14 DAY TRIAL // There's a worldwide recession, and things aren't going very well for the industry, as a whole, or for the gaming business, in particular. We've already seen big companies post losses in profit, like Electronic Arts or Sony, and small studios closing, like Factor 5, but the most recent news, famous Mortal Kombat developer Midway going bankrupt was something very shocking.
Although financial problems were already something usual for the publisher, recent titles like Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, were seen as a life line for the company. Now, Midway is forced to seek refuge from its creditors and pay them off as soon as possible. At the same time, a rumor appeared that the company would sell the rights to the upcoming Wheelman title to French company Ubisoft.
While some analysts believed that such a move was unlikely, Ubisoft has just announced having partnered with Midway only to publish the game and distribute it in certain states and territories like North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Austria, Ireland and the United Kingdom, with Midway handling the distribution to other countries.
Also, the title has recently received a new release date, with gamers getting a chance to drive as Vin Diesel through the streets of Barcelona starting March 24. The game will receive a demo exclusive for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, with PC gamers getting the short end of the straw. Here's what the two companies had to say about this new deal.
“We are pleased to be partnering with Midway to bring Wheelman to stores worldwide,” said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Ubisoft. “The cutting edge open-world driving technology in Wheelman should make for an experience that gamers will enjoy.”
“Ubisoft's decision to join Midway in a co-publishing agreement is a gratifying validation of Wheelman's potential,” commented Matt Booty, president and CEO, Midway. “Ubisoft has a proven expertise at bringing new IP to market, which will allow us to reach a broader consumer segment with Wheelman, while helping Midway to balance the risk profile of our product portfolio.”
Hopefully, we'll get to see a very good game, which will help Midway escape the financial troubles that have been plaguing it for quite some time.