Infogrames hacks The Matrix
Shiny happy people changing hands
Last week Interplay revealed that Shiny was up for sale, and today we know who the potential buyer is - Infogrames. Yes, Bruno and the boys have got out the cheque book and offered to snap up Shiny for $47m, with the deal expected to be finalised within the next week. As well as giving Infogrames control over David Perry and his team at Shiny and their controversial "advanced tessellation technology" patent, it also gives Infogrames the exclusive development and publishing rights to create games based on The Matrix trilogy, something which allegedly cost Interplay upwards of $10m just over a year ago. The Matrix game is apparently still on track for a May 2003 release to tie in with the cinematic launch of The Matrix Reloaded. "For Interplay and its investors, successful conclusion of this transaction will enhance stability and position Interplay for growth. The sale of Shiny will significantly reduce the general corporate overhead of Interplay and allow the Interplay teams to focus on the continuing development of games based on its successful TSR licenses such as Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale", Interplay CEO Herve Caen beamed. "The transaction will strengthen Interplay's capacity to finance the development of its current slate of titles. We now have the financing and the management team in place to provide a much stronger platform for the development of fun and profitable games." "To add Shiny and The Matrix franchise to our portfolio is a tremendous coup for Infogrames", Infogrames head honcho Bruno Bonnell chipped in. "Shiny's outstanding development team has a proven track record for creating innovative games that push the envelope [and flop at retail - Ed], making the studio a wonderful addition to our growing in-house development team, and underscoring our commitment to assembling the best talent in the industry under the Infogrames banner." Caught in the middle was Shiny itself, but after the financial difficulties which their former owners have faced in recent years, David Perry was said to be "thrilled to be joining the Infogrames family, which clearly shares our enthusiasm for and belief in The Matrix franchise". Hopefully now we will get some idea of how work is progressing on The Matrix game in the near future. Related Feature - Shiny up for sale
