Topic: Interplay sells D&D IP's to Atari - Update: Atari to bring back BG and NWN

[MysterD]

Interplay has sold off the rest of their D&D IP's over to Atari.

So, I'm thinking that must be these IP's Interplay had -- Icewind Dale, Planescape, and Baldur's Gate.
Hmmmm...Did I miss any?

Interplay and Atari settle dispute over D&D game rights
Posted Aug 7th 2008 11:00AM by John Callaham
Filed under: Biz

Interplay continues to stay afloat even though the once huge publisher hasn't released a game since 2004. Indeed, the company's only major source of revenue since that time was selling their Fallout game rights to Bethesda Softworks (while retaining the rights to make a proposed Fallout MMO). Late last month, in a notice filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Interplay revealed that it has settled a long standing dispute with another financially troubled publisher Atari.

Under the terms of the agreement, Atari has agreed to purchase all rights that Interplay had on licensing games based on the Dungeons and Dragons franchise (One of Interplay's most popular games in the 1990s was the D&D themed RPG Baldur's Gate, developed by BioWare). In return, a previous agreement by Interplay to pay a promissory note of $1, 050,000 to Atari was cancelled.

Tags: atari, dungeons-and-dragons, interplay

[Quemaqua]

Seems like Interplay came out ahead on this one.  D&D isn't what it once was, and if they can get enough cabbage to do something cool (maybe even that Fallout MMO, which is an idea with potential if nothing else), maybe they'll end up back on their feet.  I don't see how rights to some D&D stuff is going to save Atari's sinking ship, though.

[MysterD]

Seems like Interplay came out ahead on this one.  D&D isn't what it once was, and if they can get enough cabbage to do something cool (maybe even that Fallout MMO, which is an idea with potential if nothing else), maybe they'll end up back on their feet.  I don't see how rights to some D&D stuff is going to save Atari's sinking ship, though.

Interplay has for a long time been doing nothing with the IP's, so yeah -- they might as well get some money from them and get rid of them.

About Atari, they already have most of the D&D Stuff secured already and still have D&D games that they publish, so it makes sense for Atari to get them.

Hmmmm....maybe this will cause Atari have Obsidian (loaded with a lot of ex-BIS guys there) make an official Icewind Dale III (in full 3D)? Maybe Atari will have Ossian Studios (some of those guys such as Alan Miranda worked for Bioware once), who are working on that NWN2: Mysteries of Westgate Adventure Pack work on a new D&D game?  Hell, I dunno...But, I wouldn't be surprised if something like that is up Atari's sleeve.

You're right -- I don't think D&D will save Atari, though. Sure, it'll help a bit, yes -- but it definitely won't save them; especially when they're using crap-tastic protection for games like Securom Internet Protection (with revokes) for AITD 2008. That is just asking for weaker sales...

Yeah, D&D ain't what it once was. On the PC, back in the late 90's, that was where PC-RPG's were at. Infinity Engine games (Icewind Dale series, BG series, PST) and Fallout series pretty much ruled PC-RPG's. Now, RPG market on the PC is a hell of a lot bigger than what it was; and a lot of the newer games are using original IP's, too.

EDIT:
Some corrections. It was JE Sawyer of Interplay worked on BG3 (aka Jefferson), back when he was at Interplay. If you recall, he was working on a mod for NWN2: The Black Hound. This mod was to be a remake of Interplay's BG3 (Jefferson). Y'know, I wouldn't be surprised if Atari picked up the D&D Licenses from Interplay, which probably did include BG, and asked Obsidian to turn this mod into a full fledged BG3.

As for Alan Miranda of Ossian, he worked once with Bioware.

[idolminds]

It doesnt say Interplay sold their IPs, the sold their rights to make future D&D games. I'd bet Interplay still holds the rights to the games you mentioned.

Though I'm kind of interested in seeing games using the new 4E D&D rules. They seem streamlines and took some inspiration from computer RPGs, so retranslating them back into an actual game will be interesting.

[MysterD]

Atari plans to bring back D&D Franchises, but not in 2009. Expect those ones in years to come.
Specifically of the D&D Stuff, they're aiming at bringing back the Baldur's Gate and NWN Franchises.