Following the release of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Warner Bros. Discovery has revealed that it will continue to lean on live-service games despite Rocksteady’s latest work being a “disappointment,” including what could be new live-service titles based on its popular Hogwarts Legacy and Harry Potter franchises. The news comes from Jean-Briac Perrette, President and CEO of Global Streaming & Games at Warner Bros. Discovery, who added during yesterday’s Morgan Stanley 2024 Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference that Warner Bros. would also be expanding to F2P multiplayer and mobile games to ensure more consistent revenue due to the “volatility” of traditional, console-based AAA games.
Perrette on why Warner Bros. can’t rely on traditional releases:
The challenge we’ve had is our business, historically, there has been very AAA console-based. And so as you know, that’s a great business when you have a hit like Harry Potter. It makes the year look amazing. And then when you don’t have a release or, unfortunately, we also have disappointments as we just released Suicide Squad this quarter, which was not as strong. It just makes it very volatile.
Perrette confirming that Warner Bros. will be releasing new mobile F2P games this year:
…the opportunity is to take those 4 franchises and be able to develop a much more holistic approach, particularly around expanding into the mobile and multi-platform free-to-play space, which could give us a much better and more consistent set of revenue. And you’ll see us launching later this year, some mobile free-to-play games, which we hope will start building that.
Warner Bros. on its live service plans:
…rather than just launching a kind of one-and-done console game, how do we develop a game around, for example, Hogwarts Legacy or Harry Potter that is a live service, where people can continue to live and work and build and play in that world on an ongoing basis. And so we think we’ve got the franchises. We’ve got some of the greatest studio capabilities. And we have a road map and a strategic investment plan to try and build out that business, and we think there is meaningful growth over the course of the next couple of years.
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Discussion (4 replies)
Join Discussion →Hogwarts Legacy: massive hit, made lots of money
Suicide Squad: flop, money loser
Which would you try to replicate?
The gaming community tried to tell them that this was not the game they wanted but WB didn't really listen and so of course, it flopped. Folks spoke up early on with comparisons to The Avengers which ended up being one of the final straws that broke the camel's back which led to Square Enix's Eidos Montreal breakup. The higher-ups just couldn't get it as they only looked at $$$ for live service games but clearly ignored all the ones that have failed, especially when someone tries to convert a popular IP into one and fails, thinking they could somehow dress it up enough to get by.
Sadly WB still hasn't learned and now they're going to do the same to HP but I seem to remember hearing rumors a while back that was in the works anyway so it sounds like that could be the next priority for them instead of a proper sequel. If they want to do a live service game then fine but create a new IP and don't ruin a beloved one.
They should just sell gryphon armor, then start selling revisions of the HP game that have improved graphics and better voice overs and such.
Like changing the slider for the MC's voice off of centra makes them sound robotic. Fix that.. get more voice variations recorded.. release a 'master' edition with updated textures, better voice recordings for the MC at least. Maybe a trip to a school after Hogwarts to continue the adventure... that sort of thing.
"Grimlakin, post: 83017, member: 215" wrote:They should just sell gryphon armor, then start selling revisions of the HP game that have improved graphics and better voice overs and such.
Like changing the slider for the MC's voice off of centra makes them sound robotic. Fix that.. get more voice variations recorded.. release a 'master' edition with updated textures, better voice recordings for the MC at least. Maybe a trip to a school after Hogwarts to continue the adventure... that sort of thing.
On the flipside that Sony exclusive bonus mission is supposed to be coming to PC sometime soon.
Discussion (4 replies)
Join Discussion →Hogwarts Legacy: massive hit, made lots of money
Suicide Squad: flop, money loser
Which would you try to replicate?
The gaming community tried to tell them that this was not the game they wanted but WB didn't really listen and so of course, it flopped. Folks spoke up early on with comparisons to The Avengers which ended up being one of the final straws that broke the camel's back which led to Square Enix's Eidos Montreal breakup. The higher-ups just couldn't get it as they only looked at $$$ for live service games but clearly ignored all the ones that have failed, especially when someone tries to convert a popular IP into one and fails, thinking they could somehow dress it up enough to get by.
Sadly WB still hasn't learned and now they're going to do the same to HP but I seem to remember hearing rumors a while back that was in the works anyway so it sounds like that could be the next priority for them instead of a proper sequel. If they want to do a live service game then fine but create a new IP and don't ruin a beloved one.
They should just sell gryphon armor, then start selling revisions of the HP game that have improved graphics and better voice overs and such.
Like changing the slider for the MC's voice off of centra makes them sound robotic. Fix that.. get more voice variations recorded.. release a 'master' edition with updated textures, better voice recordings for the MC at least. Maybe a trip to a school after Hogwarts to continue the adventure... that sort of thing.
On the flipside that Sony exclusive bonus mission is supposed to be coming to PC sometime soon.