Thq Nordic/Koch media acquires Milestone srl

8/14/2019 2:44am Edited Date/Time 8/15/2019 4:25am
Some big news for motocross gamers here,thq and Koch media have bought Milestone srl! What does this mean for future mx and sx games and also Moto GP games! We will finally get a ultimate mx experience based game which will involve mxgp and ama seasons on one game?!



Milan, August 14, 2019 - Koch Media GmbH, a subsidiary of THQ Nordic AB, signed an agreement today to acquire Milestone srl, a leading developer and publisher in the racing genre, based in Milan, which boasts successful titles such as MotoGP and Supercross.

The acquisition includes the development study and all intellectual property rights.

"Joining the Koch Media family is an important step for our studio. Having been managed as a family-run company, built on the enthusiasm of its team members and specialized in racing games, we are pleased to bring our experience and knowledge to the company group, committing ourselves to acquiring it even outside our main DNA . We are sure that the combination of our experiences will strengthen our position in our market segment and will help us to offer increasingly exciting games for our fans, extending the frontiers of the racing genre in the gaming sector, "said Luisa Bixio Vice President of Milestone Ltd.

Dr. Klemens Kundratitz, CEO at Koch Media GmbH added: "We are happy to welcome the Milestone team to our company. After a long collaboration in the distribution field in some selected Koch territories, I am sure that by combining the knowledge of our companies, new and extraordinary opportunities will open up in a key market of the videogame industry. I am more than convinced that the motivation and passion that drive the Milestone team and its strong value within the racing segment are a solid foundation for future projects. The experience in titles with official licenses like MotoGP and the one in the publication and development of own IPs as RIDE, constitute an important legacy in the racing genre, which will help us to expand our portfolio and will strengthen us for the future. "
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8/14/2019 2:50am
Also some monster energy supercross 3 news!

Monster Energy Supercross, licensed by Feld, is the most important motorcycle sport in the United States. With the two previously published chapters, the franchise sold 1 million copies and Supercross 3 has a launch planned for 2020. It will be the first Milestone game to land on Google Stadia.
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Cortami79
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8/14/2019 3:14am
Would be cool if they could get the coders of the Reflex game and somehow create a gameplay that's realistic in air. IMO the game from 2009 (!) is way better to play than the recent games. Visuals however are awesome
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MotoMo165
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8/14/2019 5:22am Edited Date/Time 8/14/2019 5:23am
Does this mean milestone games and Nordic are now working together? So sx2 graphics/physics but with real whips?
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The Shop

8/14/2019 5:34am
This can be great or bad news. Hope it all turns out good!
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Last Braaap
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8/14/2019 5:49am
This is big news. Not sure if good or bad.
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danzig138
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8/14/2019 5:55am
Maybe Supercross can now free the whips?

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8/14/2019 6:00am
danzig138 wrote:
Maybe Supercross can now free the whips?

And maybe tracks that actually flows well?
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VicDaMoan03
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8/14/2019 6:04am
Hope they don't merge or close one of the developers. Hopefully the two developers colloberate and share ideas and technologies.
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greenmx5
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8/14/2019 6:06am
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-08-14-thq-nordic-buys-miles…

THQ Nordic has acquired Milestone Interactive in a €44.9 million cash deal, but the value could almost double in value if the Italian racing specialist meets its earnout targets.

The deal is for 100% of shares in Milestone, the Milan-based developer of MotoGP, MXGP and Ride among others.

According to THQ Nordic CEO Lars WIngefors, Milestone's games have sold eight million units since 2013, and it has five projects currently in development.

THQ Nordic estimates that the company earns revenue in the range of €27.5 million to €32.25 million, and EBITDA of between €15.5 million and €18 million.

If Milestone reaches adjusted EBIT of €39.6 million before the end of fiscal year 2022, then THQ Nordic will pay a further €28.9 million in cash and stock. If it reaches €51.5 million adjusted EBIT, THQ will pay a further €37.6 million.

THQ Nordic has acquired numerous game developers in recent years, but this is the first studio that specialises in the racing genre.
8/14/2019 6:16am
Cortami79 wrote:
Would be cool if they could get the coders of the Reflex game and somehow create a gameplay that's realistic in air. IMO the game from...
Would be cool if they could get the coders of the Reflex game and somehow create a gameplay that's realistic in air. IMO the game from 2009 (!) is way better to play than the recent games. Visuals however are awesome
I know it’s said over and over, and there’s always that guy in these threads, but Reflex really was the most fun I’ve had with a moto game, ever.

Milestone games are fun due to the incredible graphics, but the physics don’t feel free enough. All Out physics feel better, but the controls themselves don’t feel natural in regards to how the bike moves...it seems wonky, or just not as intuitive, at least to me. And it’s cool that you can throw big whips, but it doesn’t seem like you can really scrub jumps like you could in Reflex to save time. If you scrubbed something right in Reflex, it was really noticeable as to how low you would go. When I see people try to scrub in All Out, it just looks like a whip that starts early on the face of the jump, but it stills springs them into the air.

