Clancy Sells Rights to His Name to Ubisoft; Ubisoft Contemplating Clancy-Based MMO

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said in a conference call today that the company believes they are in a good position to “go for” a Tom Clancy brand MMO. The news comes out in conjunction with an agreement between the best-selling author and French publisher that will see Clancy pocket an estimated sum of €20 million with additional payouts coming over the next two years. The deal will give the publisher access to the author's name enabling royalty-free future titles. The wording points out that Ubisoft will be able to do more than just make video games under the name, instead the firm will have the ability to create meta-franchises via "ancillary products including related books, movies and merchandising products.”

Guillemot elaborated that his firm can now financially obligate itself to producing a Clancy-based MMO due to the change in fees. Guillemot told the conference call that, "Having no fees, it's going to give us a full return, [so] we've really decided now to go for an MMO on the Clancy name, which is big." Although there seems to be no title currently in production Guillemot did estimate that the project would cost "between $40 and $50 million."

Judging by how many franchises use Clancy's name, the deal should save Ubisoft millions, floating their profit that much higher. As for Clancy's side of the deal, maybe this will give him an excuse to get back to writing his own books!