Some of you may not have heard of Interplay, but chances are you’ve heard of some of their games. Earthworm Jim, Baldur’s Gate, Lost Vikings, Boogerman, Clay Fighters; that’s a small sample of what Interplay had to offer back in the ‘good old days’. Today, though, they’ve become more of a licensor of gaming software instead of a developer and are now planning to sell pretty much their entire library of game IPs, assets, and characters.
Eric Caen, president of Interplay, explained the reasoning behind the decision:
“Interplay has entertained millions of players with its well-recognized games, including Earthworm Jim, Freespace, Giants, Kingpin, Messiah, MDK, Run Like Hell, Sacrifice, Battlechess, Clayfighter, Dark Alliance, and Descent. As game creators, we are proud of the entertainment these properties have provided over the years. With the proliferation of mobile, augmented reality, virtual reality and other new forms of consumption, we believe that consumers are ready to experience and interact with Interplay’s characters, stories and game play in ways never possible before. We look forward to seeing how this unique portfolio of interactive entertainment icons will evolve for the worldwide audience.”
Theoretically, there’s nothing stopping you from purchasing these IPs yourself… assuming you’ve got the money for it. Though it’s most likely that actual game developers or publishers and the like will snap these up first.
And while it’s unlikely that there’s anybody clamoring for another Clayfighter, the likes of Earthworm Jim and Baldur’s Gate would make some gamers happy if they received new installments.
