Paradox has acquired Harebrained Schemes

[Infinitron]

Cha-ching!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/webeharebrained/battletech/posts/2202501

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news...cquire_Battletech_dev_Harebrained_Schemes.php

Paradox Interactive to acquire Battletech dev Harebrained Schemes

Paradox Interactive has entered into a $7.5 million deal that will ultimately see the company acquire Harebrained Schemes parent company Harebrained Holdings.

The deal is set to close for good on June 7, netting Paradox Interactive 100 percent of the shares in Harebrained Holdings. Following that, the development studio itself is free to continue operating as it has been, but under Paradox's wing.

In a press release, Paradox Interactive notes that it has no plans to take over the studio’s internal management or creative teams. Instead, the larger company will be supporting Harebrained Schemes with business and distribution expertise, financial support, and Paradox’s network of “strategy enthusiasts”. The duo had previously worked together in the past, with Paradox having published Harebrained Schemes' latest game, Battletech.

Though the purchase comes with the day-one price of $7.5 million, Paradox will also pay an additional sum equal to 25 percent of Harebrained Holdings' earnings (before publishing costs) over the next five years.

“Mitch and I started Harebrained to create the kind of story-rich tactical games we loved,” said Harebrained Schemes CEO Jordan Weisman in a statement. “And for the last seven years, our studio has been fueled by our team’s passion and by the generous support of our fans. As the scale of our games has grown and the marketplace has gotten extremely noisy we felt that [Harebrained Schemes] needed to team up with a company that could provide us the financial stability and marketing expertise that would allow us focus on what we love doing – making great games and stories.”

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

Feargus done fucked up.

 

[Comte]

Feargus is on suicide watch

 

[Infinitron]

Man can't you people think about anything but Obsidian

Feargus doesn't want to be bought out for making games like Pillars of Eternity and Tyranny, he wants to be bought for making the kind of game Tim and Leonard are working on. Big AAA RPGs. That's out of Paradox's league.

 

[LESS T_T]

Announcement with bit more blurbs (free copy of Stellaris to every backer of Battletech, and upcoming Twtich Q&A stream): https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...re-seattle-based-harebrained-schemes.1103663/

FAQ: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...e-to-acquire-harebrained-schemes-faq.1103665/

Paradox Interactive to Acquire Harebrained Schemes FAQ

Greetings everyone,
We just wanted to answer some of the (probably) most likely questions you may have so please read this entire post before asking your questions

What will this mean for Paradox and HBS?
Harebrained Schemes will continue to operate with its own internal management and creative teams, designing and developing the games that have earned them their outstanding reputation. HBS and Paradox have a shared vision for where to take narrative rich tactical games. Of course each title will be greenlit via Paradox's publishing process. HBS will continue to have the freedom to creative direct our games and build our player experiences.

In their new role as a division of Paradox Interactive, Harebrained Schemes will gain access to an expert publisher with a strong reputation and a global audience. Paradox will handle finances, marketing, PR, and distribution, and leave the development to HBS. Paradox is bringing HBS on board because they like what the studio is doing, so nobody wants to change that. Fans of Harebrained Schemes can continue to count on the community involvement and visibility that the studio has always provided.

This arrangement came about due to the excellent experience both companies have had while working together on BATTLETECH. Everybody believes this is a great fit.

Is Paradox removing any of the executive team at HBS? Will they be installing new studio managers from their side? Will there be other staffing changes?
All the executives of HBS are remaining at the company in their current roles. There are no plans to install new studio management from Sweden in the HBS offices. The only anticipated staffing changes is that we at HBS are currently hiring for the studio!

Will PDS make games using the HBS IP? Will there be Mechwarriors in Stellaris?
There are no plans for “crossing the streams” at this point.

Will HBS make games using Paradox IP? Could we get a CK2 RPG? Victoria 3 when?
HBS will continue to focus on what it does best which are tactical games with rich stories.

Is HBS going to shift its focus to developing tons of DLC?
We will be supporting BATTLETECH with updates and additional content and we are starting concept development for a new title.

