Games Workshop: seven new video games deals, and more to come

Iconic tabletop gaming firm Games Workshop has a new strategy for licensing its IP to the games business.

It has signed up seven new games development partners in the last nine months, each of them working on various different games, inspired by the Warhammer fantasy medieval brand, the fantasy sci-fi 40,000 brand or GW’s other games.

Today’s deal with Slitherine was just the latest, following on from an agreement with social games firm Zattikka earlier in the week.

It also has new titles coming from studios Rodeo and Full Control, and Sega studio Creative Assembly became another licensee late last year.

Cyanide is working on another Blood Bowl game, and Nomad Games has signed up to produce a game based on Talisman.

Most of those partners – save for save for Danish Full Control and French Cyanide – are, like the miniatures and RPG specialist, based in the UK.

But the company now wants even more licensees in games and is now willing to dig into its vast history of boardgames and strategy creations and use them on digital platforms.

It also means the Games Workshop brands will be available in a mix of video games business models.

A statement from the firm sent to MCV said: "Games Workshop has an enormous library of exciting IP. A new world of gaming is opening up and we are happy to talk with anyone with a sound business model and a good idea. The good idea is pretty important."

Previously the firm occasionally licensed its headline properties out for large-scale efforts – including mixed results in MMO with EA/Mythic (and previously Climax) and a deal with THQ for console and PC games.

But the firm said it’s now being more flexible: "The days of monolithic Warhammer or Warhammer 40,000 licenses on all platforms are behind us.

"In the future, games based on our properties will be platform and subject specific, which is great news as it means there are far more opportunities than before."

The firm has said it is open to pitches, too – and will be attending the bigger trade events to meet potential new games partners.

"We can be contacted atlicensing@gwplc.comor in person at shows like E3 and GDC. We look forward to hearing from publishers, developers and talented start ups."