Paradox Interactive has revealed more details about its “Unbound” initiative, which will let indie developers make games within the Vampire: The Masquerade intellectual property (IP).
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Announced last month, Unbound will allow indie developers to create games using the World Of Darkness IP – the setting behind games such as Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse.
According to an interview with GamesIndustry.biz from today (May 6), the agreement will let developers make games in the World Of Darkness universe and distribute them using Itch.io. Paradox would retain a third of the net revenue after the first £404 ($500) and developers keep the rights to any assets Paradox Interactive doesn’t provide.
Games released via Unbound won’t be part of the World Of Darkness canon, but popular titles will be supported via social media, company streams as well as the prospect of working directly with Paradox.
“We’re doing something that as far as we’re aware, hasn’t been done,” Sean Greaney, vice president for World Of Darkness said. “I think it comes down to how you see your IP. Is it an IP that is a big, thick metaplot that you need to control and move forward every month, quarter, or year? Or is it an engine for telling stories? Depending on where you fall in that spectrum, this [model] is a good fit or it is not.
“It has a huge value in and of itself,” he added. “And to quote our creative director Justin Achille, it’s a very punk way of going about it.”
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Earlier this year, following the release of a year-end report which confirmed that its Q4 2021 revenues were down 10 per cent, Paradox CEO Fredrik Wester described 2021 as a “challenging year” and laid out its plan to make this year more successful.