All that said, I hope this acquisition means good things for moto games in the future!
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kb228
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8/14/2019 6:41am
Why cant someone buy mx simulator and give it 2019 graphics? WHY
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flatout111
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8/14/2019 6:44am
Huge acquisition but I wonder if it changes anything for the actual MX/SX games. They very well may keep both properties separate to generate more revenue. Hard to say. I can't see them combining the two. That would be less sales and business wise, wouldn't make much sense unless one is faltering in sales.
GD2
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8/14/2019 6:44am
Anything can happen, but I doubt we’ll see much change. It doesn’t say anywhere that they’re combining Rainbow and Milestone, just that they’re both owned by THQ Nordic now. Most logical decision is just to let them continue on as they have as separate studios with no interaction with each other.
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TymeMoto
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8/14/2019 6:46am
This might actually be great news for the future of moto games. THQ Nordic recently acquired the licensing for the outdoor tracks and have already released Red Bud and a few others.

Combine that with Milestone having the SX license and we have the potential for an annual release with real SX and MX tracks.

If handled correctly we could have a Madden-type game covering all aspects of the sport with an annual update.

A couple things that concern me:

1. THQ has always made more of an arcade-style game whereas Milestone has aimed for a realistic simulation—hopefully THQ can sustain the realism that MXGP and Supercross have provided us with.

2. The two companies have had differing a outlook when it comes to updating games and the lifespan of each release. THQ has relied very heavily on providing DLC available for purchase in-game whereas Milestone has focused on delivering new games every year. DLC is great, but I hope that THQ wont provide new games at the same pace they have since Reflex. In the past 10 years THQ has only released 3 games: Alive, Supercross and All Out. Most recently they went nearly 5 years in between games and 3 years before that.

Regardless of my opinion or anyone else’s however, it’s simply cool to see a smaller American company thrive like this. Especially one with close ties to our sport.

Congrats to THQ Nordic on the acquisition.
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steezenation
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8/14/2019 7:08am
Cortami79 wrote:
Would be cool if they could get the coders of the Reflex game and somehow create a gameplay that's realistic in air. IMO the game from...
Would be cool if they could get the coders of the Reflex game and somehow create a gameplay that's realistic in air. IMO the game from 2009 (!) is way better to play than the recent games. Visuals however are awesome
Unfortunately this will never happen. THQ contracted out the building of the game engine for Reflex to a Japanese(?) company, and that contract ran out. So, they have neither the rights nor the personnel to make Reflex physics happen again.
Cortami79
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8/14/2019 7:15am
Cortami79 wrote:
Would be cool if they could get the coders of the Reflex game and somehow create a gameplay that's realistic in air. IMO the game from...
Would be cool if they could get the coders of the Reflex game and somehow create a gameplay that's realistic in air. IMO the game from 2009 (!) is way better to play than the recent games. Visuals however are awesome
Unfortunately this will never happen. THQ contracted out the building of the game engine for Reflex to a Japanese(?) company, and that contract ran out. So...
Unfortunately this will never happen. THQ contracted out the building of the game engine for Reflex to a Japanese(?) company, and that contract ran out. So, they have neither the rights nor the personnel to make Reflex physics happen again.
I would be really surprised if they couldn't use their resources to search the people with the acquired knowledge back then to remake those physics. If they really wanted something like this, it could happen. All respect for all those developers, but as i've said, Reflex was just so much fun and the tracks were amazing. Combine that stuff with better cornering and graphics and you have a killer game again. Just my opinion of course. I see alot of people having fun with the other games, but they don't really look that great to me gameplay wise
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8/14/2019 7:35am
Unfortunately this will never happen. THQ contracted out the building of the game engine for Reflex to a Japanese(?) company, and that contract ran out. So...
Unfortunately this will never happen. THQ contracted out the building of the game engine for Reflex to a Japanese(?) company, and that contract ran out. So, they have neither the rights nor the personnel to make Reflex physics happen again.
MxVsAtv Reflex physics were made by Double Hellix Games. Amazon acquired that company in 2014. So seems like Amazon is the only one who could bring back Reflex.
8/14/2019 7:39am
Cortami79 wrote:
I would be really surprised if they couldn't use their resources to search the people with the acquired knowledge back then to remake those physics. If...
I would be really surprised if they couldn't use their resources to search the people with the acquired knowledge back then to remake those physics. If they really wanted something like this, it could happen. All respect for all those developers, but as i've said, Reflex was just so much fun and the tracks were amazing. Combine that stuff with better cornering and graphics and you have a killer game again. Just my opinion of course. I see alot of people having fun with the other games, but they don't really look that great to me gameplay wise
It's all about the talent of the workers. You can't ask a local C rider to ride like Ken Roczen. Same with this. The people (Double Hellix Games) who made the Reflex physics were very knowledge and so on, they delivered us a game that still 10 years later is the best. If the actual Rainbow/Milestone workers were as good as Ken Roczen, they would deliver us an amazing game.
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8/14/2019 7:40am
Cortami79 wrote:
Would be cool if they could get the coders of the Reflex game and somehow create a gameplay that's realistic in air. IMO the game from...
Would be cool if they could get the coders of the Reflex game and somehow create a gameplay that's realistic in air. IMO the game from 2009 (!) is way better to play than the recent games. Visuals however are awesome
I know it’s said over and over, and there’s always that guy in these threads, but Reflex really was the most fun I’ve had with a...
I know it’s said over and over, and there’s always that guy in these threads, but Reflex really was the most fun I’ve had with a moto game, ever.

