Joke aside, they don’t talk about the Hitman IP as if they only have a temporary licence on it. Maybe it’s a definitive thing. If the deal comes to an end, how they will sell the game in 10 years ?
I think the situation is more complicated than that. They probably can use the license forever but have to send royalties to SE as well. The deal can be this.
Royalties are payments to owners of property for use of that property. Royalties often deal with payments for the right to use intellectual property (IP), such as copyrights, patents, and trademarks.
I’D lie to say I didnt saw this comming, after what they did with Hitman WoA, what could you do in Hitman “4”? Same gameplay again, but another ttiplle story? Hitman games always changed shape, there is no game like another, they all feel and play different, some more than others. Id be happy to see IOI have not only Bond, but also give a try on Freedom Fighters again, or K&L, or another completely different IP. IOI, just dont forgett where you came from, like many other studios do these days.
Please. Just dont. Thats all I can ask for as a fan that so far enjoyed almost all the games you made.
Ok, but I don’t think it’s because of a licensing thing that they’re taking a long break from Hitman, it’s just that they want to be known for other things. As GameInformer mentioned, they said 'We want to be known for more than Hitman", “We still want to be known as the Hitman Studio but also the 007 Studio”
It’s a business contract. Much like KitKat. KitKat is wholly owned by Nestle, and all over the world Nestle makes KitKat. A LONG LONG TIME AGO, before anyone realised companies would become global and things would happen like BMWs being made in Texas, Nestle sold the rights to make KitKats in the USA to Hershey. Hershey makes the bars and sells them and Nestle gets a percentage of every bar sold. << this one is a forever deal but Hitman might be for a few years or forever or who knows.