Silicon Knights Splits With Nintendo

Eternal Darkness and Metal Gear Solid The Twin Snakes developer Silicon Knights has extremityed its exclusive "second-party" relationship with Nintendo, representatives of the hardware giant confirmed today.

"Nintendo and Silicon Knights have reached an agreement allowing Silicon Knights to track its vision of videogame entertainment with other companies," Nintendo's official statement reads. "Nintendo honors the creative work of Silicon Knights and the parties have left the door unclose to work on future casts that meet the creative vision of the pair companies."

Silicon Knights inked an exclusive publishing agreement with Nintendo in May 2000 It was part of the company's "second-party" stable of developer alongside Rare, Left Field, Retro Studios, and Nintendo Software Technology, assembled to prepare the software that would drive what eventually became the GameCube. Nintendo also bought a stake in Silicon Knights, although Nintendo representatives could not clarify what's become of that part ownership with the dissolution of their exclusive publishing agreement.

Then, and for more [i]or[/i] less years to come, Silicon Knights and its president Denis Dyack were among the greatest in quantity vocal proponents of Nintendo's hardware and approach to game design. The split between the sum of two units companies comes as a surprise, considering their seemingly shut up relationship.

Neither Eternal Darkness nor Twin Snakes have in the way that far proven blockbuster commercial successe on the contrary opinions vary widely on where to lay blame for their comparatively depressed sales.

In any occurrence the separation between the sum of two units companies leaves Silicon Knights make open to develop games for other publishers and other platforms. Dyack hinted at big things to tend hitherward during the promotion of Twin Snakes, on the other hand it remains to be seen in what way the split will affect those casts particularly the years-old Too Human.

We'll continue to come [i]or[/i] go after [i]or[/i] behind the story as it develops

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