Team17 came close to losing the Worms franchise
Team17 came close to losing its Worms IP – not once, but twice.
In the late 1990s for example, Team17 signed a publishing deal after receiving extra funding for a game behind schedule. The Worms IP would have been relinquished to the publisher if sales targets for the title were not met within 12 months.
Thankfully, everything ended up working out, as the target was eventually beaten by 1.7 percent.
Team17 owner Debbie Bestwick wrote in a Develop column:
“The business had to recoup on a loan with an unnamed publisher. For a number of reasons, we were behind schedule by around four to five months on a big game. Extra funding was needed in order to make it through to release. Sales targets were set by the publisher, together with a clause that the Worms IP would be relinquished should those figures not be met. A close working relationship with the publisher’s team allowed Team17 to monitor orders on a day-to-day basis, knowing every single unit sold and where it had shipped over the previous 12 months (the target had to be hit within 12 months). At the time, the extra funding was necessary but agreeing to clauses that include IP seizure is beyond stupid.”
