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PayPalUpdate 10:22 UTC - the situation is not as clear as expected, as Drecom are disputing Atari's ownership. As they posted on X/Twitter:
Some media outlets have reported that Atari SA (hereinafter "Atari") has acquired rights related to the IP "Wizardry" (ウィザードリィ), for which our company holds trademark rights domestically and internationally, from DREaM Communications Inc. (hereinafter "our company"). However, no such fact exists. Our company has no intention of selling the trademark rights or other rights to "Wizardry" that we hold in the future.
Our company has previously received notification from Atari that Atari acquired the rights to the first through fifth titles of the "Wizardry" series from the original rights holder.
Our company will continue to hold the domestic and international trademark rights to the "Wizardry" series and will continue to manage the "Wizardry" IP brand.
We've reached out to Atari for further info.
Original article below:
Atari are continuing their gradual acquiring spree, as they just announced they've sucked up the the rights to multiple classic Legendary Wizardry RPGs.
From the press release:
“When Andrew Greenberg and I created Wizardry back in the 1980s, the video game industry was still in its infancy, and the original games were some of the first to bring the role-playing experience to PCs and consoles,” said Robert Woodhead, co-creator of the Wizardry franchise. “As Atari continues to reintroduce the games on new platforms and to new audiences, I'll definitely be paying attention to the reactions of gamers who decide to take on a real old-school challenge.”
“Wizardry is such an influential RPG franchise, yet many of the games have been unavailable for more than two decades,” said Wade Rosen, CEO and Chairman of Atari. “We are excited to have this rare opportunity to republish, remaster and bring console ports and physical releases of these early games to market.”
It doesn't included everything though - notably missing are Wizardry titles 6, 7 and 8 which are owned by Drecom and a different fictional universe. What they do now own are: Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (1981), Wizardry II: The Knight of Diamonds (1982), Wizardry III: Legacy of Llylgamyn (1983), Wizardry IV: The Return of Werdna (1987), and Wizardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom (1988).
Atari said they plan to bring them back through "expanded digital and physical distribution and the creation of remasters, collections, and new releases" along with various forms of merchandise, card and board games, books and comics, TV and film projects.
Other previous Atari acquisitions include five classic Ubisoft titles, the Thunderful Group, Transport Tycoon from Chris Sawyer, the Surgeon Simulator franchise, the Intellivision brand and over 200 games, Night Dive Studios and more.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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TangoBaker 9 hours ago
I remember some other game about a space fleet moving around a galaxy and assaulting planets where you had to decide how many resources you had to allocate for air battles and then for the ground assault, but that may just have been something someone wrote.
Quoting: TangoBakerWizardry on an Apple II was pretty much my first PC game. That and the original flight simulator.I think the game you're refering to is X-Com: UFO defense/UFO: Enemy Unknown.
I remember some other game about a space fleet moving around a galaxy and assaulting planets where you had to decide how many resources you had to allocate for air battles and then for the ground assault, but that may just have been something someone wrote.
Also I'm gonna be a frustrating nitpick.
The original flight simulator and Wizardry were also something someone wrote.
Liam Dawe 9 hours ago
Quoting: LoudTechieSounds more like Galactic Empire or perhaps Imperium.Quoting: TangoBakerWizardry on an Apple II was pretty much my first PC game. That and the original flight simulator.I think the game you're refering to is X-Com: UFO defense/UFO: Enemy Unknown.
I remember some other game about a space fleet moving around a galaxy and assaulting planets where you had to decide how many resources you had to allocate for air battles and then for the ground assault, but that may just have been something someone wrote.
Also I'm gonna be a frustrating nitpick.
The original flight simulator and Wizardry were also something someone wrote.
TangoBaker 7 hours ago
Quoting: LoudTechieYes, technically true, which we all know is the best kind of true. I actually meant someone in the same computer lab or who shared the same system on a regular basis. Before PCs, you would occasionally find something on the mainframe, have no idea where it came from and find it was someone's pet project.Quoting: TangoBakerWizardry on an Apple II was pretty much my first PC game. That and the original flight simulator.I think the game you're refering to is X-Com: UFO defense/UFO: Enemy Unknown.
I remember some other game about a space fleet moving around a galaxy and assaulting planets where you had to decide how many resources you had to allocate for air battles and then for the ground assault, but that may just have been something someone wrote.
Also I'm gonna be a frustrating nitpick.
The original flight simulator and Wizardry were also something someone wrote.
And this was long before X-Com. It would have been '82 or '83, and was mostly text based. The disposition of your forces was presented in boxes around the screen and you could recruit from the worlds you had conquered to replace losses. Aside from that, the only other thing I remember is that there was a planet named "Alhambra" or something similar. I've searched for it for years and never found anything about it but there was a lot of stuff from back then that is essentially lost.
TangoBaker 7 hours ago
Quoting: Liam DaweWow, I think it was Galactic Empire. In my mind, it was always associated with Battlestar Galactica and I see on the Wiki page that the homeworld was named "Galactica" I've been looking for it on and off for years. Thanks. Now I've got to find a copy and see that really is it.Quoting: LoudTechieSounds more like Galactic Empire or perhaps Imperium.Quoting: TangoBakerWizardry on an Apple II was pretty much my first PC game. That and the original flight simulator.I think the game you're refering to is X-Com: UFO defense/UFO: Enemy Unknown.
I remember some other game about a space fleet moving around a galaxy and assaulting planets where you had to decide how many resources you had to allocate for air battles and then for the ground assault, but that may just have been something someone wrote.
Also I'm gonna be a frustrating nitpick.
The original flight simulator and Wizardry were also something someone wrote.
Caldathras 5 hours ago
Is the owner Drecom or Atari? Please keep us updated.
Quoting: CaldathrasSeems to me that somebody's lawyers didn't make sure that all the i's were dotted and all the t's were crossed. It will be interesting to learn the final outcome of this little drama.Drecom owns the IP and holds tbe trademark for the brand and Wizardry 6 onwards and future games.
Is the owner Drecom or Atari? Please keep us updated.
1-5 has been entangled in legal dispute for years and Japanese buyers where more attracted to the newer games thats why the classic games (1-5) had different owners then 6-8 and the trademark/ip rights.
Quoting: TangoBakerWild times.Quoting: LoudTechieYes, technically true, which we all know is the best kind of true. I actually meant someone in the same computer lab or who shared the same system on a regular basis. Before PCs, you would occasionally find something on the mainframe, have no idea where it came from and find it was someone's pet project.Quoting: TangoBakerWizardry on an Apple II was pretty much my first PC game. That and the original flight simulator.I think the game you're refering to is X-Com: UFO defense/UFO: Enemy Unknown.
I remember some other game about a space fleet moving around a galaxy and assaulting planets where you had to decide how many resources you had to allocate for air battles and then for the ground assault, but that may just have been something someone wrote.
Also I'm gonna be a frustrating nitpick.
The original flight simulator and Wizardry were also something someone wrote.
And this was long before X-Com. It would have been '82 or '83, and was mostly text based. The disposition of your forces was presented in boxes around the screen and you could recruit from the worlds you had conquered to replace losses. Aside from that, the only other thing I remember is that there was a planet named "Alhambra" or something similar. I've searched for it for years and never found anything about it but there was a lot of stuff from back then that is essentially lost.
I'm way too young to have experienced that.
Quoting: TangoBakerWow, I think it was Galactic Empire. In my mind, it was always associated with Battlestar Galactica and I see on the Wiki page that the homeworld was named "Galactica" I've been looking for it on and off for years. Thanks. Now I've got to find a copy and see that really is it.. . . And try to make it run.
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