Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Company News Herve Caen finally packs it in - Interplay IPs to be sold off

Infinitron

I post news
Staff Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
97,229
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
Tags: Eric Caen; Interplay

The shambling corpse of Interplay may finally be about to find its grave. The writing has been on the wall for the company that gave us Fallout and Planescape: Torment ever since they lost their license to sell the original Fallout trilogy, which was probably their main source of income during all these years. Yesterday, in a press release on NASDAQ's GlobeNewswire service, Interplay announced that they were selling off all of their remaining intellectual properties. The Caen brothers' fifteen year strip-mining adventure is finally at an end. Here's the announcement:

Interplay Announces Sale of Significant IP Portfolio, Wedbush Securities as Strategic Advisor

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 7, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading video game software developer, publisher, and licensor, Interplay Entertainment Corp., today announced a process to sell its library of video game assets and intellectual property. The expected sale represents some 70 titles and dozens of characters.

"Interplay has entertained millions of players with its well-recognized games, including Earthworm Jim, Freespace, Giants, Kingpin, Messiah, MDK, Run Like Hell, Sacrifice, Battlechess, Clayfighter, Dark Alliance, and Descent. As game creators, we are proud of the entertainment these properties have provided over the years. With the proliferation of mobile, augmented reality, virtual reality and other new forms of consumption, we believe that consumers are ready to experience and interact with Interplay's characters, stories and game play in ways never possible before. We look forward to seeing how this unique portfolio of interactive entertainment icons will evolve for the worldwide audience," states Eric Caen, President of Interplay.

For more information about Interplay's sale of intellectual property, please contact Joe Morgan at Wedbush Securities (joe.morgan@wedbush.com), who has been engaged by the company to assist in this process.​

So what does this mean for RPGs? Not much, unless you're really excited about the idea of a Stonekeep sequel. Still, it's a long overdue finale for the company that revitalized the genre in the late 90s, and it'll be interesting (and possibly horrifying) to see what happens to these IPs that have been in the freezer for so many years. We do know Brian Fargo is a huge fan of Sacrifice. I wonder if they'll take the truly final step of selling off the Interplay brand name too...
 

Paul_cz

Arcane
Joined
Jan 26, 2014
Messages
1,996
There would be some nice poetic justice if Fargo bought Interplay name and renamed inXile back to Interplay.

Fucking herve.
 

Starwars

Arcane
Joined
Jan 31, 2007
Messages
2,829
Location
Sweden
There aren't many public people in gaming that I genuinely hate but Herve Caen is one of them.

Fucking sleazebag.
 

m_s0

Arcane
Joined
Jun 18, 2009
Messages
1,289
There would be some nice poetic justice if Fargo bought Interplay name and renamed inXile back to Interplay.

Fucking herve.
I don't think Interplay is something you want to brand yourself as these days, not to mention pay for the brand.
 

oldmanpaco

Master of Siestas
Joined
Nov 8, 2008
Messages
13,609
Location
Winter
Freespace was good. Remember a mission in the 1st or second game when the fleet was escaping through a jumpgate or something and I was dicking around until the admiral started broadcasting this message thanking everyone they were leaving behind for their sacrifice. Had to afterburn my way to the gate and just made it as he finished his speech. Good times.

Also I'd pay $9.99 for a new battlechess game. Maybe.
 
Weasel
Joined
Dec 14, 2012
Messages
1,865,661
:hero:
herve.gif
 

MRY

Wormwood Studios
Developer
Joined
Aug 15, 2012
Messages
5,703
Location
California
Freespace was good. Remember a mission in the 1st or second game when the fleet was escaping through a jumpgate or something and I was dicking around until the admiral started broadcasting this message thanking everyone they were leaving behind for their sacrifice. Had to afterburn my way to the gate and just made it as he finished his speech. Good times.

