Take-Two Tried to Rescue Perfect Dark, But Microsoft Said "No"

The story of Perfect Dark keeps getting crazier. What used to be one of Microsoft's most popular series is once again in limbo after its much-talked-about reboot was canceled earlier this year. At first, it looked like the project, which The Initiative was running in collaboration with Crystal Dynamics, had just fallen apart because of all the problems with its growth.

But new information from a report says the story is much more complicated. This may be even more upsetting for people who have loved Joanna Dark for a long time. The report stated that Microsoft had a unique chance to save the project through a deal.

Take-Two Interactive, the company best known for making Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, apparently came close to an agreement with The Embracer Group to buy the project outright. The Embracer Group has been having trouble with its own restructuring. Take-Two would be in charge of funding and releasing the game, while Microsoft would keep ownership of the Perfect Dark IP.

It seemed like everyone could benefit: Microsoft could get rid of a messy, late project without losing the brand, and Take-Two would get a rare chance to bring a long-abandoned series with a lot of nostalgic value back to life.

But the talks reportedly broke down over a major issue: who would own the franchise in the long run. Microsoft, Take-Two, and Embracer were among the companies involved, but none of them made a public statement. However, anonymous sources familiar with the talks revealed that the deal fell through because the parties could not agree on IP control.

Who wanted to save Perfect Dark the most makes this twist even more interesting. The people who worked directly on the reboot, Xbox, and Embracer didn't seem very interested in saving the project. Instead, Take-Two, a publisher from outside the brand who had never worked with it before, showed the most interest. Just that fact makes everyone wonder.

Take-Two's willingness to step in shows that they saw long-term value in the Perfect Dark name, even if the reboot didn't look good at first. It was said that the publisher wasn't as worried about finishing the reboot as they were about securing future rights to the IP.

This was especially true since development problems had been going on for years. That is a smart move. For players, it could have also meant more Perfect Dark games in the future, made by a company with a lot of money and a track record of bringing old series back to life.

Microsoft instead took a step back. In some ways, it makes sense. Intellectual property is king in the game world of today. Microsoft ended its relationship with Tango Gameworks Hi-Fi Rush last year by selling off the whole IP. They may not have wanted to make the same mistake with a more important series in gaming history. Xbox's decision to keep Perfect Dark shows that they still value the name as an important part of their library, even though they don't have a plan for it right now.

On the other hand, it doesn't look good. Microsoft hasn't put out a new Perfect Dark game since 2005, when Perfect Dark Zero came out for the Xbox 360. Joanna Dark was meant to come back strong in the reboot, but after years of silence and trouble behind the scenes, fans only got a notice that the show was being canceled. Microsoft had a chance to save the project, but they decided not to. This makes things even more frustrating.

This also raises questions about the quality of the remake itself. There probably wasn't much faith in the project if Embracer, who already had Crystal Dynamics working on it, didn't jump at the chance to publish, and Microsoft was happy to let it go.

The report suggests that the game was in a poor state and wouldn't be completed for years. Fans might have been just as upset with the end product if it had come out as they are now that it has been canceled. So, the fact that Take-Two is involved may be the most telling information.

That they were willing to work on what looked like a messy, unfinished project wasn't because they liked the reboot, but because they thought Perfect Dark could be a series. It should say something about how valuable it is in the long run. The fact that Microsoft wouldn't give it up shows that they agree with that value. They were just not ready to give it up.

Perfect Dark has been put on hold for now. The door isn't completely shut, though, because Microsoft still has the rights. Fans can take comfort in the fact that Joanna Dark hasn't been retired for good. Rarely, a reorganized Initiative, or another partner company, may get the chance to work on it again in the future. The question is whether Microsoft will ever really try to bring her back, or whether they'll keep missing chances.