Update: Pinkerton Road has contacted us with some clarifications on the matter. Here's what Jane Jensen herself had to say:
1. First, we never said MGX would be released on Linux only that Moebius would be. If you look down at the bottom of the kickstarter page it just says MGX is new and still TBD. So there were no promises broken or blocked by either Pinkerton Road or Activision. Keep in mind that from the start we realized that MGX was a game we were working with a publisher on, and we would have less control over. I don't see that as a bad thing. It's FANTASTIC that we are doing the GK1 remake. And that means working with the GK license holder. Also, to reiterate, MGX/GK1 is *not* being funded by kickstarter. That money all went into Moebius (and then some).
2. Secondly, we are thrilled to have gotten the license to release GK1 on PC, Mac, Apple mobile and Android. There is no anti-Linux conspiracy. We are also not releasing on console either, for example. It was simply a matter of "these platforms make the most sense in the market right now, let's release there and see how it goes". We may be granted permission to do more platforms later, but that depends on how well the game turns out and how it sells.
I know those of you who are passionate about Linux are disappointed, but there is nothing to be upset at Activision about (or, I hope, me!).
Jane
Original post:
Phoenix Online Studios’ Weldon L Hathaway has recently relayed some surprising, sad news. Activision is disallowing the pending rerelease of Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers from being ported on Linux. What makes the news particularly bad is that Activision did not provide any particular reason.
Phoenix Online Studios is currently working with Activision and Pinkerton Studios, the company formed by Gabriel Knight creator Jane Jensen, on Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Edition. This news creates a wedge for fans, as hopes for a continuation of the series was turning out so well until now.
Now, you may be wondering how Gabriel Knight even ended up becoming an Activision property. The IP’s convoluted trip goes as far back as 1996, when Sierra sold itself to a media conglomerate called CUC International. In 1997, CUC merged with HFS Inc to form Cendant Corporation, which would be embroiled in an accounting fraud scandal in March 1998. (They were eventually indicted in 2001.)
Sierra rapidly found itself sold in November 1998 to advertising group Havas SA, later bought by Vivendi. Of course, Vivendi was to become part of the conglomerate Vivendi Universal in 2000, and merged with Activision to form Activision Blizzard in 2008. Just earlier this year, Activision Blizzard bought its way out of independence from the conglomerate, taking Sierra – and Gabriel Knight – along with it.
One would think Gabriel Knight’s break from corporate ownership after nearly two decades would be a good thing, and indeed, Activision knows to bring the series back in a big way. It would seem possible that the publisher may simply not think a Linux port would make much money, or maybe they’re waiting for SteamOS to become a viable place to publish? We are also not 100 % certain now that the series will reach other intended platforms, namely, Windows, OS X, iPad, and Android. Either way, an official statement from the series’ current owner would be helpful in clearing up the issue completely.
