Comic Book Publisher Dark Horse Enters The Game Development Scene

Oregon-based comic books publisher Dark Horse has opened a division dedicated to publishing video games and other digital multimedia content based on its existing IPs.

Dark Horse Games is reportedly in talks with AAA game developers in order to bring titles like “Hellboy,” “Sin City” and “300” to life in the video games industry. However, the new division will also have its own internal development team that will create games based on new or less popular IPs, IGN has learned. The new division is currently based in two different offices in Oregon and Shanghai.

Dark Horse has a reputable list of popular IPs in its disposal; most of its originals can make for great video game settings, especially the likes of “Hellboy” since it has its own self-contained universe that’s rich in lore with high potential for expansion.

The publisher has also worked with other talents to create a number of comic book adaptations for established franchises. One such work is “Apex Legends: Overtime,” a four-issue comic book series written by Jesse Stern set in the “Titanfall” universe. Additionally, Dark Horse has also published comics for IPs like “Alien,” “RoboCop” and “Star Wars,” among many others.

“We are very focused on finding the right game development partner for top IPs,” Dark Horse general manager Johnny Lee told VentureBeat.

Dark Horse is taking a cautious approach with game development. Lee said that they and their development partners are carefully evaluating Dark Horse’s IPs to find out whether or not they’re suitable for a video game adaptation.

“I think most of the triple-A devs that I’ve talked to prefer their game dev team to build core gameplay and then fit an IP around it, versus shoving an IP down their throats,” Lee stated.

The publisher’s caution is definitely warranted given the precariousness of adapting IPs into video games, especially considering how IPs like “Hellboy” have had successful movie adaptations in the past.

Many comic-based video games have fallen into obscurity before, but titles like “Batman Arkham Asylum” and the more recent “Marvel’s Spider-Man” proved that adaptations can be met with massive success if handled properly.