Nordic on continuing Darksiders, could work with Crytek USA, more
It has been less than 24 hours since the dust settled on THQ’s latest auction results. Nordic Games, a company that hasn’t been known for game development, picked up the rights to Darksiders, Red Faction, and more.
While speaking with Eurogamer, Nordic Games Group owner and CEO Lars Wingefors admitted that the company won’t be developing Darksiders III, but would be very much interested in working with an outside studio.
Wingefors said:
“We are not a developer. We should not create a sequel. We need to find the best creative team to look into a sequel. We will look into various options to make sequels. In the last 24 hours we have been approached by people who seem to know that product very well. However, if those discussions lead anywhere, I don’t know.”
One studio Nordic could work with is the newly-formed Crytek USA. Crytek founded the subsidiary after THQ was forced to shut down Vigil Games, the developer behind the first two Darksiders.
Wingefors said the following regarding Crytek USA and the possibility of having them work on a new Darksiders:
“Without saying we have been in contact with Crytek USA, I’d love to do something with them if we can find the right set-up. If they can prove they can make a worthwhile sequel, why shouldn’t we talk? I have a great respect for those guys. They made very good games. But I’m sure they have a full agenda. Making games takes time.”
Wingefors also said the following when asked whether Crytek USA was top of his list of potential Darksiders III developers:
“They are the best-suited people in the world to make a sequel, that I’m aware of. But if someone else has a better set-up, they should step forward. We take one day at a time. I’m sure we’ll get the chance to speak.”
Budgets are an important point to consider in these discussions. Truth be told, Nordic hasn’t typically been involved with big-budget projects. What could that mean for Darksiders III?
“Even if I had my own cash to buy these assets and we’re financially a very solid company, I do not have $100 million, or whatever THQ spent making Darksiders 2. We have to find creative solutions to make a game of that size. I’m not worried. If you have a great product and an idea, I’m normally good at finding a solution to it. What’s commercially reasonable? We could make things more cost-effective just by the fact we are not THQ. But most important for me is that we find the right set-up and people. There is no market for a Metacritic 60 game. You need to be 80 plus or even better, 90, to make it commercially viable.”
