Kunos Simulazioni to be Acquired by Digital Bros

I think this is GREAT news. Kunoz was such a small developer that Assetto Corsa 2 would probably take years to comeout. Also, now they will have more money and more developers working on AC and AC2...more features, more cars, more modes. I am happy for them.
 
From Marco Massarutto's Facebook page


Ok, let's clarify this before it becomes the bigger flame of the year.

By today, Kunos Simulazioni is part of Digital Bros Family, and me and Stefano by today are shareholders of Digital Bros. That's it. We are still the founders of Kunos, we are still IN, also keeping our respective positions and responsabilities, with just few exceptions: the budget we'll manage by now doesn't come anymore from our personal profits, but from Digital Bros, our bigger AC fan. Keeping the same policy, strategies, DNA, development team, goals. So, if this news would not been made public, you couldn't realize that something is changed, because - by a gamer/simracer point of view - nothing is going to change.

The reason why this news comes like a bombshell is because Digital Bros is a listed company, therefore this kind of operation must a) kept confidential until the negotiation is over, b) go public when is done. That's it.

For whom are afraid that today a piece of their simracing world has gone, let me remind them that Digital Bros has published - under its label 505Games - the console version of Assetto Corsa, and it doesn't seem to me that AC on PS4/XB1 is an arcade game: definetely it isn't. Therefore, before to scream in any direction that "Kunos has been bought, The World is Over", please sit down, breath and think. Because the only news you should be interested is that by today, we have more resources, time and power to do our job, even better than before.

So: think easier, live better, stay strong. The Future is Bright.

Have a nice weekend
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Edit: Sorry, didn't see that this was posted in other threads. Still good to have it posted in this one though I think.
 
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breyzipp
I don't like this either. Reminds me of Firemonkeys being obtained by EA which resulted in the Real Racing series for iOS becoming utter garbage.
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I completely agree with regards to Real Racing. I remember loving RR and RR2, but RR3 is just more freemium crap (and yes, I know it's pretty much standard protocol these days, but that doesn't mean I have to like it!) I hope this acquisition means a bigger budget and more resources with only minimal increases in Marco and Stefano having to answer to others.
 
I don't like this also... Not after seeing the console versions that lacks lots of features and options that the original PC version has.

I hope that it turns good out for Kunos.
But reading that the acquisition allows full control over the intellectual property...
Make me think that Marco and Stefano will be simple workers of the digital Bros group.

"The acquisition allows full control over the intellectual property and the opportunity for the group to invest on future developments of new versions of Assetto Corsa, benefiting from a brand that's already well placed in the videogames market worldwide. The fact that the group already holds the publication rights of Assetto Corsa for the console version also implicates synergies in terms of brand positioning and advertising optimization when the rights will be entirely held by the group."

Let's wait and see what happens
 
Just to add to this, Sony owns Polyphony Digital and Kaz still gets to be the princess, running around doing whatever, whenever he wants.

see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphony_Digital (owner is Sony)

So there's a good chance that things at Kunos will stay the same, if 505 Games takes on Sony's non-interference style.

Let's just hope Marco doesn't go over to the dark side and becomes a prima dona like Kaz ;-)
 
TT92
Just to add to this, Sony owns Polyphony Digital and Kaz still gets to be the princess, running around doing whatever, whenever he wants.

see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphony_Digital (owner is Sony)

So there's a good chance that things at Kunos will stay the same, if 505 Games takes on Sony's non-interference style.

Let's just hope Marco doesn't go over to the dark side and becomes a prima dona like Kaz ;-)
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Marco will have to hire his very own Mr. Traduttore and then pretend he doesn't parla inglese anymore. :cool:
 
This could either be very good (financial boost) or very bad (loss of autonomy). I have my reservations but only time will tell. All I ask is they keep their physics engine intact.

TT92
Just to add to this, Sony owns Polyphony Digital and Kaz still gets to be the princess, running around doing whatever, whenever he wants.

see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphony_Digital (owner is Sony)

So there's a good chance that things at Kunos will stay the same, if 505 Games takes on Sony's non-interference style.

Let's just hope Marco doesn't go over to the dark side and becomes a prima dona like Kaz ;-)
Click to expand...

The difference is, Kaz is also the VP of Sony Entertainment Japan and GT games are raking in millions (GT6 being the exception, but the numbers are still higher than all of their competitors combined), so Sony is quite content to give them free reign. Reading this announcement, it seems like the Kunos boys have sacrificed everything for AC and Digital Bros is their last lifeline. I don't know how things work in the gaming world but as employees you are meant to do whatever the people paying you says...
 
TT92
Just to add to this, Sony owns Polyphony Digital and Kaz still gets to be the princess, running around doing whatever, whenever he wants.
Click to expand...
E12Haow.gif
 
LeGeNd-1
This could either be very good (financial boost) or very bad (loss of autonomy). I have my reservations but only time will tell. All I ask is they keep their physics engine intact.

