Bill Swipes The Matrix in $5 million coup
Find me an exit Bill, your Xbox is starting to tempt me!
Microsoft has thrown $5 million at Shiny Entertainment today in order to secure the rights to the company’s Matrix game as an Xbox exclusive.
The deal, revealed in a regulatory filing, states that no other platform will get the much-coveted Matrix game for at least six months.
Microsoft has also signed Shiny up to include a whole host of extra features that will only be available in the Xbox version of the game such as extra weapons, vehicles, Woo Ping choreography, real-life actor voice-overs and additional music tracks and movie footage.
It was also revealed that Interplay will be spending half a million dollars in the development and production of specialised online functions for the Xbox game.
Interestingly, the report contained details of the royalties that Interplay, as publishers of the game, would be expected to pay to Microsoft. The figures stated that the commission would range between $5 and $7 which is considerably less than the amount companies must pay to Sony. The going rate to Sony for royalties on a PlayStation 2 game currently stands at $8 to $10 per unit of software.
Perhaps this is the turnaround in Microsoft’s business plan many Japanese companies have been waiting for.
The deal also incorporated a tie-in that will see the Xbox version of the game released within three months of the cinematic release of the movie The Matrix II, which is scheduled to hit the flicks Stateside this summer.
Many gamers would appear to have an instinctive mistrust of the Xbox.
A sample from the document reads: "5.3 Exclusivity. Licensee agrees that only Matrix for Xbox, and no other platform version thereof, including without limitation any PlayStation 2 version thereof, shall include any online gameplay capability. Licensee further agrees that for a period of six months after the first Commercial Release of Matrix, Licensee shall not release in any Territory any interactive entertainment software product based on or related to Matrix and/or "The Matrix" or "Matrix 2" motion pictures (or further sequels to or derivative works thereof) as for any platform now known or hereafter developed, unless such product is an add-on or sequel to Matrix for the Xbox platform and approved pursuant to the terms of the Publisher Agreement."
Oooh, serious stuff!
Microsoft has just got to hope that this news doesn’t create a feeling of resentment towards the Xbox. There are many PlayStation 2 owners that were greatly looking forward to getting to play the Matrix game.
The deal, revealed in a regulatory filing, states that no other platform will get the much-coveted Matrix game for at least six months.
Microsoft has also signed Shiny up to include a whole host of extra features that will only be available in the Xbox version of the game such as extra weapons, vehicles, Woo Ping choreography, real-life actor voice-overs and additional music tracks and movie footage.
It was also revealed that Interplay will be spending half a million dollars in the development and production of specialised online functions for the Xbox game.
Interestingly, the report contained details of the royalties that Interplay, as publishers of the game, would be expected to pay to Microsoft. The figures stated that the commission would range between $5 and $7 which is considerably less than the amount companies must pay to Sony. The going rate to Sony for royalties on a PlayStation 2 game currently stands at $8 to $10 per unit of software.
Perhaps this is the turnaround in Microsoft’s business plan many Japanese companies have been waiting for.
The deal also incorporated a tie-in that will see the Xbox version of the game released within three months of the cinematic release of the movie The Matrix II, which is scheduled to hit the flicks Stateside this summer.
Many gamers would appear to have an instinctive mistrust of the Xbox.
A sample from the document reads: "5.3 Exclusivity. Licensee agrees that only Matrix for Xbox, and no other platform version thereof, including without limitation any PlayStation 2 version thereof, shall include any online gameplay capability. Licensee further agrees that for a period of six months after the first Commercial Release of Matrix, Licensee shall not release in any Territory any interactive entertainment software product based on or related to Matrix and/or "The Matrix" or "Matrix 2" motion pictures (or further sequels to or derivative works thereof) as for any platform now known or hereafter developed, unless such product is an add-on or sequel to Matrix for the Xbox platform and approved pursuant to the terms of the Publisher Agreement."
Oooh, serious stuff!
Microsoft has just got to hope that this news doesn’t create a feeling of resentment towards the Xbox. There are many PlayStation 2 owners that were greatly looking forward to getting to play the Matrix game.
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