Double Fine regains Costume Quest, Stacking rights from Nordic Games
Double Fine once again controls Costume Quest and Stacking after regaining distribution rights from Nordic Games. Nordic Games acquired the rights to Costume Quest and Stacking when it bought the properties in THQ's bankruptcy auction in April. THQ previously published both games.
Nordic and Double Fine have a deal to publish retail versions of Psychonauts, Costume Quest and Stacking in North America and Europe in the first half of 2014, for PC and Mac.
"I am pleased that we have regained full control over Costume Quest and Stacking, following a daring and top-secret midnight raid on the Nordic Games headquarters in Vienna," Double Fine CEO Tim Schafer said in a press release.
Nordic CEO Lars Wingefors cleared the air in the same release: "We can't wait to partner with Double Fine for this upcoming retail launch of three of its most excellent games. However, I feel compelled to point out that we were happy to transfer distribution rights for Costume Quest and Stacking back to Double Fine in an entirely non-secretive and heist-free manner."
As early as May, Double Fine expressed interest in regaining distribution rights for both games, though it never lost the IP rights.
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Double Fine Regains Costume Quest & Stacking Publishing Rights, Partners with Nordic Games for Retail Release
Psychonauts, Stacking, Costume Quest to see retail release in North America and Europe in first half of 2014
San Francisco, CA and Vienna, Austria - November 26, 2013 - Double Fine Productions and Nordic Games GmbH have announced that Double Fine has reacquired the publishing and distribution rights to its games Costume Quest and Stacking. Additionally, Double Fine has decided to partner with Nordic Games to bring retail releases of Psychonauts, Costume Quest, and Stacking for Windows and Mac in North America and Europe during the first half of 2014.
"I am pleased that we have regained full control over Costume Quest and Stacking, following a daring and top-secret midnight raid on the Nordic Games headquarters in Vienna," said Double Fine president and CEO Tim Schafer.
"We can't wait to partner with Double Fine for this upcoming retail launch of three of its most excellent games," said Lars Wingefors, owner and CEO of Nordic Games. "However, I feel compelled to point out that we were happy to transfer distribution rights for Costume Quest and Stacking back to Double Fine in an entirely non-secretive and heist-free manner."
Nordic Games previously acquired the distribution rights to Stacking and Costume Quest upon the bankruptcy of former publisher THQ in early 2013.
"Double Fine is dedicated to controlling its own IP, and we will continue working to bring all associated rights back in-house whenever possible," said Double Fine business development VP Justin Bailey, "no matter how many split-second security system hacks or painstaking tunneling operations we have to execute."
"I just want to clarify, again, that we support the right of independent developers to control their own distribution, and we were pleased to have the opportunity to work with Double Fine," said Klemens Kreuzer, Managing Director at Nordic Games. "No heists."
Psychonauts was originally released at retail in 2005, but for years has been available only through digital distribution. The upcoming retail launch will mark the first time Costume Quest and Stacking have been available as physical releases.
