Warner Bros. “Looking at” Licensing Out IPs to Other Game Studios

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As a seasoned gaming enthusiast with decades of experience under my belt, I can’t help but feel a mix of anticipation and intrigue as Warner Bros. contemplates outsourcing its IPs for game development. Having witnessed the rollercoaster ride that is the video game industry, I’ve seen both triumphs and tragedies unfold.

It’s common knowledge that creating video games is a costly endeavor with significant financial rewards, but there’s no certainty of making back the investment, let alone earning a large profit. The journey from concept to market launch can take years. Warner Bros., having experienced both the triumph of Hogwarts Legacy in 2023 and the disappointment of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League in 2024, is considering alternative strategies. During their Q2 earnings call (as reported by IGN), the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, discussed the potential for leasing out WB intellectual properties to other studios, in addition to developing games internally.

Zaslav stated that having control over all our intellectual property (IP) offers a strategic edge as the entertainment landscape evolves. Traditionally, one would release a movie or TV series followed by a game. However, Hogwarts Legacy’s success as the top-selling game of last year demonstrates this trend shifting towards immersing audiences in a world they can interact with, like Harry Potter’s universe. This is an essential direction for the industry, allowing us to create movies (such as Batman or Superman) and possibly TV shows, but also offering an opportunity to experience these worlds and engage with characters, which we own. We have 11 studios and a wealth of IP at our disposal, and there’s growing interest from others to leverage this for gaming, something we are actively considering.

Warner Bros. allows other companies to create games based on some of its intellectual properties (IPs), such as Looney Tunes and DC Comics. This autumn will see the launch of “Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports,” developed by GameMill Entertainment, and there have been several DC games that follow a similar path, like “Justice League: Cosmic Chaos” and “DC Superhero Girls.” These games are generally designed for younger audiences, and so far, we haven’t seen any AAA-style games based on WB franchises outside of those published by Warner Bros. Games itself.

While Zaslav’s remarks imply this is a potential direction, we’ll have to wait and see if Warner Bros. follows Disney’s model with IPs such as Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and Marvel. Notably, Disney collaborates extensively with gaming giants like PlayStation, Nintendo, Xbox, and Square Enix. Despite some setbacks, like Marvel’s Avengers, the financial risk is lower when they partner rather than create games in-house. The future remains uncertain, but it could mean an increase in DC character-based games, which would undoubtedly be beneficial.

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2024-08-08 22:11