This latest news about Hitman will not sit well with its die-hard fans. Recent reports indicate that Square Enix has just announced the withdrawal of its investment to game developer IO Interactive. With this move, SE bade goodbye to its millions of dollars of investments in this company.
Could This Be The End Of Hitman?
However, fans should not overreact to this latest news regarding Hitman. It appears that Square Enix is undertaking some discussions with potential investors who might want to continue operating the studio. While this does not mean the end of the video game, it nevertheless portends a bleak future for the franchise.
Square Enix Says Goodbye To $43 Million
Square Enix has released a brief statement about this Hitman latest news, together with its 2017 fiscal year earnings report. In the statement, the company said it decided to withdraw its participation in the business of IO Interactive starting March 31 of the present fiscal year. In doing so, SE revealed that the company suffered a staggering loss of $43 million (4.989 billion yen).
How Square Enix Acquired Control Of IO Interactive
It was in 2009 when Square Enix acquired control of IO Interactive, the company that developed Hitman. When SE bought Eidos Interactive, the parent company of IO, it gained control of the game developer. With this latest news, the two companies have effectively parted ways.
Square Enix explained its recent move regarding IO Interactive by saying that the company wants to maximize player satisfaction and improve its market potential in the future. Apparently, the company thinks that cutting its ties with the game developer is one of the ways the gaming giant can achieve this aim.
Will Another Hitman Come To The Surface?
Meanwhile, it is now up for the fans of Hitman to wait for the latest news if there will be another game that will resurface after this. As Square Enix said, it is negotiating with interested parties who might want to continue developing the franchise. On a side note, it is not only Hitman that has experienced this downturn. Deux Ex is also on hiatus, as well as another notable title, Mass Effect.
