Still Hope For Stargate SG-1: Unleashed As Developer Closes Its Doors

Despite the fact that Stargate fans the world over are still clamoring for quality video games in the Stargate universe, historically it has proved difficult to get one of these games to market and still stay afloat.

The same has appeared to be the case this year for Arkalis Interactive, the Andorra-based studio that created the mobile game Stargate SG-1: Unleashed. With an interactive story and voice acting from the original cast, Unleashed has released two “episodes” to date — and they’ve been warmly received by the fan community.

But last month SG Gaming Info reported that the studio had gone dark. Arkalis’ Web site has been taken down (as of today the domain still resolves, but no files are present); its once very active social media presence on Facebook and Twitter entered radio silence in October; and SG Gaming Info said that its attempts to reach the company by phone proved fruitless.

The Web site of Ordino Studios, operated by the same people behind Arkalis, suffered the same fate. GateWorld’s attempts to reach our contacts at the company have also failed.

Episode 2 of Unleashed was released in November 2013. A third and final installment in the story penned by Sally Malcolm was in the works, with the potential of more to come.

Another victim of the Stargate gaming curse, and another game left incomplete? Not so fast.

Last week RegalWorks Media, Inc. announced that it will acquire Working Element, LLC, the transmedia production company behind Arkalis. That deal evidently includes the Stargate license for mobile games, including Unleashed — which RegalWorks will begin marketing after the deal closes next month.

Founded in 2007, Working Element brings a 44-title portfolio that also includes digital and interactive rights to Star Trek, as well as Brian Jacques’ best-selling fantasy novel series Redwall. The company’s head is Darren Thomas, who helped spearhead Unleashed in 2011/2012.

Stargate’s video game history is certainly a checkered one. Perception failed to complete Stargate SG-1: The Alliance in 2005, and Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment toiled for years and burned through hundreds of millions of dollars without finishing Stargate Worlds. It did manage to spin off the online game Stargate Resistance for a brief window in 2010, until MGM declined to renew the publisher’s license and the newly-minted Dark Comet Games was sued for improperly seizing Stargate Worlds assets during CME’s bankruptcy proceedings (story).

Stay tuned to GateWorld for more info on the future of Stargate SG-1: Unleashed.

(Thanks to Bill for the head’s up)