Sega partners with Silicon Knights

[Andy]

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SEGA PARTNERS WITH SILICON KNIGHTS TO
CREATE NEXT GENERATION CONTENT

Acquisitions of Western Content Prime SEGA for Growth

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON (March 23, 2005) – SEGA of America, Inc. and SEGA, Europe Ltd. today announced an agreement to acquire and publish next-generation game content from Silicon Knights, the Ontario, Canada-based development team responsible for such hits as Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, and Eternal Darkness. The partnership brings SEGA more Western-developed content in preparation for high-growth opportunities presented by next-generation hardware platforms.

Under the terms of the worldwide exclusive deal, SEGA and Silicon Knights will collaborate on creating a new franchise for next generation console systems. This agreement, along with recent partnerships with publisher, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (project: The Matrix Online); developer, Monolith Productions (project: Condemned); and the acquisition of esteemed developer, The Creative Assembly (project: Spartan: Total Warrior) continues to highlight SEGA’s emphasis on the Western market.

“We intend to establish SEGA as a leading publisher on the next generation of game hardware and only the highest possible quality of Western-developed content will get us there,” said Simon Jeffery, President and COO, SEGA of America. “Silicon Knights has a rich history of developing great games that push hardware technology, so we expect this relationship will result in a powerful, new, and highly commercial franchise.”

“Silicon Knights believes that the next generation systems will be the catalyst propelling video games as the dominant form of entertainment in this century,” said Denis Dyack, President of Silicon Knights. “We are very excited to collaborate with SEGA on a next generation project because we share a vision – to take the medium of games to new heights and move people as never before.”
SEGA will manage all marketing and distribution activities and work in hand with Silicon Knights to supervise ongoing game development. Both companies have decided not to release product, platform, or release details at this time.

I fucking knew this was going to happen. I don't know how, but I saw it coming, perhaps if only as God's way of smiting me for hating on Eternal Darkness. Anyway, though I did think Eternal Darkness had some horribly shitty design/gameplay problems, I absolutely loved the presentation, and I'm one of the few that really enjoyed Twin Snakes, too. So never the less, go Sega. Sega is making some very good decisions of late.

[NeoZeedeater]

Meh, they're just going to create another average game like Eternal Darkness. Honestly, if ED was on PS2 no one would have cared about it.

[Drewbacca]

Meh, they're just going to create another average game like Eternal Darkness. Honestly, if ED was on PS2 no one would have cared about it.

It didn't really play very well, and once the gimmick of insanity effects wore thin it seemed kind of bland. Sega's really gung-ho about capturing the western market once again, which is a smart idea. I'm not sure if they can do it, but atleast they're trying.

Did Silicon Knights even have a game in production after Twin Snakes?

[Andy]

Too Human, perhaps.

[Kev]

I really wish Sega would go ahead and buy Treasure already.

[Chux]

Yeah, because they're doing about as much as Silicon Knights lately....

[g0zen]

What the hell is with all this Eternal Darkness hate? That game has possibly one of the best stories of this console generation.

Anyway, this is a terrible decision on the part of Silicon Knights. It's like having a dead arm sewed onto your chest, it won't do anything for you and eventually you'll get an infection from it and die.

[Giga Power]

Yeah really. I was just thinking to myself-

"Whoa. Never seen anyone hate on Eternal Darkness before."

Bloody hell.

[frostwolf ex]

What the hell is with all this Eternal Darkness hate? That game has possibly one of the best stories of this console generation.

.

we dont agree much, but when we do, we do. ed had hands down the most well crafted story out there in survival horror, the only complaint i can think could be fairly lobbed at it was that in having actual working, responsive controls, some tension was lost, but beyind that some people here are nuts, ED was a majorly underrated game.

[elfneedsfood]

ed had hands down the most well crafted story out there in survival horror, the only complaint i can think could be fairly lobbed at it was that in having actual working, responsive controls, some tension was lost, but beyind that some people here are nuts, ED was a majorly underrated game.

I agree. ED was awesome.