you guys think are going to be multi?

[Engineer_J]

Originally Posted by Ruined

Correct, Microsoft decided not to publish the game.



And once again Microsoft decided not to renew their exclusivity contract.

As you pointed out, this is different than developers choosing not to publish exclusively for a platform anymore. In the former cases, Microsoft is the one pulling out, in the latter case it is the developer. It's a quite faulty analogy, probably brought up in an attempt to derail the thread in semantics talk

Back on topic, what SK games do you guys think are going to be multi?

Well Nintendo owned about 30% of SK, so if SK is not exclusive anymore it is because Nintnedo let them not be exlusive anymore from what I understand about ownership. In the end all three examples come down to money disagreements, nothing more, nothing less

Personally I still think it is a hoax.

[IKEA_boy]

Originally Posted by Ruined

Back on topic, what SK games do you guys think are going to be multi?

Dark Legions!

Seriously, what games are there? Eternal Darkness and Metal Gear Solid: TS. I'm not sure about the rights on Eternal Darkness but I highly doubt anyone would port that game to another system. MGS is definitely not going anywhere given the hand both Nintendo and Konami played in getting it made.

And to fuel the hoax rumors. Their website still has a huge Nintendo logo on the front page. Remember when Rare was bought my Microsoft? Rare's site dropped any Nintendo reference the moment it happened.

[Engineer_J]

Also, SK never said they would not produce on the GC.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by Engineer_J

Personally I still think it is a hoax.

If it is a hoax, its the stupidest PR move ever executed in history. With the reality of numerous devs ceasing or scaling publishment for Gamecube and its dearth of E3 titles compared to the competition, the last thing Nintendo needs is yet another dev seemingly jumping ship. Any "shock" factor of the announcement of it being a hoax would be overshadowed when its realized that all the other companies really aren't joking around in cutting back their Gamecube support, and the "joke" would be on Nintendo in the end.

[Engineer_J]

Originally Posted by Ruined

If it is a hoax, its the stupidest PR move ever executed in history. With the reality of numerous devs ceasing or scaling publishment for Gamecube and its dearth of E3 titles compared to the competition, the last thing Nintendo needs is yet another dev seemingly jumping ship. Any "shock" factor of the announcement of it being a hoax would be overshadowed when its realized that all the other companies really aren't joking around in cutting back their Gamecube support, and the "joke" would be on Nintendo in the end.

well you know what they say, any publicity (bad/good) is better then no publicity, people would remember this for a long time, might help boost sales on the next game.

[Enzian]

Erm. I disagree.

Ay - I don't think Nintendo works with shock advertising and stealth media.

Bee - Who reads these press releases? Guys like us are NOT Nintendo's bread-and-butter.

See - To try to get any positive effects from such a press release is dumb!!