Universal looks to finance more games development projects

Universal Studios plans to directly fund more games development projects after last week announcing it had signed up Bionic Commando developer GRIN last week to produce an adaptation of blockbuster movie Wanted.

The game is Universal’s first totally-financed video game – but it won’t be the last; the Hollywood studio has outlined its ‘hybrid’ games strategy which looks to exploit better relationships with game studios and publishers.

At E3 last week the studio announced that it had signed GRIN to produce the game ‘sequel’ to Wanted and had also chosen Hollywood contemporary Warner Bros Interactive to publish the game.

Now Universal plans to turn its other TV and film properties into games as part of a plan to ‘selectively finance games while still licensing out the majority of its titles’, Variety reports.

Universal’s digital platforms group VP Bill Kispert said that the move to directly work with game developers and fund new projects was attractive as for key games it cut out the negotiations with publishers.

"We’re now running a hybrid model where we can license titles where that makes sense or kick off development earlier to put ourselves in a better position for success," he commented.