Between 1995 and 2000, three classic point-and-click games were released based on Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels. These games are Discworld, Discworld II: Missing Presumed…!?, and Discworld Noir.
For many years, fans have eagerly requested a rerelease or remaster of the series, making it a highly coveted item on GOG’s Community Wishlist. This platform is renowned for revitalising classic DOS games, ensuring they can operate on modern machines.
Gregg Barnett, the Director of the series at Perfect Entertainment who contributed to all three games, has discussed the potential for a rerelease or remaster with Time Extension. He mentioned that the decision ultimately rests with King Charles…
The UK Monarchy owns 50% of the Discworld Games
“The original rights are complicated in the UK, but it turns out that 50% reverted to me as the creator because the company Perfect Entertainment had been closed for over 10 years.” said Barnett.
“Whenever something closes in the UK, intellectual property rights revert 50% to the original creator and 50% to the crown, which is King Charles. So that’s the two owners of the games.”
Barnett says that a re-release or a remaster could happen, and confirms that there have been discussions.
“So yes, there have been discussions and something may be happening down the track – a rerelease or a remaster. But it’s obviously a complicated process when you’re dealing with the crown.”
Barnett also talked about developing a new game in the series, specifically targeting the City Watch Collection.
He reached out to Rhianna Pratchett, Terry Pratchett’s daughter, a few years ago to explore the possibility of working on an adaptation. However, the rights are currently held by ITV or Amazon Prime, posing a significant obstacle.
“I did ask her (Rhianna) because I said, ‘I would like to do a definitive game on the Guards but she said, ‘Unfortunately, they are making a TV show of it’.” Barnett claimed.
“At the time, I had some innovative ideas on how to use all of the guards as different detectives with their own particular abilities – you had the werewolf, you had the vampire, you had the dwarf, and so on and so on. That was where I wanted to go all the way just do a procedural detective thing.” he concluded.
Hopefully, the issues surrounding rights can be resolved, allowing us to once again enjoy the delights of Eric Idle’s singing voice. He lent his voice to Rincewind in the series and also penned the catchy tune we’ve included below.
The series, inspired by the beloved books of Terry Pratchett, first found success on PC before expanding to consoles such as the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. Additionally, Acorn Media in the UK released several animated Discworld adaptations, including “Colour of Magic” and “Wyrd Sisters.” The iconic Christopher Lee provided the voice for Death.
Terry Pratchett sadly passed away in 2015 after being diagnosed with Alzheimers.
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