 

[Infinitron]

BattleTech isn't an "HBS IP". Wonder how Microsoft (BattleTech video game license owners) feel about being partnered with a rival publisher now.

 

[Bumvelcrow]

Free copy of Stellaris to everyone who backed on Kickstarter.

 

[Xotiphile]

Whats the point of paying money for a dev shop without IP or talent?
Horrible decision.

 

[Infinitron]

Free copy of Stellaris to everyone who backed on Kickstarter.

It might be distributed via the BackerKit site, no? Codex backers have an account there.

 

[Morkar Left]

Free copy of Stellaris to everyone who backed on Kickstarter.

Tells you what a stinker Stellaris is...

 

[Xotiphile]

In before "resizing" and churning out dlc for Stellaris.

 

[Forest Dweller]

I want to see a video of Feargus being sodomized by the game disk of Harebrained's next game.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

Hope they get back to RPGs like Shadowrun.

 

[Darth Roxor]

RIP

 

[Infinitron]

Hope they get back to RPGs like Shadowrun.

Unfortunately a Shadowrun RPG now seems farther away than ever. Paradox is fundamentally a strategy game company, and as I said it's not clear that Microsoft would allow them to use the IP again.

Our frequently banned friend above actually has a point that acquiring a dev who have no worthwhile IP of their own (Necropolis lol) is a bit unusual.

Your best hope is that HBS had some sort of long-term contract to use Shadowrun that is still in effect even after being acquired.

 

[Bohr]

Jordan cashed in again. Guess we'll see what happens with the "HBS makes all the decisions when it comes to Battletech so there's no reason to expect the Paradox dlc policy..."

 

[Burning Bridges]

HBS can go fuck themselves.

Btw, Paradox is known that that they will release companies too, if they are too verminous.

 

[LESS T_T]

I remember Wester, in Q&A stream about the acquisition of Triumph, mused on the possibility of a tactical RPG by Triumph.

I think these acquisitions pretty much show they want to expand on tactical side of things including RPGs.

Probably a good question to ask in the upcoming Q&A stream.

 

[Big Wrangle]

BattleTech grand strategy confirmed?

 

[Delterius]

Your only hope is that HBS had some sort of long-term contract to use Shadowrun that is still in effect even after being acquired.

They can always trademark 'Returns' and base their own, brandnew, cyber-schlockpunk with elves off of GURPS.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

 

[Infinitron]

Does Microsoft license the Shadowrun Returns IP? That's news to me.

Yep. In 1999 Microsoft acquired FASA Interactive, the company that Jordan Weisman created to develop Shadowrun and BattleTech video games. They hold that license still.

You may not remember that after the Shadowrun Returns Kickstarter, there was initially some drama because Harebrained's contract with Microsoft didn't allow them to release the game on GOG DRM-free. Eventually they fixed the contract and all was well.

 

[Vorark]

M-muh Shadowrun games...

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

Man can't you people think about anything but Obsidian

Feargus doesn't want to be bought out for making games like Pillars of Eternity and Tyranny, he wants to be bought for making the kind of game Tim and Leonard are working on. Big AAA RPGs. That's out of Paradox's league.

This. It's one thing to buy a 20-man indie studio that makes mobile games in Seattle. It's another thing to buy a 200-man world renowned California-based RPG developer. Paradox wouldn't be even able to cough up an offer that Feargus wouldn't immidiately laugh out of the door. Pillars IP alone is probably worth about as much as the entire HBS acquisition.

 

[FreeKaner]

I wonder what Feargus thinks right now, especially since Battletech sold at least twice as much as Dumpsterfire and possibly over 4 times more.

This. It's one thing to buy a 20-man indie studio that makes mobile games in Seattle. It's another thing to buy a 200-man world renowned California-based RPG developer. Paradox wouldn't be even able to cough up an offer that Feargus wouldn't immidiately laugh out of the door. Pillars IP alone is probably worth about as much as the entire HBS acquisition.

The 20-man indie studio that makes mobile games in Seattle sells more games.