Also I'd pay $9.99 for a new battlechess game. Maybe.
Freespace, especially Freespace 2, is amazing, but the IP really isn't that valuable except for Kickstarter brand-awareness, and you could always just call it the "spiritual successor to Freespace" and achieve the same result. The game's greatness lay in its engine, its art direction, its mission design, and (to some degree) its writing/delivery. All of these things could be replicated in another IP. Freespace's lore is pretty goofy and generic and easy to replicate.

As I understand it, the real problem with Freespace 2 is that it was just so good that there wasn't anywhere for future games in that genre to go to improve upon it.
 
Last edited:

oldmanpaco

Master of Siestas
Joined
Nov 8, 2008
Messages
13,609
Location
Winter

Hah no.

Freespace, especially Freespace 2, is amazing, But the IP really isn't that valuable except for Kickstarter brand-awareness, and you could always jsut call it the "spiritual successor to Freespace" and achieve the same result. The game's greatness lay in its engine, its mission design, and (to some degree) its writing/delivery. All of these things could be replicated in another IP. Freespace's lore is pretty goofy and generic and easy to replicate.

As I understand it, the real problem with Freespace 2 is that it was just so good that there wasn't anywhere for future games in that genre to go to improve upon it.

Yeah I guess the IP was generic but the game has always stuck with me.
 

Infinitron

I post news
Staff Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
97,229
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
What has Herve been up to, anyway? Let's find out: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hervé-caen-8a2721a

AAEAAQAAAAAAAAKjAAAAJGQwMWM5ZjM1LTYxZGYtNGQ3Ni04ZGQ2LTQ0NWE1ZDM2YWU4Nw.jpg


Co Founder
Company Pasta
December 2014 – Present (1 year 10 months)Greater Los Angeles Area

Company Pasta is a creator and developer of culinary concepts. We strive to provide smart and affordable food for diners of all ages. Our first business launched in 2016 – Z Pastabar

:salute: He's found his inner Frenchman. This is how things should be.
 

Don Peste

Arcane
Joined
Sep 15, 2008
Messages
4,277
Location
||☆||
I asked Joe Morgan. He is very nice. You would love :lol: to see the pdf he sent me. Would Herve blacklist us if I leak it here?
 
Self-Ejected

Bubbles

I'm forever blowing
Joined
Aug 7, 2013
Messages
7,817
Let's snatch up Clayfighter and flip it to Fargo at a 5,000% markup when he's in one of his nostalgic moods.
 

DramaticPopcorn

Guest
I asked Joe Morgan. He is very nice. You would love :lol: to see the pdf he sent me. Would Herve blacklist us if I leak it here?
Low effort bait or scream for attention?! YOU DECIDE!

Either actually do it or fuck off, rather than being ambiguous you piece of shit.
 

Metro

Arcane
Beg Auditor
Joined
Aug 27, 2009
Messages
27,792
Fargo might grab some of his old stuff to add some 'casual' titles to the In-Xile corral.
 
Unwanted

Illuvatard

Unwanted
Joined
Sep 5, 2016
Messages
226
If only I had millions to burn and could buy the Interplay name and IPsand become the next Herve Caan except competent :bounce:
 

Don Peste

Arcane
Joined
Sep 15, 2008
Messages
4,277
Location
||☆||
I asked Joe Morgan. He is very nice. You would love :lol: to see the pdf he sent me. Would Herve blacklist us if I leak it here?
Low effort bait or scream for attention?! YOU DECIDE!

Either actually do it or fuck off, rather than being ambiguous you piece of shit.
No, no, I would never do that to you. I'm Good Guy Don Peste!

Eric Caen said "ask Joe Morgan". Why no one did?
Well, the thing is they're auctioning their entire portfolio. So, either someone buys everything (Notch? Brian Fargo's ex-wife?) or... there's no sale? I guess if no one buys it all they'll end up selling individually.

About the pdf, it's an internal power point presentation. But it has this mark, so I guess I should ask first if I can share it:

rlrI4en.jpg



This is a very good one, because it's actually on the sale. And on the lowest tier. :lol:
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom