Creating a game based on an iconic series is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, developers have access to their favorite universes, and on the other hand, they are locked in endless negotiations with rights holders. However, the creators of Funcom Studios’ massive survival game Dune: Awakening have set up this process surprisingly smoothly.
John Bilos, the project’s chief creative director, told GamesIndustry.biz that the studio uses Jira, a standard project management tool, to approve content. The team sent the material to Legendary Pictures (producers of Denis Villeneuve’s film), who reviewed the material under strict deadlines. Bilos believes that when strong trust is established, formal barriers disappear and are replaced by a shared focus on the original universe.
Moreover, in particularly important cases, the developers could seek advice directly from the author’s heirs or from Villeneuve himself (by the way, the director was once worried about the title Dune: Awakening Too many echoes Star Warsbut the studio defended its vision). Thanks to this concerted approach, the project has been successfully developed for the second consecutive year and continues to delight fans of Arrakis Beach.