They had tried to get Eidos to sell them the IP back, or at least get licensed work for it, but it never happened. Square selling it was a ”surprising decision”.
”We’d been talking to SCI about doing more Carmageddon work six to seven years ago before they bought Eidos,” said Stainless CEO and co-founder Patrick Buckland.
”When they bought Eidos we were hoping to get more Carmageddon licensed work,” he added. ”We made them offers and tried to buy the license off them, but there was no way that Eidos or SCI were ever going to sell that license.”
Square Enix came a long and bought up Eidos back in 2009 which changed the playing field for Stainless Games who suddenly had their interest taken seriously.
”Square… had very valuable IP that they had purchased that they were never going to use, and they took the surprising decision they were willing to sell this IP,” he said. ”Most companies would probably just sit on the IP; why sell it? We paid real money for it, though.”
Fans are just as dedicated as when they released Carmageddon 2 in 1998. ”There are very few games out there that can really make people laugh their heads off,” he said.
”It’s not a substitute for gameplay – you won’t get away with just a sense of humor – but by having a sense of humor that’s what makes it stand out, and what gives it a special place in a lot of people’s hearts. People remember Carmageddon in a way they don’t seem to remember a lot of others games.” Carmageddon returns in 2012 with a relaunch.
”Often with sequels – we did it in Carmageddon 2 even – companies say you have to change things just for the sake of it,” added co-founder Neil Barnden.
”There are some things in certain ways Carmageddon 1 was better than Carmageddon 2, so we’ll try to boil down what’s best from both games when we reboot the brand.” The slaying of poor innocent pedestrians is remaining intact, as it’s ‘less controversial now’.
”We’d be amazed if we got the same sort of backlash as we did before, because there are games out there now that are more violent and they’re not doing it in a comic framework,” explained Buckland.
Carmageddon ”in some way at least hints at you ‘Hey, that’s a bit naughty, you shouldn’t do that.’” Ultimately they’re making sure they ”don’t spoil the fun for the player.” Are you excited that Stainless Games is bringing Carmageddon back, videogamer?
