You know those Total War games? The ones that are pretty much the pinnacle of PC strategy games? There’s been loads of them: Rome, Medieval, Shogun, Empire. They’re always really good, expertly balanced and incredibly intricate strategic games that you can lose hours to. Well, it’s just been announced that the extremely talented team behind those games has formed a partnership with Games Workshop.
Sega, Creative Assembly’s publisher, has sent around a press release to let us all know that they’ve inked a deal with the owner of the Warhammer fantasy franchise. It’s a multi-title deal based on the fantasy stuff rather than the futuristic Warhammer 40K stuff but that’s no bad thing.
Everyone involved is making the usual positive noises about it being a dream partnership and having huge respect for each other – everything you hear in every press release of this kind. That said, I think this is potentially one of the most exciting pairings we’ve seen in a long time. The Warhammer fantasy universe is incredibly deep and rich in mythos. There’s an almost unlimited wealth of material for Creative Assembly to draw from and there’s nobody better in games development to make the kind of game that the Warhammer franchise is crying out for.
While the Warhammer 40K license has seen a fair bit of videogame action over the years, the fantasy wing of Games Workshop’s catalogue has been left wanting by the interactive entertainment medium for any product of much substance. A game with similar traits to those so adroitly implemented in the numerous Total War games has so much potential.
Creative Assembly is one of Sega’s most precious jewels, currently working on a number of projects including the imminent Total War Rome II and an as-yet-unnamed project which makes use of Sega’s Alien license. This latest deal is yet another exciting prospect from a studio that can, seemingly, do little wrong.
Jim Hargreaves
*Jumps around like a raving loony*
About time. The Warhammer license has been neglected for what seems like an age (at least on consoles.)
Though a strategy game would be also, it would be cool to see CA do something with the license similar to their hack n’ slash game, Viking.
cc_star
Hope for their sake that THQ has retained 40k.
I don’t know a single thing about this fantasy stuff though, but Creative Assembly are great.
cc_star
Although saying that, if you’re struggling then paying licence fees for IP isn’t the best way to build yourself back up, if you haven’t got a pot to piss in.
They need to regroup around Darksiders, Metro, Saints Row, Company of Heroes to build their capital back up.
Anyway, that’s getting away from Warhammer & CA
avengerrr
Aren’t they doing that tho?
Metro last light, CoH 2?
cc_star
Yep… but considering Darksiders 2 wasn’t a huge success, and presumably Metro Last Light was expensive to develop, it’s still going to be tough.
avengerrr
Should be interesting, though if the total war games are anything to go by for stability I wouldn’t actually be able to start the game past the loading screen.
I too hope 40k is retained, otherwise….
VINDICARE 40K
Oh hell yes! Being a massive hobbyist in Warhammer, 40k, Necromunda – I love it when a new video game is announced. Dawn of War and DoW II are both excellent, Space Marine 40k is quite good too.
But as this article points out – the complexity and possibilities with this partnership could see the most faithful and accurate (virtual) recreation of the table top battles! Though nothing beats collecting and painting your own armies.
Be nice if they get the Lord of the Rings too, oh and dread Fleet :-)
hazelam
but in their games need, you know, actual strategy.O_O
that’s me knackered then. ^_^
An-dz
Only the Warhammer and not Warhammer 40k. Darn it, Im only really into the 40k part rather than the original Warhammer. Id love to see a RTS for it done in the total war style. The board game could be a bit hard to do because of some of the rules in it. There are some units that are literary impossible to defeat ( but you are unlikly to have becuase the models cost alot)
yogdog
OMG OMG OMG CAN’T WAIT CAN’T WAIT CAN’T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!
Literally the best gaming news I’ve ever heard, considering that Total War is my favourite series of games and I love pretty much anything Games Workshop (besides the prices…). BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Forrest_01
Haha – I had a feeling you might enjoy this news (& i nealy commented as such), but i wasn’t totally sure if you liked warhammer as a whole, or the 40K stuff
Gadbury
The Total War games are the PC’s jewel in the crown. Fantastic games.