Kalypso Media Buys Demonicon IP, Founds Studio

The insolvency of TCG meant the The Dark Eye: Demonicon title under development from Silver Style was adrift. We heard a few days ago that things were on the move, and now RPGWatch reports that German publisher Kalypso has purchased the Demonicon IP out of TCG’s insolvency, and while the old Silver Style studio will likely fade Kalypso started up several new studios, one of which is to finish up Demonicon.

Kalypso pursues quite an aggressive expansion strategy. Over the last few years they’ve bought the Jagged Alliance IP, pretty much the whole Ascaron back catalog (Patrician, Port Royal, Darkstar One) with the exception of Sacred, a small IP from Spellbound (Airline Tycoon) and now Demonicon, a browser game and the marketing rights for a couple of solid to good adventures (Simon the Sorcerer 5, Goin’ Downtown, Everlight) from TGC. They’ve founded 3 internal studios and opened an office in the US.

The fact that Silver Style wasn’t bought out while all remaining employees left probably spells the end for the studio. This means the German market lost no less than 3 of their oldest and most experienced studios within a bit more than a year. Sacred developer Ascaron (founded 1991) closed in July 2009. Then a few months ago Drakensang studio Radon Labs (founded 1995) went belly up. And now Silver Style (1993) will probably be liquidated with the TGC shell.

For once the story has a happy ending though:

Kalypso will found the Noumena Studios GmbH in Berlin to complete Demonicon. The remaining 17 Silver Style employees will find a new home there, and the staff ramped up to 35 until the end of the year.