Traditional administration sim sequence RollerCoaster Tycoon will now be revealed solely by Atari, making the reborn retro online game firm the brand new stewards for the theme park franchise because it marks its twenty fifth anniversary.
Atari already had the rights to many of the long-running sim sequence, together with its mainline numbered entries and varied spin-offs, with one exception: 2004’s RollerCoaster Tycoon 3. That was as an alternative within the possession of Elite Harmful and Planet Coaster builders Frontier, who beforehand sued Atari in 2017 over unpaid royalties claimed on the sequel.
It wasn’t the primary time the sport had been embroiled in authorized proceedings, after Atari sued unique designer Chris Sawyer in 2007 over an alleged breach of contract referring to an enhanced model of RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 co-developed with Frontier. That dispute ended with an out-of-court settlement.
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 switched out the sequence’ unique isometric digital camera for 3D visuals, showcased within the capacity to journey your rollercoaster creations in first-person. Different firsts within the sport included the possibility to choreograph your personal fireworks shows to music. Atari’s announcement of the acquisition notes that “Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 is taken into account canon throughout the theme park simulation franchise” – I admittedly do not know what being “canon” means in respect of video games about managing theme parks, but it surely tickled me all the identical.
Atari and Frontier appear to have since put their disagreements behind them – thousands and thousands of {dollars} will do this, I suppose – and agreed that Frontier will promote RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 to Atari for $7 million. The deal completes Atari’s assortment of the entire franchise and makes them the only writer for all RollerCoaster Tycoon video games sooner or later throughout PC and different platforms. (Thanks, GI.) Atari has additionally squashed its previous beef with Sawyer, who licences the sequence to Atari, giving them permission to develop new video games and different additions to the 25-year-old (and counting) franchise.
That’s one thing Atari plans to do, saying that “underneath the settlement, Atari will search to develop new titles, develop digital and bodily distribution, and discover model and merchandising collaborations as a part of a long-term plan to deliver the franchise to new heights”.
“As we have a good time the twenty fifth anniversary of RollerCoaster Tycoon with Chris Sawyer, I’m actually happy that we will unite this necessary and profitable title within the sequence with the remainder of the franchise,” stated Atari chairman and CEO Wade Rosen. ”That is going to create new alternatives for Atari as we proceed the good work completed by Frontier, and produce advantages to the followers of video games throughout the RollerCoaster Tycoon franchise.”
