Activision discusses The Weakest Link license

Activision announced today that it has secured the worldwide licensing rights to develop and publish games based on the television trivia show The Weakest Link. Following the announcement, GameSpot had the opportunity to speak with Greg Goldstein, vice president of licensing at Activision, about the agreement in general, the upcoming The Weakest Link games, and some of Activision's other licensed properties.

GameSpot: What is the length of the agreement? Will we see sequels following the release of the first wave of games based on the show?

Greg Goldstein: To answer the first question, it is a multiyear agreement. We normally don't give out the length or the terms of the agreement, but obviously it is an ongoing agreement. It is not meant to be a one-shot deal in any way. The show is doing extraordinarily well in the UK, and obviously we hope that the show will do that well elsewhere, including here in the US.

GS: Did the success that Eidos has had, particularly in the UK, with its Who Wants to be a Millionaire games influence your decision to do after The Weakest Link license in any way?

GG: There is no question that the success of Millionaire helped provide some of the inspiration. The broader answer to that question is that the success of Millionaire has prompted other shows like The Weakest Link to come on the air in the first place. So, I think the analogy in gaming would be correct. You can obviously re-create an authentic game experience in the interactive environment based on these types of shows.

GS: The PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games will be released in the UK this October, but what about a North American release?

GG: The best answer to that question is that it can be answered better in about a month, after we see how well the show is doing over here. We believe that we can get games out very quickly if the show warrants it. If it is something that is going to take a little bit longer to build here, then we may wait until there is more of a buzz. Obviously, if it gets hot right away we'll push like crazy to get it out in North America.

GS: What can we expect from the games themselves?

GG: Our developers' goal is pretty straightforward. The games have to capture the look and feel of the show. The consumers want to take the experience of the show home and play it themselves. The successful video games that are based on interesting game shows, that is what they do, they capture the feel.

GS: Will Anne Robinson's voice or likeness be featured in the games?

GG: That would be our goal, yes.

GS: Are the games being developed in-house?

GG: Actually it is a combination of in-house and outside development teams. It will be specific teams for specific platforms.

GS: Will we see the Xbox, GameCube, and GBA versions of the game this year?

GG: At this point the answer is maybe. Things could change. The show could take off and get hot, but it is less likely that they will come out this year. Still, it's not impossible.

GS: Was The Weakest Link license attractive as a single property or will Activision try to secure more of these type of TV show-based properties?

GG: It is a combination of those, but it is more of the former than the latter. The Weakest Link fits into our strategy because trivia games are something we haven't done on consoles and they represent additional opportunity for the company. It is a mass-market phenomenon already in the UK, and we expect that it will be the same over here. It fits into that strategy of working with the best possible properties.

GS: Can we expect other licensing announcements from Activision in the near future?

GG: We've got a number of deals that we're getting set to announce, hopefully in the next couple of days. Actually, one is probably a week or two away. We'll just be adding to the kinds of mass-market properties that Activision wants to be developing--properties that make sense for a broad base of gaming consumers.

GS: Are there specific franchises that you're looking at securing in the future?

GG: Obviously, we have identified three or four core categories. Extreme sports is one of them, and superheroes and kids franchises are the other ones. So, we'll continue to add properties that fit with our strategy and we'll also seek opportunities, like The Weakest Link, that also expands our strategy.

GS: We actually had a specific question regarding your Star Trek license. What is the future of your Star Trek-based games on consoles?

GG: Our goal with the Star Trek franchise is a long-term agreement where we're going to continue developing what we think are cutting edge games based on that franchise.

GS: Thanks for your time.