Outriders is another Western investment by Square Enix that did not bring the expected results. People Can Fly informed that by the end of 2021 it had not obtained “bonus” royalties, which is directly related to the interest in the position.
Last month, the Polish studio unveiled the first fictional expansion pack for Outriders , which will hit the market next month. The extension costs a lot , at the same time it is difficult to predict whether the new content will be noticed by many recipients. The game has been available on the market for a year and as many fans of looter shooters point out, Poles did not necessarily do well with the active development of the shooter.
Square Enix announced the sale of Western studios and IP, but Outriders was on the short list of brands that the Japanese manufacturer still wants to deal with . The company has not decided to get rid of the position developed by the Polish studio, which is quite a surprise in the light of recent reports. As People Can Fly confirmed, the shooter did not make a living by the end of 2021.
“Since the game was completed and placed on the market (which happened on April 1st 2021), the Company has been entitled to royalties payable if specific proceeds (as defined in the agreement) from its sales ensure that the publisher recovers a predetermined level of costs incurred in connection with the development, promotion and distribution of the game. The level of royalties depends on the amount of specific proceeds from the game’s sales.
“The Group received no royalties from the publisher for the period to December 31st 2021, which means that as at the reporting date net proceeds from the sale of Outriders were insufficient to recover the costs and expenses incurred by the publisher to develop, distribute and promote the title.”
Square Enix provided the budget for development, promotion and distribution, but the title still did not turn up well, resulting in a lack of payouts. The team can count on financial support to create a shooter and most likely develop add-ons, but until December 31, 2021, the position did not generate profits.
In the People Can Fly financial report, we can read that there is no certainty whether the game will earn for itself in the coming months, which means that the developers still cannot talk about the success of Outriders.
“There can be no assurance that net proceeds from the sale of Outriders in future periods will be sufficient for the publisher to recover the costs incurred and to pay royalties to the Group.”
It is worth adding that Square Enix has full rights to the Outriders brand, and the domestic team has created the production and is currently watching over its development.