Updated
Updated · Engadget · Jul 2
Empire Interactive Ends 3DO Revival Days After Relaunch Pledge as Ownership Rights Disputes Emerge
Updated
Updated · Engadget · Jul 2

Empire Interactive Ends 3DO Revival Days After Relaunch Pledge as Ownership Rights Disputes Emerge

3 articles · Updated · Engadget · Jul 2

Summary

  • Days after promising a relaunch, Empire Interactive said it has halted work to rebuild the 3DO console and remaster its games.
  • Multiple parties claimed rights to both the hardware and game catalog, and Empire said it would not risk prolonged legal fights that could cost more than any revival might earn.
  • Time Extension reported the dispute centers on a split in ownership: new owner Işık Şekercigil holds the 3DO company name, but not the console or game IP.
  • Throwback Entertainment reportedly controls those rights and told Time Extension it has no plans to sell them, leaving the retro-console comeback effectively blocked.

Insights

With its IP scattered across many companies, is a true 3DO console revival now legally impossible?
How can you own a company's name without the rights to its most iconic products?
Was the failed revival a naive dream or a clumsy attempt to exploit a famous brand name?