Paradox has acquired Harebrained Schemes

[Kev Inkline]

Does this now mean that we'll eventually get a white character DLC for BT?

 

[DexRiwus]

"60 minuscule DLCs for Battletech announced."

 

[Anthedon]

Prepare for hundreds of minor DLC for Battletech that don't address actual issues the game has. And forget about Battletech 2 as long as they can nickel and dime the first game.

 

[GrainWetski]

Prepare for hundreds of minor DLC for Battletech that don't address actual issues the game has. And forget about Battletech 2 as long as they can nickel and dime the first game.

Why would you want a sequel? I'm sure they can add more pronouns for you in the DLC.

 

[unfairlight]

I'd post a video of JC saying "What a shame." because Paradox is a ultra shit publisher but then I remembered that Harebrained Schemes has yet to make very many good games.

 

[Infinitron]

This guy on RPS says: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/20...g-harebrained-schemes-studio/#comment-2649467

Honestly, my biggest concern about this affair is that Microsoft might see this as very solid proof of the FASA computer-game licenses that they’ve been generous with are in fact worth a lot more to them as exclusive IPs, i.e. they decide to wrestle back control in order to make their own BattleTech/Shadowrun titles.

I mean, I love HBS, backed several of their Kickstarters, but does anyone think they’d have gotten to this point where they get purchased by Paradox without having been granted usage of the old FASA licenses? Mind you, last I recall the licenses were granted until 2020, but that was a few years ago so I guess it’s very possible a longer period has already been negotiated.

Time will tell I guess, I just hope it doesn’t lead to a repeat of history.

How does he know that.

I asked him: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/20...g-harebrained-schemes-studio/#comment-2649601

I can’t recall exactly where right at this moment, I think it was an older article discussing the cancellation of the original MechWarrior reboot, you know, the one that was announced on the Unreal Engine 3 before being quietly cancelled, and the interactions between Smith & Tinker (Weisman’s now defunct company that he started in, I believe, 2007) and PGI on that project.

I did find the official source that I’m guessing the article referenced: link to mwomercs.com

“On Nov 8th 2013 PGI and Microsoft finalized negotiations on an extension to PGI’s MechWarrior license. Whereas before our license ran out mid 2015 we are now ensured rights until mid-2018 and also if certain criteria is met will have until mid-2020 to continue to develop MechWarrior products including MWO.”

I’m speculating but I do think it’s reasonable to assume that Microsoft negotiated similar terms and conditions as well as time-frames for the licenses they leased out to HBS.

Either way, the end condition is the same, Microsoft is still the actual owner of the electronic entertainment rights to the IPs, Smith & Tinker, HBS and PGI are all leasing the licenses from Microsoft and I’m fairly sure if Microsoft’s analysts decides that it’d be more profitable to use the IPs to for instance try to generate hype for the Xbox platforms by means of exclusives then I’m sure they won’t hesitate to not negotiate further extensions.

 

[LESS T_T]

Oh right... there was this recent interview, before this announcement, at PDX: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/artic...0-hours-we-probably-shouldnt-be-publishing-it

[...]

And Paradox must be fully engaged with these issues, chief product officer Mattias Lilja pointed out, because individual games with six years' worth of DLC is not a problem it can expect a platform like Steam to solve. Going forward, Paradox will be moving further and further towards experiences very much like Crusader Kings 2, and further away from experiences like Magicka.

"If a game can't be played for 500 hours we probably shouldn't be publishing it - as a general rule," Jorjani said. "But we will still probably publish games with shorter play times, because Rome wasn't built in a day. If you want to make a Skyrim-type experience you can't start making that day one. You need something else first, and then you move on to that."

Of course, there is more than one way to monetise a 500-hour experience, and Paradox is open about looking well beyond premium games and DLC to inform where it goes from here. One suspects that the portion of Paradox's audience that would bristle at the idea of free-to-play would outnumber those who take issue with $300 worth of DLC for one title, but these more open and flexible business models are influential in terms of the company's thinking.

"If I'd gone to Henrik [Fåhraeus, game director of Crusader Kings 2] and said that in 2018 we'd have $300 worth of DLC, he would have slapped me across the face," Jorjani said. "Today I could walk in and say we'll have $30,000 worth of content in six years and people wouldn't smack me. They'd say, 'Hmmm, how are we going to do that?'"

Mattias Lilja added that one of the main reasons that the Paradox portfolio is dominated by "premium plus DLC" is simply "because it works". Indeed, not only is the company looking at other models, "we're not particularly attached to [premium plus DLC] either."

"If we could simultaneously have different ways of paying that would make people happy, we would do that," he said. "But we don't have the data, and we don't know how that would play out... I don't think we have anything particularly against a free-to-play grand strategy game. We just have no idea how that would do."

Upon leaving the room, it was difficult to see past Lilja's comments as the most telling of all. Paradox has spent the last five years moving towards a structure where it has a smaller, more focused catalogue of games, all of which effectively operate as services - only under a financial model more at home in the industry of five years ago. Whether that will always be the case remains to be seen, but Jorjani was clear about where the real growth in the games industry is now happening.

"If we look at the industry as a whole, the premium business model is shrinking, that part of the business is shrinking" Jorjani said, earlier in the conversation. "That doesn't mean that you can't drive or grow [within it] - we can probably do that for many more years - but as whole, our focus as a company is growth, and what's growing is free-to-play.

