Licence ambush scares off new IP

UK studio Bizarre Creations has warned that new IPs might suffer in the run-up to Christmas.

The firm behind upcoming Bond game 007: Blood Stone believes recognisable names and licences are the only way to stand out against heavy hitters such as Call of Duty, Medal of Honor and Assassin’s Creed.

If I were working on another game, or if I were releasing a new IP, I would be worried,” Bizarre’s level designer Peter Collier told MCV.

But because Bond has such a broad appeal and such an aspirational feel about it, fans are certain to buy it.

We may miss out on the hardcore consumers that will go for Black Ops, but that’s a smaller percentage of the broad audience who like Bond.”

There is a string of big licences coming to market before Christmas, including Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, Glee and The X Factor.

Namco Bandai’s Enslaved and Sega’s Vanquish are the only major new IPs due out this year.

The Bond franchise is particularly powerful this Q4 thanks to a duo of releases in November. Blood Stone is set to arrive on shelves shortly after Eurocom’s fellow Bond game GoldenEye, which arrives on November 5th.

Fans are getting a double whammy with these games,” he said.

They have been designed to complement each other so GoldenEye’s success is our success. I hope both games sell well, as I’m sure Eurocom does.”