What are Activision's "own plans" for the Sierra IPs?

[Anakin Skywalker]

Apparently, many people--such as Ken Allen, for one example--have approached Activision about the Sierra IPs, only to be told that Activision has "their own plans" for them.

What do you think these plans are? What do you think Activision's plans for the IPs are?

My theory: Let the various series collect dust outside of making quick money by re-releasing them via GOG. Deny the licenses to any future interested parties or accept only outlandish amounts of money to license or sell the series, with the end goal of the series never having any sort of revival(s).

[Blackthorne519]

Hahaha. Yes. I'm sure that's exactly their plans. I'm sure someone deep in Activision HQ remembers the time that King's Quest took them out to dinner, bought them drinks, and then gently took them in a carnal way - and never called again. This is their revenge.


Bt

[Anakin Skywalker]

Originally Posted by Blackthorne519

Hahaha. Yes. I'm sure that's exactly their plans. I'm sure someone deep in Activision HQ remembers the time that King's Quest took them out to dinner, bought them drinks, and then gently took them in a carnal way - and never called again. This is their revenge.


Bt

Alternative plans:

-Farm out the development to a third party who has never even played a classic Sierra game and who has no clue what said games are all about. Instruct developers that resulting product must be either an action game, shooer or RPG, and have almost no connection to the original series, be it in content or game play style.

-Develop a new KQ or SQ or QFG game internally, and have it turn out to have less to do with the original games than Mask of Eternity did.

-Farm out the classic Sierra series to a company made up largely of Sierra's former rivals, people who generally looked down upon Sierra's games....Oh wait.

[BagginsKQ]

licenses to any future interested parties or accept only outlandish amounts of money to license or sell the series

Did Telltale originally offer Activision all kinds of outlandish money to use the Sierra ips?

Originally Posted by Anakin Skywalker

Alternative plans:

-Farm out the development to a third party who has never even played a classic Sierra game and who has no clue what said games are all about. Instruct developers that resulting product must be either an action game, shooer or RPG, and have almost no connection to the original series, be it in content or game play style.

-Develop a new KQ or SQ or QFG game internally, and have it turn out to have less to do with the original games than Mask of Eternity did.

-Farm out the classic Sierra series to a company made up largely of Sierra's former rivals, people who generally looked down upon Sierra's games....Oh wait.

Ok, 2 was attempted by Vivendi (and may have had bits of 1 as the idea, zelda style cutesy action game?).

1 may have occured under Activision and Silicon Knights. No one knows for sure.

3. Depends on who you talk to, about Telltale. There are alot of rumors, opinions, gossip, and accusations, and few verified facts. But not everyone connected to Telltale is necessarily the same. Alot of 'words put into mouths' has occured.

[exo]

Activision has no plans... but when a troll like Paul Trowe shows up, you say anything you can to get him to go away.

[BagginsKQ]

Anyone play The Bard's Tale? The Trow/e in that game and their songs were hilarious!

"You are pretty much a fraud, and for that we do applaud!"

[MtnPeak]

Originally Posted by Anakin Skywalker

Alternative plans:
-Farm out the classic Sierra series to a company made up largely of Sierra's former rivals, people who generally looked down upon Sierra's games....Oh wait.

Hehe.

Anyway, I doubt there are any long-term plans that are set in stone. I am sure they are periodically reviewing the lay of the land and reevaluating their adventure game IP's. A lot will depend on how Larry HD, Double Fine Adventure and Space Venture, etc. sell.

My prediction: Activision will publish a new Gabriel Knight HD game (likely already well into production) by Jane Jensen this year. Telltale will have no involvement in this. What happens after that could depend a lot on how well it and Mobius sell.

Activision is probably in wait-and-see mode. Kickstarter funding successes and the huge success of The Walking Dead might be causing them to take another look at more story and puzzle-based games. The outlook and potential for these games seems different than it did two years ago.

[corruptbiggins]

One thing you can pretty much guarantee Activision won't do is any of the hard work themselves.