Kaser Focus: Squared away
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It’s always fun when major news breaks on a weekend, and while I’m asleep no less. I’m not being facetious — it means I get a rush of interesting messages to see when I wake up and take my phone off of Do Not Disturb. In this case, the news worth printing is Embracer Group’s purchase of Square Enix’s Western studios, including Crystal Dynamics and Eidos-Montreal. It effectively bought the offspring of the late Eidos and all of its IP. That includes Tomb Raider, Thief, Deus Ex, and Legacy of Kain.
You know what? I’m not mad about it. If it means there’s a chance we could get a new Thief or a new Deus Ex, then I personally benefit from this acquisition. I doubt Embracer would buy a game franchise with the name recognition of Tomb Raider without the intention to throw money at the new game project. I’ll be happy to get any new game in those franchises, and we already know a new Tomb Raider is on the way. Part of me wonders if the IP was the carrot that brought Embracer into the deal.
Speaking of recognizable franchises, the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake has shifted back to Ubisoft’s Montreal office. It’s a pity to see it out of the hands of the Pune and Mumbai studios — especially since they’d have first-hand knowledge of the game’s location and quasi-historical context. We’ll have to see how far back this sets the development: It’s already been delayed plenty up to now.
In other news, I’ve started working through my backlog now that I’ve finally finished my review of Chinatown Detective Agency. The May release period is a bit slower, so I might as well catch up on games that I haven’t yet played. I still have to
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