A re-release of the 90s point-and-click Discworld game “may happen”, designer Gregg Barnett has teased. However, the developer said because of the way intellectual property rights work in the UK, 50 percent of the game currently belongs to the crown, which complicates matters a tad.
Discworld was originally released in 1995, having been created with input from Discworld novels author Terry Pratchett. On its launch, the game was well-received, with many complimenting its humour. It became a classic of its time, and a source of many fond memories. I can still recall the voice of Eric Idle’s Rincewind perfectly.
A sequel then followed in the form of Discworld 2: Missing Presumed…!? in 1996, before Discworld Noir arrived in 1999.
But, could we see Discworld and its follow-ups remastered for modern hardware? Well, maybe. In a recent interview with Time Extension, Barnett was asked about the rights to Discworld, and whether any publishers had tried to contact him about them. This was because many assumed the rights were in some sort of limbo.
Barnett subsequently told the publication that 50 percent of the rights had actually reverted to him as the creator “because the company Perfect Entertainment had been closed for over 10 years”. The other 50 percent, meanwhile, had gone to the crown.
“Whenever something closes in the UK, intellectual property rights revert 50 percent to the original creator and 50 percent to the crown, which is King Charles. So that’s the two owners of the games,” he explained.
Barnett went on to state that there have already been “discussions” about re-releasing the Discworld games in some form or another. He suggested “something may be happening down the track”. However, because of those IP rights, it won’t be as straightforward as it could be under different circumstances.
“It’s obviously a complicated process when you’re dealing with the crown,” Barnett closed.
I personally would love the chance to revisit Discworld with my two children. What do you think? Do you reckon King Charles would be up for it?