The difference is, Kaz is also the VP of Sony Entertainment Japan and GT games are raking in millions (GT6 being the exception, but the numbers are still higher than all of their competitors combined), so Sony is quite content to give them free reign. Reading this announcement, it seems like the Kunos boys have sacrificed everything for AC and Digital Bros is their last lifeline. I don't know how things work in the gaming world but as employees you are meant to do whatever the people paying you says...
Click to expand...
Not sure what you mean by last lifeline. They sold a million copies of a game that is essentially a port of an already financially successful pc game. Seems to me they are on easy street at the moment and striking while the iron is hot.
 
Johnnypenso
Not sure what you mean by last lifeline. They sold a million copies of a game that is essentially a port of an already financially successful pc game. Seems to me they are on easy street at the moment and striking while the iron is hot.
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I hope so too 👍 I just read somewhere that Stefano and Marco had to mortgage their house or something to finance AC, and they can't afford to do that anymore for AC2, so they can't operate independently anymore. Anyway, I'm not their accountant so it's not my place to say. I just wish them all the best and hope they stay true to their roots 👍
 
Pointless to debate especially based on previous acquisitions by other entities.

Only time will tell how and the amount of restructuring will happen to the studio. Whether it will mean more funds for development whatsoever is completely hypothetical.

However, we should all take some positives out of the whole deal that the founders are shareholders of Digital Bros and will retain their roles for Assetto Corsa meaning that they haven;t completely walked away from the series.
 
LeGeNd-1
This could either be very good (financial boost) or very bad (loss of autonomy). I have my reservations but only time will tell. All I ask is they keep their physics engine intact.



The difference is, Kaz is also the VP of Sony Entertainment Japan and GT games are raking in millions (GT6 being the exception, but the numbers are still higher than all of their competitors combined), so Sony is quite content to give them free reign. Reading this announcement, it seems like the Kunos boys have sacrificed everything for AC and Digital Bros is their last lifeline. I don't know how things work in the gaming world but as employees you are meant to do whatever the people paying you says...
Click to expand...

Check the Digital Bros company website :

http://www.digitalbros.com/?page_id=976&lang=en

There's this :

"Assetto Corsa – a Premium game, published by 505 Games in the console edition (PS4/XboxOne) and developed by the Italian team Kunos Simulazioni. Assetto Corsa sold, since its launch on console (late August), around 300,000 copies for a total revenue of € 8 million."

And this :

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSFWN1FA0IA

"Price of acquisition is nominal 4.3 million euros ($4.58 million) to be paid partly via cash and partly via the issue of 150,000 Digital Bros shares"


Digital Bros bought 100% of Kunos and with about 150,000 shares, not sure if enough to stay free from Digital Bros influence.
 
LeGeNd-1
I hope so too 👍 I just read somewhere that Stefano and Marco had to mortgage their house or something to finance AC, and they can't afford to do that anymore for AC2, so they can't operate independently anymore. Anyway, I'm not their accountant so it's not my place to say. I just wish them all the best and hope they stay true to their roots 👍
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They may have mortgaged a house or two but they also profited by $1.7mill in 2015, before the launch of the console game, so I'm guessing the mortgage is probably paid off by now:sly:
 
This could inject the life we need in AC. They already have the physics - all they need now is slightly meatier visuals, exciting racing (keeping the sim tradition) and TRUE car sounds.
 
LeGeNd-1
This could either be very good (financial boost) or very bad (loss of autonomy). I have my reservations but only time will tell. All I ask is they keep their physics engine intact.



The difference is, Kaz is also the VP of Sony Entertainment Japan and GT games are raking in millions (GT6 being the exception, but the numbers are still higher than all of their competitors combined), so Sony is quite content to give them free reign. Reading this announcement, it seems like the Kunos boys have sacrificed everything for AC and Digital Bros is their last lifeline. I don't know how things work in the gaming world but as employees you are meant to do whatever the people paying you says...
Click to expand...

Haha for the GT series maybe it was better if Sony did interfere. Look what we now have.... Vision GT fantasy cars... 2015 Ford Mustang fantasy Group B race cars.... fantasy city circuits.... releases years behind schedule.... car sounds that are challenged by 1986's Out Run... ;)
 
Keeping the same policy, strategies, DNA, development team, goals. So, if this news would not been made public, you couldn't realize that something is changed, because - by a gamer/simracer point of view - nothing is going to change.
Click to expand...

I wasn't worried when the news came out yesterday, but Marco's words reminded me of past experiences which almost never turned out well for the initial fans and followers. As much as I hope differently for Kunos, significant business growth has far too often led to the creation of something worse. Also, let's not forget that the console version of AC turned out somewhat inferior compared to the PC version despite similar promises.
 

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