Matrix Game Payments To Wachowskis Revealed

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a Gamesindustry.biz report discussing the financial terms of the deal made with the Wachowski Brothers for the Matrix games. It's rare that anyone gets to see the kind of financial terms granted to creators of big licenses like The Matrix. But divorce documents for one of the brothers, made available via The Smoking Gun, have revealed a total of 2.75 million dollars will be paid to them with regard to Atari's Enter The Matrix game (and another 2.75 million going direct to Warner Bros), plus an eventual total of 2.5 million dollars going to the Wachowskis for Ubi Soft's The Matrix Online through 2007. More proof, if needed, that games are seriously big business.

Re:Small Correction

[Babbster]

You're right on every level. I would never question Atari (formerly Infogrames) or Ubisoft on their business decision to spend the money for those licensing rights. Not only was the movie huge but the themes and style of the movie are perfect for videogames. I'm not even against it in abstract terms because the more those companies make on Enter The Matrix and the Matrix MMOG, the more money they have to spend on other games within their company that might have ended up being second-rate niche titles otherwise.

Facts are facts, though, and the fact is that 9 out of 10 (conservative estimate) games licensed from TV shows and movies stink so bad that game stores could be Superfund sites.

One can only hope that Atari and Ubisoft will spend the money they're going to rake in on these projects on more interesting projects rather than paying bonuses to top execs or buying more big licenses.

PS - I have to note in closing that anything keeping the Atari symbol profitable and productive is a good thing in my nostalgic eyes. :)

That's it?

[GrandCow]

I figured for the licenses to that franchise the payments would be in excess of $10 mil total.