Licensed Computer Games Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II - Q3/Q4 2024

[Triszin]

39 minutes ago, Joe said:

Following on from the previous report all references to Embracer have been removed from Saber's website, which would seem to indicate the deal is imminent. This means Space Marine II is likely protected and will release, as well as the KOTOR Remake that Saber took over from Aspyr.

Nice

[Indy Techwisp]

Good to know the game's not dead.

I'm looking forward to seeing TSons get some time in the spotlight over Nurgle having his grubby mits on tge villain role for the 10,000th time.

[Joe]

Sale has now been confirmed; Saber are in the clear. We can wash away any concerns regarding SM2 not releasing now.

[Axineton]

And on Twitter or X or whatever it goes by these days Tim Willets posted this just over an hour ago: 

 

[Kastor Krieg]

OTOH, there's reporting (e.g. Gamelinked, one of Linus Tech Tips channels on YT) that despite the separation, Embracer and the studios leaving (Saber included) have retained "mutual custody" of some game development, including at "a AAA well-known IP title". It could be the KOTOR remake, it could still be Space Marine 2. We're not entirely out of the woods yet, I think.

[Nephaston]

Oof, I wanna say KOTOR fans have suffered enough but I really don't want to have Embracer anywhere near SM2. Then again it might be SM2 after all since KOTOR is made by Aspyr and that studio has its "full pipeline and back catalogue" in joint custody (Along with studios Tripwire and Zen Studios).  So unless there is some other previously announced AAA game based on a major license we might have celebrated too soon...

[Triszin]

Sounds like saber is taking 4a games with them? But rights to certain games are staying at embracer?

[DemonGSides]

I'm sure Embracer will remain as publisher, they're just divesting of ownership of the developer.

Edited March 18 by TrawlingCleaner
Removed confrontational parts

[Nephaston]

4 hours ago, DemonGSides said:

I'm sure Embracer will remain as publisher, they're just divesting of ownership of the developer.

Focus Entertainment is the publisher in case of SM2.

 

So while I don't think SM2 has even a remote chance of being cancelled last second it might be affected in regards to further development, monetization, post release support, and/or later additions. How exactly is anyones guess, but if they retain joint custody it's also assumed they get a cut of the profits.

[Indy Techwisp]

I see despite Tzeench playing his hand to keep this game afloat, the remnants of Nurgle's rot continues to plague this product.

 

Hopefully some better news arrives at our ears before long.

[Wispy]

Fyi, the property that is in joint custody definitely isn't Space Marine II. Focus Entertainment is the publisher & the owner of the IP is Games Workshop (which is how the IP was able to so easily leave Sega/Relic's back catalogue)

 

Relic didn't have interest in the IP anymore & wanted to focus on the RTS genre (and eventually it's non 40k ips) so GW shopped the sequel around to other partners interested in continuing the franchise. I thought that was dumb from Relic but I guess that's why I don't work there anymore.

Edited March 17 by Wispy

[Kastor Krieg]

Damn, imagine having a 40k license to print money, succeed with Boltgun and then just... drop it.

[darkhorse0607]

Yeah, if Saber came out tomorrow and said due to the Embracer thing they were ceasing development on SM2 for the foreseeable future, unless GW themselves funded development (which I don't really see happening due to the cost and GW being GW) that would be it. Game development is expensive and GW is more of the "we give you our IP license and you make us money" type of deal rather than a development studio or official publisher in the way Embracer was

The fact that they were perfectly happy to let Space Marine stay dormant after the success of SM 1 is kind of evidence of that, same thing with them not actively pursuing studios to continue the Dawn of War franchise which was the other big seller (RIP after DoW 3), etc.

 

That being said, I don't think the game is going to be canceled, but I don't think that we are going to see it in September. I think this is an easy answer for them to bump it again and continue to work on it which isn't a bad thing, to be honest. The fact that we have seen so little marketing this late into the development cycle is a bit concerning for me (i.e. we still don't know anything about the multiplayer outside of the leak from a few years back). But if it does launch in September then I'll eat my words

Edited March 18 by TrawlingCleaner
Removed quoted

[DemonGSides]

They've literally done their own marketing and products around SM2 already.

 

They wouldn't let it just disappear. Y'all are crazy to think otherwise.

[Nephaston]

1 hour ago, DemonGSides said:

They wouldn't let it just disappear. Y'all are crazy to think otherwise.

I don't disagree, rather I would argue most of us are like Reese in Malcom in the Middle.

 

Either that or irrationally paranoid.

Edited March 17 by Nephaston
a word

[TrawlingCleaner]

=][= Alrighty folks, we'll stop the finger pointing and get back on topic =][=

[lansalt]

I found this concept art of Titus during his DW days, but I don't know where it comes from.

 

 

Edited March 26 by lansalt

[Nephaston]

48 minutes ago, lansalt said:

I found this concept art of Titus during his DW days, but I don't know where it comes from.

 

One of the recent white dwarf that  expanded on his whereabouts between the games probably.

[Marshal Reinhard]

I would love it if the game had backflash sequences, but that's doubtless fruitless wishful thinking on my part.

[ChapterMasterGodfrey]

Imagine having a Blackshield in your squad with drip that goes that hard and him turning out to just be an Ultramarine. 

[LittlePlasticHomies]

On 3/17/2024 at 12:14 PM, DemonGSides said:

They've literally done their own marketing and products around SM2 already.

 

They wouldn't let it just disappear. Y'all are crazy to think otherwise.

This is probably untrue.

 

They're a public company so let's make the assumption that they make choices via NPV (Net Present Value) analysis. Within this framework, sunk costs won't be a determinant to continue pursuing action XYZ. In fact, the option to abandon was almost certainly factored into the NPV decision tree when they started this spend in the first place.

[Domhnall]

On 3/26/2024 at 6:38 PM, Nephaston said:

One of the recent white dwarf that  expanded on his whereabouts between the games probably.

Yeah, it's a decent enough read. I've got the magazine at home and could upload it here if anybody wants it?

[Mmmmm Napalm]

17 hours ago, Domhnall said:

Yeah, it's a decent enough read. I've got the magazine at home and could upload it here if anybody wants it?

would greatly appreciate it, thank you!

[Sky Potato]

22 hours ago, Domhnall said:

Yeah, it's a decent enough read. I've got the magazine at home and could upload it here if anybody wants it?

Which WD was it?

[Domhnall]

Couple things here: 

Lieutenant Titus Article from White Dwarf Issue 498. This issue will be available for sale (where still available) until 19th April 2024. If this breaks forum rules posting pictures from White Dwarf, I'm happy to work with how to share this properly for those who don't have a copy. 

 

Secondly, an article on the Metro (UK newspaper/website) where "The boss of Saber Interactive thinks publishers will stop trying to charge £70 for a new video game, as they reign in the budgets on games.". Nothing really about SM2, as mostly about the price of games today, but does say: "However, CEO Matthew Karch is adamant that the upcoming Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 won’t be £70 and thinks that other publishers will eventually begin to see sense when it come to their budgets."

 

https://metro.co.uk/2024/04/09/games-industry-boss-predicts-end-70-games-a-major-new-games-drought-20613499/amp/