"We know that our games don't perhaps translate that well to free-to-play, so the interesting thing is where the convergence point is with the hybrid models we've seen; where there is a premium, starting price-point, but there are other ways to charge for content without upsetting everyone. That's the real challenge for the next five to ten years."

 

[Bocian]

With the sole exception of writing in Dragonfall, there is nothing high quality about anything HBS has done.

Point me to that allegedly high quality writing in this game.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

With the sole exception of writing in Dragonfall, there is nothing high quality about anything HBS has done.

Point me to that allegedly high quality writing in this game.

Here you go, my dear chap.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/300550/Shadowrun_Dragonfall__Directors_Cut/

 

[Jason Liang]

the upshot is that Paradox is committed to producing more turn-based tactical battle games. That's pretty exciting, regardless of whether or not they keep the Shadowrun/ Battletech IPs.

vtm tactics
eu tactics
victoria tactics
exalted tactics
conan tactics

it's all great

 

[fantadomat]

Sooo Paradox bought another studio with niche IPs and bad dev team. Seems that they are trying to play with the big boys,wouldn't be surprised if they go loosing money in the next few years.

If i have be conspirational,i would say that tencent is using them as a trojan horse for the western market. Trying to buy shit and expand while not getting the attention of its competition.
I can't see any other value in HBS,no IPs and shit dev team. Anyway,it feels like a match made in heaven,swedish sjws connecting to their sjw brothers from merica.

At least this thread have some funny jokes and jabs.

 

[Cael]

Sooo Paradox bought another studio with niche IPs and bad dev team. Seems that they are trying to play with the big boys,wouldn't be surprised if they go loosing money in the next few years.

If i have be conspirational,i would say that tencent is using them as a trojan horse for the western market. Trying to buy shit and expand while not getting the attention of its competition.
I can't see any other value in HBS,no IPs and shit dev team. Anyway,it feels like a match made in heaven,swedish sjws connecting to their sjw brothers from merica.

At least this thread have some funny jokes and jabs.

I can't think of the technical term for it off-hand, but multinational corporations have been known to acquire operations they know would be loss makers so that they can claim back the loss as tax in a high tax environment while lowering their tax paid in other environments using accounting trickery.

 

[Space Satan]

Crimson Skies. Well, THAT is interesting

 

[Latelistener]

Paradox should stop wasting money and buy Might & Magic from Ubisoft.

 

[Infinitron]

Welcome http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...ter-admits-to-sexual-harassment-fired.122288/

 

[Bladeract]

Every harassment charge is true #listenandbelieve

 

[Ninjerk]

Every harassment charge is true #listenandbelieve

 

[Drakron]

Either way, the end condition is the same, Microsoft is still the actual owner of the electronic entertainment rights to the IPs, Smith & Tinker, HBS and PGI are all leasing the licenses from Microsoft and I’m fairly sure if Microsoft’s analysts decides that it’d be more profitable to use the IPs to for instance try to generate hype for the Xbox platforms by means of exclusives then I’m sure they won’t hesitate to not negotiate further extensions.

Yes but PGI brought Smith & Tinker MechWarrior franchise, this is why there is MechWarrior 5.
Also I have to laugh at that idiocy as MS gone a bang-up job at destroying their studios, the most known one is Rare followed by 343 Industries, if MS takes back the license they would not see a game until the next generation of consoles due to development cycles, they would have to wank the license and that means indeminity payment to affected parties and for what? does anyone think that any of the FASA properties is worth anything outside very niche games? Its not as if MS didnt use the license and none of those games were successful.

I am amazed that in 2018 there are STILL people that think we are in the pre-PlayStation generation and OMG consoles are the future, the fucking XBox have NEVER turned a profit ... and that is THREE generations of consoles, THREE!!!

 

[Werdna's Revenge]

HBS are pretty consistent, and their games are enjoyable if a bit budget. I think Paradox got a good deal at 7.5mil. That's chump change for a studio if HBS can keep the same pace/quality going. Tack on a few extra PDX style DLCs for their games and the purchase will pay for itself pretty quickly. HBS possibly doing Whitewolf right as they are losing the FASA licenses is also intriguing.

 

[Quigs]

JW doesn't exactly have a history of staying with one company for too long. I'd be interested to know how long he's got to stay on for.

 

[Fedora Master]

We're reaching levels of pozz that should not be possible.

 

[Quigs]

80 FASA
87 VWE
95 FASA Interactive
00 WizKids
03 42 Entertainment
07 Smith and Tinker
12 HBS

Da fuck are you on. Weisman founded HBS in 2003.

No.

 

[PanteraNera]

Da fuck are you on. Weisman founded HBS in 2003. Thats ancient.

google is your friend:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harebrained_Schemes
(founded 2011)

 

[LESS T_T]

Paradox VPs talk about the acquisition in their business podcast:



Some tidbits:

- Fredrik Malmberg (founder of Paradox Interactive's former parent company Paradox Entertainment) introduced Jordan to Paradox 2 years ago.

- While they're working on Battletech, both companies talked about Harebrained's long term plans, and Paradox realized the plans are aligning with theirs very well. So the talks led to the discussion about possible acquisition.

- Why Paradox bought Harebrained?: One of the major reasons is that they're good at nurturing IPs, and using and revitalizing existing IPs. The VPs say that Paradox itself is particularly not good at making IPs. All of their best IPs are historical, not necessarily good to expand upon. That was also motive behind the acquisitions of White Wolf and Triumph.

 

[Bohr]

Perhaps sheer force of repetition will make the 'ring on the finger' routine less cringeworthy