Take-Two Interactive has purchased popular indie game Kerbal Space Program, which has been released for a number of platforms such as PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and more.
For the uninitiated, Take Two is the parent company of Rockstar Games, the developers behind the popular Grand Theft Auto franchise. It's also the parent company of 2K Games, which created games such as Civilization, Borderlands, BioShock, and more.
Take Two Acquires 'Kerbal Space Program'
Take-Two announced the acquisition on Wednesday, May 31. During a Q and A, Strauss Zelnick, the company's CEO, subsequently stated both the game and developer Squad were included as part of the deal. However, Take-Two has since clarified that it only purchased the game, not the developer, although Squad will continue refining Kerbal Space Program going forward.
The acquisition adds to Take-Two's library of owned intellectual property.
"This is an opportunity to buy a title that's already successful," Zelnick explained — and he's right. The game has sold roughly 2 million units and counting. The game's development isn't over, too, as more content packs are slated in the future. For instance, the developers are currently working on the game's Making History Expansion.
Zelnick thinks Kerbal Space Program makes for a great addition to its independent games initiative, which it calls "an area [Take-Two doesn't] talk about much, but it's an area of increasing focus."
"We have been impressed with Kerbal Space Program since its launch, and we are committed to grow this unique experience while continuing to support its passionate community," said Michael Worosz, Take-Two's senior vice president, head of corporate development and independent publishing, in a statement.
The Game Won't Change
Worosz hinted that the acquisition of the game marks only the beginning of Take-Two widening its indie portfolio, as it continues to "explore opportunities across the independent development landscape."
Kerbal Space Program was released for the PC back in 2015, but the game had been made available since 2013 via Steam's Early Access program.
Squad assured fans that nothing will change.
"Squad and the current development team is still here," said the KSP development team, noting that if there's any change at all, it's that Squad now has the help of an experienced publisher such as Take-Two at its disposal.
Kerbal Space Program
Kerbal Space Program has reaped its fair share of accolades over the years, even capturing the attention of notable people and space agencies such as NASA and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
It's a space flight simulation game where players are tasked to design functioning spaceships. Launching initially for Windows, the game has since been ported to the PS4 and Xbox One, with a Wii U version planned sometime in the future.
The game features three modes: Sandbox Mode, where players are encouraged to build anything they dream up; Science Mode, which allows players to conduct scientific experiments to advance the knowledge of humanoid aliens called "Kerbals" and innovate the current technology; and Career Mode, the more hands-on part of the game, lets players manage every aspect of their own Space Program, such as crew management, reputation, and more.
