We’ve updated the end of this post with the confirmation and press release; we’ve left the original reporting intact.
For the last year, it seems that Daybreak has registered more trademarks and domain names and social media accounts than it has produced actual content for its MMO.
MMO readers will recall that in earlier this year, Daybreak finally confirmed the registrations made back in 2019: Rogue Planet Games was created to run the PlanetSide franchise, Dimensional Ink for DC Universe Online and a secret in-dev title, and Darkpaw Games for the EverQuest franchise, all still owned and operated by Daybreak. H1Z1 had been left in limbo, but then in May, Daybreak registered Wandering Monster Games, which might have something to do with the zombie apocalypse battle royale franchise, though there’s no confirmation on that yet.
Let’s do more! Theory Forge’s Scott Anderson noticed that Daybreak has in the last few weeks filed trademarks for something called Cold Iron too. His take – and he’s often right – is that it’s for a new IP or new game content; it could be the secret game being worked on by Dimensional Ink.
It’s also worth noting that a team using the Cold Iron Studios name already exists: It’s the group run by former Cryptic devs that was working on an Alien-franchise MMOFPS, but the studio’s parent company was sold off to a mobile games company, Scopely, earlier this year. So far as we can tell, it’s still a going concern, so we doubt they’re related, but if the name “Cold Iron” tickled a memory, that’s probably why. [Edit: MOP reader fatherteachergamer points out that the logos are the same too, so maybe it’s more than a coincidence. We’ll wait and see.]
Two new trademarks have been filed by @DaybreakGames on 7/31 and 8/3. Cold Iron and a logo. Note it does not say games on the end making me believe this is an expansion of some sort or new IP. pic.twitter.com/j9HVNMyd35
— Scott (@MSandersonD) August 10, 2020
August 11, 2020 – Daybreak Games, global publisher and developer of large-scale multiplayer online games, today announced it acquired Cold Iron Studios, the San Jose based studio of veteran MMO, action and shooter developers currently working on a PC and console game set in the iconic Alien universe.
Cold Iron Studios co-founder Craig Zinkievich will continue to lead the studio and the development of the Alien game, reporting to Ji Ham, CEO of Daybreak Games. The game promises to deliver an action-packed, sci-fi shooter experience unlike any other game on the market.
“We’re incredibly proud and excited to be part of the Daybreak family,” said Zinkievich. “Daybreak and Cold Iron share the same passion and long history for delivering action-packed multiplayer games for audiences worldwide. In combining our decades of experience developing and launching globally successful multiplayer titles, we’re destined to make great games together.”
“We are delighted to have Cold Iron Studios join the Daybreak Games family and accelerate our next generation of growth,” said Ham. “Strategic investments in highly talented and proven teams that have outstanding leaders and a track record of developing awesome online games is an important part of our growth and strategy for Daybreak.”
Cold Iron Studios was established in 2015 by the creators of City of Heroes, Star Trek Online and Neverwinter. Under the new ownership, Cold Iron Studios will operate independently with Daybreak acting as publisher providing marketing, tech and operational support.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
As we previously noted, Cold Iron was originally founded a few years ago by ex-Cryptic developers Craig Zinkievich, Shannon Posniewski, and Matt Highison and was working on an Alien MMOFPS. It was owned by FoxNext Games, which was the same company that owned FogBank, the studio run by former SWTOR heads, but FoxNext was sold by Disney to a mobile games company called Scopely earlier this year. Apparently, Scopely’s now sold it to Daybreak Games, with the same leadership and in-dev Alien game intact. According to the presser, Cold Iron has over 40 developers in its employ now.
Yep yet another reason to stay far, far away from these people.
I don’t think Cold Iron is going to release anything worth playing now.
Just another day in the cleaning business.
So, no money to keep employees around, no money to sustain their games…but they have money for this?
What the actual fuck is going on at Daybreak.
You don’t need to know
My bad for asking, Supreme Leader.
Cleaning house?
You mean money.
Must’ve been on the cheap, because where the hell would Daybreak get that money from? They haven’t exactly had any real hits in…well…uh…since they became a thing, and have been repeatedly laying people off and cost cutting instead.
Like, nothing about this makes any sense to me, because the Alien license likely did not come cheap and would have inflated the price of Cold Iron.
Is Daybreak even deeper with shady Russian investment firm money than we thought? You know, back when they learned that the company they thought owned them for the prior 2-3 years didn’t actually own them.
…unless they had other “reasons” for purchasing it. o.O
*Pigtails start playing The Godfather Waltz on a conveniently placed violin…*
I’m trying to figure how you make an MMOFPS with the Alien franchise. Alien and Aliens, the only movies in the franchise, work because the xenomorphs are terrifying in confined spaces with a small number of people. The more people with guns you have in larger areas to accommodate player numbers, the less intimidating it is. I could see an asymmetrical shooter, kind of like Natural Selection 2, but that’s not really MMO-level.
Ok:
So you choose corporate, army or colonist.
Corporate wants to catch xenomorphs.
Army wants to klll xeno.
Colony just wants pve.
Corp and army are at odds. Pvp issues.
The common threat would be engineers. Engineer ships drop cannisters on planets. Engineer ai attack all 3 factions on sight. Any time you’re outside of federal space you’re at risk. Eventually federal space gets attacked.
Colony makes money from mining and building.
Army makes money off dead engineer or xeno
Corporate makes money off live xeno, dead engineer.
It’d be open progression as in choose what you want or maybe colony first then pick from there.
Obviously cosmetic is the money brrrr.
Space travel would be dangerous and a whole thing in itself.
> Alien and Aliens, the only movies in the franchise
Is that one of those “The Matrix was a great film, shame they never made any sequels” type of comments ?
Yes. At least where I’m living it’s been a joke for some time, “There are only two Alien films”.
I would suggest that you could consider the Alien: Isolation computer game the third “film”, if you like. The developers did a great job there, in my opinion.
Cheers,
Aliens doesn’t exist
There’s only one
The world doesn’t agree with your opinion of the Alien franchise’s boundaries. No matter how hard you judge the other films, you’re still just a fan and not an intellectual property owner.
Heaven forbid I make a little joke. If you’re going to make a game based on an IP, you probably aren’t going to use the bad films for source material when you have two critically acclaimed ones to draw from. There’s a reason Alien Isolation didn’t use anything from Prometheus or Resurrection.
Alien Isolation tried to replicate the environment and aesthetic of the first movie alone, and that was an intentional design choice.
The existence of the other movies (and I include the AvP movies in that category), however, has presented plenty of source material for other properties.
I would argue that a story set in the aftermath of Alien: Resurrection would be very interesting, and possibly even a good setting for an MMOFPS.
We’ve just updated with the company’s statement.
Acquiring studios now.
Cold Iron is also the name of a set of truly shitty newbie armor that drops in the Warrens in EQ1, though that’s probably just a coincidence.
they ought tp just trademark – “Soon To Be Sunsetted” and be done with it. ;)