Summary
- Warner Bros.' CEO suggested that the company may be planning to license out major properties like DC and Harry Potter for more game variety.
- Outsourcing game development may help Warner Bros. Adapt to rising costs and longer production cycles.
- Executives are confident in the future of Warner Bros. Video games and may expand licensing to other developers.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav stated in the company's latest quarterly earnings call that Warner Bros. May begin licensing out some of its biggest properties to allow for a wider variety of video game offerings. Warner Bros. Owns the rights to major franchises like DC, Harry Potter, and Looney Tunes, among others, and the possibility of more game development studios having access to these licenses may be promising for fans.
As video games have become more expensive to make and as gaming production cycles continue to get longer, many AAA studios have looked to outsourcing development to ensure consumers and investors stay interested in their offerings. Following comments from Zaslav, many are now speculating that Warner Bros. Will also begin looking outward to expand its library of video games.
Warner Bros. Has Acquired Another Studio
Warner Bros. Games officially acquires a new studio, potentially strengthening the Warner Bros. Family with a popular new addition.
During an investor call to discuss the WB Discovery Q2 2024 earnings, Zaslav addressed a question regarding the company's video game sector. As reported by IGN, he stated that he and JB Perrette of WB Games are keen on developing Warner Bros.' Gaming business. They specifically want to focus on the free-to-play sector of video game offerings while also taking advantage of its diverse IP portfolio. Zaslav made particular note of the success of Hogwarts Legacy and commented that Warner Bros. Would like to continue utilizing in-house studios for game development. However, he also stated that WB has started looking at allowing others to assist in maximizing the value of its IP lineup, perhaps suggesting that more developers will be granted access to making video games with licensed Warner Bros. Franchises.
Warner Bros. May License DC And Harry Potter To Other Game Developers
While Warner Bros. Has not officially announced any upcoming AAA partnerships with other game development studios, comments made by Zaslav and Perrette in the Q2 earnings call seem to indicate that the topic has been brought under consideration. Warner Bros. Has previously licensed out properties to developers for games like DC Superhero Girls and the upcoming Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports. If Warner Bros. Does want to maximize its IP value while expanding its video game offerings, it serves to reason that it would want to avoid rising costs and balance longer production cycles by licensing out its top franchises. Whether WB will actually move forward with such a plan remains to be seen, though Zaslav and Perrette have clearly voiced interest in the matter.
Contrary to rumors of Warner Bros. Turning away from gaming, it would seem that the company's top executives are confident in the future of WB video games. With some of the largest media franchises in its portfolio, Warner Bros. Certainly has plenty of content for its in-house gaming studios to work with and for outside developers to potentially license.
- Date Founded
- January 14, 2004
- Headquarters
- Burbank, California, United States
- Parent Company
- Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Warner Brothers Games
- Subsidiaries
- TT Games, Rocksteady Studios, NetherRealm Studios, Monolith Productions, WB Games Montreal, WB Games
- Known For
- Mortal Kombat, Batman, Injustice