Xboxist

Midway Seeks Buyer for Mortal Kombat Franchise

Video game publishers are locked in a pitched battle to the death as the current economic slowdown forces many medium and small sized companies into bankruptcy. One of the latest casualties was American publisher Midway Games, which filed for Chapter 11 protection last week. Midway has been around for a long time, and has published such recognizable titles as Defender, Rampage, Unreal Tournament, and more recently Wheelman.

One of the best things to come out of the Midway game catalog is undoubtedly the Mortal Kombat franchise. Although recent installments have been somewhat hit-or-miss, the violent arcade fighter is one of the most recognizable icons of the gaming world, even important enough to land its own Hollywood film.

Now, the struggling publisher is being forced to sell the valuable property in order to repay some of its massive debts. A discovery in a recent employee incentive plan reveals that the company is seeking to part with the asset as soon as possible.

Candidates for a purchase include Atari, who shares the same arcade heritage as Midway and is currently enjoying a bit of a resurgence at the hands of ex-Sony boss Phil Harrison. THQ and Take Two are also strong candidates who might be interested in this franchise if they can raise the money. On the other hand, Electronic Arts seems to have all the cash these days, and the mega publisher is lacking in one particular genre: arcade fighting games.

[Source: Net Dockets]