Ron Gilbert Wants to Buy Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion IPs from Disney

[ffronw]

Ron Gilbert Wants to Buy Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion IPs from Disney

//cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/1324/1324288.jpgThe creator of Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion wants Disney to sell him those IPs now that it's out of the games business.

It's been two weeks since Disney cancelled Disney Infinity and closed down Avalanche Studios [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/167407-Disney-Ends-Infinity-Line-Closing-Avalanche-Software]. That closure means that Disney is out of the games business, except for the titles that it licenses to other companies.

Long-time game developer Ron Gilbert is seizing on this opportunity to try and re-acquire the IP for his classic point-and-click adventure titles Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion. In a tweet (seen below), he reached out to Disney, offering to pay "real money" for them.

This isn't the first time that Gilbert has expressed interest in acquiring these IPs. Back in 2012, when Disney bought Lucasfilm and LucasArts, he said it was unlikely that Disney would do anything with the properties. In 2013, he wrote about what he'd do with a new Monkey Island game on his Grumpy Gamer blog [http://grumpygamer.com/if_i_made_another_monkeyisland].

While Gilbert would likely do something worthwhile with the IPs, the odds of Disney selling them off are likely small. What's more likely is Disney offering some sort of licensing agreement to Gilbert, although it's difficult to speculate on whether he'd be interested in that.

Still, I'd love to see Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion come back again. I'd play both of those.

[tweet t=https://twitter.com/grumpygamer/status/734843964709175297]

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[immortalfrieza]

What is sickening is that a person like Gilbert needs to buy back the IPs he created in the first place. The only place IPs should be able to go outside of the creator's control is public domain, a creator losing control shouldn't be possible by any other means.

IP law is a travesty.

 

[Worgen]

Is this really news? I mean haven't we known he has wanted to buy those IPs from disney for years now?

 

[RaikuFA]

Is this really news? I mean haven't we known he has wanted to buy those IPs from disney for years now?

It's more of an update.

Since Disney left the games business it makes Ron case more reasonable.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

I wish him the best of luck. Despite them now leaving the game publishing scene, modern Disney seems to me like they still might follow the horrible AAA publisher practice of clutching onto an IP with a death grip and letting it rot from lack of use.

IP law really needs a massive reworking. So many properties and works are in limbo because of companies sitting on unused treasure like an evil dragon, or they are stuck in a legal grey area because of rights to the individual parts of a work can't easily be legally defined. Just look at the Deadpool game. Also, look at how the Adam West Batman TV series can be reran on cable/satellite until the heat death of the universe, but the show (besides the movie) can't get a DVD release because the rights were never negotiated for home video. (Although, seeing into the future would have helped in the Batman case.)

 

[RaikuFA]

I wish him the best of luck. Despite them now leaving the game publishing scene, modern Disney seems to me like they still might follow the horrible AAA publisher practice of clutching onto an IP with a death grip and letting it rot from lack of use.

IP law really needs a massive reworking. So many properties and works are in limbo because of companies sitting on unused treasure like an evil dragon, or they are stuck in a legal grey area because of rights to the individual parts of a work can't easily be legally defined. Just look at the Deadpool game. Also, look at how the Adam West Batman TV series can be reran on cable/satellite until the heat death of the universe, but the show (besides the movie) can't get a DVD release because the rights were never negotiated for home video. (Although, seeing into the future would have helped in the Batman case.)

Batman 60s is getting dvd releases. I can walk into target and get the first few seasons.

 

[Dalisclock]

I hope he gets it. Maybe then we'll be finally able to find out what Ron Gilberts sequel to Monkey Island 2 looks like(and get a better explanation for the wierd-ass "twist" ending).

 

[K12]

Does the IP not revert to the original owner if they don't make a new game within a given time period? I mean that's what the new Tony Hawk's and Fantfourstic were about or were they special cases?

 

[Ishigami]

Good luck with that...

 

[ccggenius12]

Does the IP not revert to the original owner if they don't make a new game within a given time period? I mean that's what the new Tony Hawk's and Fantfourstic were about or were they special cases?

Not applicable since those are licensed to be made; that is, they didn't buy the IP, they just bought the right to make content using it. Disney actually bought everything. If they wanted to, they could lock Star Wars in a vault and tell everyone to suck on it for a few decades, as they OWN it.

OT: I hope something comes of this, I'd like remakes of the Monkey Island's that come between #2 and the Telltale adaptation, because I'd very much like to be able to play through the whole series. Heck, I'd settle for a straight port on GoG or Steam, as long as it works on modern computers without any hassle.

 

[Freyr]

While Gilbert would likely do something worthwhile with the IPs, the odds of Disney selling them off are likely small. What's more likely is Disney offering some sort of licensing agreement to Gilbert, although it's difficult to speculate on whether he'd be interested in that.

According to an old blog post:-
http://grumpygamer.com/if_i_made_another_monkeyisland

Eleven - The only way I would or could make another Monkey Island is if I owned the IP. I've spent too much of my life creating and making things other people own. Not only would I allow you to make Monkey Island fan games, but I would encourage it. Label them as such, respect the world and the characters and don't claim they are canon. Of course, once the lawyers get ahold of that last sentence it will be seven pages long.

I'd say the chances of licensing agreement are pretty low.

 

[kiri3tsubasa]

If Disney owned Maniac Mansion, how did they not sue the fuck out of Double Fine since Day of the Tentacle includes the entire Maniac Mansion game in it?

 

[Dalisclock]

If Disney owned Maniac Mansion, how did they not sue the fuck out of Double Fine since Day of the Tentacle includes the entire Maniac Mansion game in it?

I'm sure TS and DF lincensed the game in order to make the remaster.

 

[JCAll]

Never going to happen. Not in a million years. Not with all the money in the universe.
Because it's @#$%ing DISNEY! Disney never lets go of anything. Disney has rewritten the law to keep it's stranglehold.