WB Using Game Reviews To Calculate Royalties

Thanks to The Hollywood Reporter for its article discussing Warner Bros. Interactive's decision to use average review scores in calculating the royalty rates videogame makers must pay to WB. The article explains: "Games based on Warner Bros. licenses must achieve at least a 70% rating [calculated via GameRankings.com and similar services], or incur an increase in royalty rates", with WB's Jason Hall commenting: "An escalating royalty rate kicks in to help compensate us for the brand damage... the further away from 70% it gets, the more expensive the royalty rate becomes... If the publisher delivers on what they promised -- to produce a great game -- it's not even an issue." However, Bruno Bonnell, CEO of Atari, makers of Enter The Matrix, which didn't include this contract clause, comments: "We sold four million copies. That's $250 million worldwide... and Warner Bros. would penalize us because we didn't achieve 70%? Are they joking?"

Comments

Yes! Hopefully...

[Micro$will]

this will be expanded to gamers as well. If your game sucks, you must pay me royalties to play it.

Re:4 million copies is 250 million in sales?

[chrismcdirty]

Canadians?

Re:4 million copies is 250 million in sales?

[linzeal]

Who taught the canadians about a monetary system, I've limited their influence to quebec and they are still in the neolithic age. At least in this Civilization game I'm playing.

Great tool...

[Quarters]

for any reviewer who has an axe to grind against a given game developer.

Re:I would penalize them for Enter: The Matrix

[einTier]

It didn't hurt my opinion of the franchise any more than the sequels did.

For whatever that's worth.