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Weta Studio Is Making A New Game Based On A "Major Worldwide IP"

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman

The Lord of the Rings effects and props studio Weta has revealed that its gaming division is working on a new game based on a "major worldwide IP."

A job ad for a producer role at Weta Workshop Interactive further teases that this IP is "very close to our hearts," which is intriguing to think about. Weta is best known for its work on Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings series, so that franchise would seemingly fit the bill. However, nothing is confirmed at this stage, and Weta has worked on numerous other gigantic franchises over the years such as The Hobbit, Avatar, King Kong, and Wonder Woman.

The new game at Weta Interactive is being made for PC and console, the job ad says. The description also suggests that the project is only just getting off the ground. "Get in on the ground of this exciting next phase here in the Interactive team at Weta Workshop!" it says.

On Facebook, Weta said of the new game that it is based on an "incredibly rich and inspiring license that will fill fans and players around the world with delight."

Weta's gaming division, which is based in Wellington, New Zealand, was founded in 2012. The producer job is the one and only position that is currently open at the studio.

Some of the games that Weta Interactive has worked on to date include Dr. Grordbort's Invaders for Magic Leap and the multiplayer VR game Combonauts.
 

Fbh

Member
With that description the chances of it being a Shrek game are slim....but not zero:

shrek GIF
 

K2D

Banned
I think of it as a venn diagram..

Weta might have a surplus of time in between projects -

Unity and/or affiliates might want branch into AA/AAA-games..

Or

Unity might want to compete or out perform competitors with their engine, and need to incorporate new tools -

and Weta are sitting on a lot of expertise and technology.
 
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CamHostage

Member
Weta has a gaming division?

Sort of. Has had for a while now, actually. Peter Jackson originally had a team called Wingnut Interactive that was going to make a Halo Chronicles episodic series back in the 360 days (back when Peter Jackson was involved in a Halo movie/show/multimedia-thing) but I'm unclear if there was ever a connection with Wingnut and Weta. This Weta Workshop Interactive division then formed in 2014 and has done a lot of VR and AR experiments (they did a number of projects for the ill-existing Magic Leap One...) Weta Workshop might do contract work for games behind the scenes or be involved in the non-interactive stuff (they've been around since 2012, I assume they did something that somebody has played by now...?), but for the most part, nobody has ever heard of any of the games that they've made or prepared so far.

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Bkdk

Member
This will be unity's biggest shot in the huge NFT gaming opportunity, bullish for their stock. Unity's CEO is John Riccitiello and there is no way he doensn't want unity to become one of the leader in NFT gaming. The rise in NFTs is basically John's wet dream become reality. I'm sure he's mumbling my precious all day and night for this opportunity. Come on John, don't mess this up.
 
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CamHostage

Member
Weta fired half their game team last year.

So, aside from the Magic Leap apps (which, unless you're a game developer yourself, your not even supposed to be able to purchase,) Weta Workshop's game team never actually released anything, is that correct? They don't seem to have any credits on like CGI or element construction as contract labor, but maybe I missed something?
 

Black_Stride

do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
Weta has a gaming division?
They HAD a gaming division.
Half of them were fired last year.

The remaining half have been bought up by Unity Technologies.

P.S Dont mistake Weta Digital for WetaFX. WetaFX is the studio that does VFX and animations for movies and shit, Weta Digital is these guys.
 
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So, aside from the Magic Leap apps (which, unless you're a game developer yourself, your not even supposed to be able to purchase,) Weta Workshop's game team never actually released anything, is that correct? They don't seem to have any credits on like CGI or element construction as contract labor, but maybe I missed something?

I don't think the games team is very clearly separated from the Workshop and Weta's R&D department. On paper they're a division of Weta Workshop. Their lead designer is one of the Workshop's sculptors and concept artists.
The Workshop worked on Shadow of Mordor in parallel with the Hobbit movies, then Grey Goo and Shadow of War. The games team is probably doing a Valve-style office on wheels thing and they work wherever there's an opening.
My bet is right now they're working on Ubisoft's Avatar and a big LOTR game.
 
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IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
Why bother with this announcement? Why not just say what the IP is? Absolute dick tease.
 
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