BitComposer Games, the publisher of open world action game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat in Europe and the U.S., today claimed that it has acquired the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. license, and plans to release new games in the franchise.
The future of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series has been unclear for some time, since reports surfaced around a year ago that developer GSC Game World was closing down.
With this acquisition, the Eschborn-based BitComposer says that it now has the exclusive worldwide rights to future video game adaptations of the brand. A statement from BitComposer notes, "So far, the three titles in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series have been released exclusively for Windows PC."
Wolfgang Duhr, member of the BitComposer Entertainment AG executive board, noted, "S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a reputable brand with a long history of success. Naturally, we'd like to tap into the success of this series, and we see a great deal of potential for the future."
The company also noted that Boris Natanovich Strugatsky, one of two brothers behind the original Roadside Picnic novel series, on which S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is based, passed away on November 19, 2012.
All other rights outside of video game adaptations remain with the Strugatsky brothers, says BitComposer.
This is the second international license that BitComposer has acquired in recent years, as the company grabbed the Jagged Alliance license back in 2010.
[Update:: Following confusion regarding whether BitComposer owns the video game rights to S.T.A.L.K.E.R., or whether GSC Game World's Sergiy Grygorovich owns it, a spokesperson for BitComposer has told Gamasutra that it is the sole owner of the license.
"We hold the license for PC and video games from the Strugatsky brothers," he said. He reiterated, "The owner of the license was the Strugatsky brothers. As far as we know, GSC never had the license for S.T.A.L.K.E.R."
Update 2: Sergey Galyonkin, director of marketing at Russian games company Nival, has suggested that BitComposer has in fact bought the rights to the original Roadside Picnic universe, and the Stalker license that comes from those books, rather than the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. movie and video game franchise.
It's still not 100 percent clear whether this is the case, as BitComposer is adamant that it has bought the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. license. Gamasutra has contacted GSC Game World associates for confirmation.
Update 3: Eugene Kuchma, who works in sales and marketing for GSC Game World, told Gamasutra in an email that -- as trademark filings show -- BitComposer does not own the right to make S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video games.
Kuchma's email in full reads: "In view of the rumors appearing in press, we find it necessary to inform that GSC Game World and Sergey Grigorovich [GSC CEO] remain to be the sole owners of all the intellectual property rights to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game series and the brand overall, including all the trademarks, the game universe, the technology etc. This can be easily verified with the trademark services online.
"From time to time news on the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. brand purchase by this or that company appear over the Internet. We relate such a keen interest in the brand to its exceptional popularity. Even the purchase of rights to create a a€śRoadside picnica€ť book-based game by a small publisher is presented as the continuation of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise. We have doubts regarding the mentioned product by BitComposer (the publisher of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat in some territories), since the latter has significant debts in terms of fulfilling the obligations under the existing contract between our companies.]
Major kudos to Gamasutra & Mike Rose for following up on this story. Although a 'minor' news item, you made the effort to clear the fog and dig into it. Journalism at its best. I tip my virtual hat.
"The company also noted that Boris Natanovich Strugatsky, one of two brothers behind the original Roadside Picnic novel series, on which S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is based, passed away on November 19, 2012.
All other rights outside of video game adaptations remain with writer Arkady Strugatsky."
I doubt, because Arkady Strugatsky passed away in 1991.
Thanks for the clarification, even if I still find it somewhat unclear, what rights, from whom BitComposer aquired and on which rights the original "S.T.A.L.K.E.R." games were based on.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was loosely based on both "The Roadside Picnic" and it's movie adaption "Stalker" by Andrei Tarkowsky, which it shares at least the name with (even if the term Stalker can be found in the novel too), as far as I remember GSC always said in interviews their game was based on the movie, so even if BitComposer now owns the adaption rights of the book, it doesn't mean somebody else couldn't own the adaption rights of the movie.
Yeah, this is what we're currently trying to clear up. BitComposer told us over the phone that, as far as it is aware, it now owns the license to make video games based on the STALKER licence. Given that GSC apparently closed down last year, it's proving rather difficult to get in touch with anyone on their side. We'll keep you posted though!
From what I understand it makes no difference anymore. GSC tried to get this license, but couldn't acquire it, so they put the points into the name.
It's rather complicated with this license, but the news itself remains true. BitComposed did acquire the rights to make videogames within that universe. So essentially Stalker 2. Only thing GSC still owns is the right to the "logo"
"Only thing GSC still owns is the right to the "logo""
To me this still remains open, GSC itself sold the licence to the "S.T.A.L.K.E.R." games to book publishers, there are several novels placed in the game's universe. I don't know, who now owns the rights to these books.
Yeah that remains kind of unclear to me too currently. All I know is, that bC did not acquire any rights beyond videogames. Neither books nor merchandising or even movies.
Cool! Now please do HD remakes of ALL of the STALKER games in the Cry3 Engine for PS3 and the 360. That will pad their wallets if they market it well enough and price it right. Maybe make them downloads off of the PSN and XBL.
I'm really not sure that would be a good idea. That would be some considerable work and it wouldn't fit on these downloadable platforms. I don't even think that marketed well, these games could attract a lot of people on consoles.
@Corentin Billemont - They have full sized games on the PSN right now. I don't know about XBL. But I can say I would buy HD remakes today if they were available. Also, not many console players have heard of the STALKER series so to them they would be new games for the most part. Marketing would be key in selling them to a new market.
Assuming they actually have the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. license, are they going to wait until Vostok games (the company that all the GSC employees created) is done with Survivarium so they can use the same team and resources? It sounded like STALKER 2 was pretty close to being done- if they hire all new people would they have to start over? Or maybe they'll try to put the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. name back onto Survivarium; Vostok has been making clear that it's basically the same world.
All other rights outside of video game adaptations remain with writer Arkady Strugatsky."
I doubt, because Arkady Strugatsky passed away in 1991.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was loosely based on both "The Roadside Picnic" and it's movie adaption "Stalker" by Andrei Tarkowsky, which it shares at least the name with (even if the term Stalker can be found in the novel too), as far as I remember GSC always said in interviews their game was based on the movie, so even if BitComposer now owns the adaption rights of the book, it doesn't mean somebody else couldn't own the adaption rights of the movie.
From what I understand it makes no difference anymore. GSC tried to get this license, but couldn't acquire it, so they put the points into the name.
It's rather complicated with this license, but the news itself remains true. BitComposed did acquire the rights to make videogames within that universe. So essentially Stalker 2. Only thing GSC still owns is the right to the "logo"
To me this still remains open, GSC itself sold the licence to the "S.T.A.L.K.E.R." games to book publishers, there are several novels placed in the game's universe. I don't know, who now owns the rights to these books.
I guess we'll wait and see.