Warner Bros. May Start Licensing Its Biggest Gaming Franchises to Other Companies

Warner Bros. May Start Licensing Its Biggest Gaming Franchises to Other Companies

Highlights

  • 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.

As a longtime gamer with a soft spot for DC and Harry Potter franchises, I must admit that I find the recent news about Warner Bros.’ potential plan to license out their major properties quite intriguing. Having spent countless hours immersed in the magical world of Hogwarts and battling villains alongside my favorite superheroes, I can’t help but feel a mix of anticipation and apprehension.


During a recent earnings call, David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, hinted at the potential for Warner Bros. to grant licenses to some of its iconic properties, such as DC, Harry Potter, and Looney Tunes, among others. This move could expand the number of video game studios that can work with these popular franchises, potentially exciting fans with a broader range of games in the future.

With rising production costs for video games and longer development cycles, numerous AAA studios have turned to outsourcing game development to keep consumers and investors engaged in their products. Given recent remarks by Zaslav, it’s being predicted that Warner Bros. might soon explore external resources to grow its collection of video games as well.

During a Q2 2024 earnings call for WB Discovery, Zaslav answered a question about the company’s gaming division. According to IGN, he and JB Perrette of WB Games expressed interest in expanding Warner Bros.’ gaming business. They are particularly interested in the free-to-play segment of video games and plan to leverage their extensive IP collection. Zaslav highlighted the success of “Hogwarts Legacy” and indicated that more in-house studios may be involved in game development. However, he also mentioned that WB is exploring possibilities for outsourcing some projects, which could mean granting access to additional developers to create games based on Warner Bros. franchises.

Warner Bros. May License DC And Harry Potter To Other Game Developers

It appears that while Warner Bros. has not yet confirmed any future AAA collaborations with other game development studios, recent comments from Zaslav and Perrette during their Q2 earnings call suggest they’ve given it some thought. In the past, Warner Bros. has licensed its properties for games such as DC Superhero Girls and the forthcoming Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports. If Warner Bros. aims to capitalize on its IP while increasing its gaming portfolio, it seems logical that they might consider outsourcing their top franchises to avoid escalating costs and manage longer production timelines. Whether this strategy will actually be implemented is still uncertain, but both Zaslav and Perrette have shown interest in the idea.

Despite speculation that Warner Bros. is stepping back from the gaming industry, it appears that high-ranking executives are optimistic about the future of WB video games. Given the extensive media franchises owned by Warner Bros., there’s no shortage of content for their internal game studios to develop or for external developers to potentially use through licensing agreements.

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2024-08-09 22:26