Milestone games are fun due to the incredible graphics, but the physics don’t feel free enough. All Out physics feel better, but the controls themselves don’t feel natural in regards to how the bike moves...it seems wonky, or just not as intuitive, at least to me. And it’s cool that you can throw big whips, but it doesn’t seem like you can really scrub jumps like you could in Reflex to save time. If you scrubbed something right in Reflex, it was really noticeable as to how low you would go. When I see people try to scrub in All Out, it just looks like a whip that starts early on the face of the jump, but it stills springs them into the air.

All that said, I hope this acquisition means good things for moto games in the future!
Both sticks in the same direction off the face then once you just pop off move the rider stick to the opposite side while holding the bike stick. Takes some practice but it definitely works (usually end up casing jumps from scrubbing too hard lol).
disbanded
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8/14/2019 7:43am
thepelican wrote:
MxVsAtv Reflex physics were made by Double Hellix Games. Amazon acquired that company in 2014. So seems like Amazon is the only one who could bring...
MxVsAtv Reflex physics were made by Double Hellix Games. Amazon acquired that company in 2014. So seems like Amazon is the only one who could bring back Reflex.
Paging Jeff Bezos!
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BroFoSho
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8/14/2019 8:39am
MotoMo165 wrote:
Does this mean milestone games and Nordic are now working together? So sx2 graphics/physics but with real whips?
Or you'll get shit graphics with no whips. It's a coin toss
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greenmx5
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8/14/2019 9:20am
MotoMo165 wrote:
Does this mean milestone games and Nordic are now working together? So sx2 graphics/physics but with real whips?
BroFoSho wrote:
Or you'll get shit graphics with no whips. It's a coin toss
What if.... we get crisp graphics and upside down whips?
fourfourone
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8/14/2019 9:42am
not sure about you guys but I can hang some serious whips in supercross
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8/14/2019 9:55am
All the people that have boners for reflex need to spend some quality time in all out and get your bike setup correct with manual transmission. Mine litterally feels like reflex but better cornering. Heavy chassis on all out makes it feel the most reflex

I think a lot of the reflex nostalgia is just people remembering it being better than it was. I have a 360 and play it often still, the bike slides around everywhere like crazy
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peelout
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8/14/2019 10:03am
All the people that have boners for reflex need to spend some quality time in all out and get your bike setup correct with manual transmission...
All the people that have boners for reflex need to spend some quality time in all out and get your bike setup correct with manual transmission. Mine litterally feels like reflex but better cornering. Heavy chassis on all out makes it feel the most reflex

I think a lot of the reflex nostalgia is just people remembering it being better than it was. I have a 360 and play it often still, the bike slides around everywhere like crazy
couldn't agree more. Reflex felt like you were riding an ice rink compared to All-Out.
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gnarwhip
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8/14/2019 10:09am Edited Date/Time 8/14/2019 10:10am
That’s cool news. The new All Out is a pretty damn good game. I was a hardcore Reflex guy, but the new one is just as fun
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Riesenberg448
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8/14/2019 10:11am
Cortami79 wrote:
Would be cool if they could get the coders of the Reflex game and somehow create a gameplay that's realistic in air. IMO the game from...
Would be cool if they could get the coders of the Reflex game and somehow create a gameplay that's realistic in air. IMO the game from 2009 (!) is way better to play than the recent games. Visuals however are awesome
Unfortunately this will never happen. THQ contracted out the building of the game engine for Reflex to a Japanese(?) company, and that contract ran out. So...
Unfortunately this will never happen. THQ contracted out the building of the game engine for Reflex to a Japanese(?) company, and that contract ran out. So, they have neither the rights nor the personnel to make Reflex physics happen again.
That's incorrect.
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foreman52
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8/14/2019 10:13am
Both Milestone and Nordic are so close to hitting a “mAsTaPieCe” as Donut would say. I think the next release that Nordic brings out is going to be legendary.

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