As of yesterday, at least from my timezone as I post this, it has come to light that Ubisoft and Patrice Désilets have agreed to let bygones be bygones, to which Ubisoft have relinquished the right of ownership of the intellectual property known as 1666: Amsterdam back to Patrice. Ubisoft had initially come into possession of 1666 after the company had purchased the IP from THQ following the latter's dissolution, following which Ubisoft had removed Patrice from the project and then subsequently put it on development hold, sparking the legal battle between the two.
In response to this recent gesture of good will, Désilets has withdrawn his lawsuit against Ubisoft from the Superior Court of Québec, and stated: "I'm glad Ubisoft and I were able to come to an agreement that will allow me to obtain the rights to project 1666 Amsterdam. I will now devote myself entirely to the development of Ancestors: the Humankind Odyssey, my next game with Panache Digital Games."
"This is what matters most to me today: making the best games and showing the world the creative talent of Quebecers. I also wish every success to the Ubisoft teams."
Furthermore, Yannis Mallat – CEO of Ubisoft Montréal and Toronto – added the following: "Putting aside our past differences, Patrice and I are above all interested in the creation of video games and the evolution of this medium of entertainment. This agreement is good news for everyone."
"Ubisoft's creative teams are currently working on innovative projects that will mark our industry for years to come. This is precisely where we want to focus our energy, on our teams, to continue what we have been building in Quebec for nearly 20 years. As we have always said, Patrice is a talented designer and we wish him all the best in the development of his future endeavours."
Personally, I'm glad to see that the two sides have chosen an amenable solution to this contention, and that – at the very least of it – Désilets can now build upon the concepts which he had originally conceived, even if it is not his primary focus.
That being said, with Ubisoft no longer holding on to the rights of 1666: Amsterdam, it makes me wonder how (and even when) they might implement a piece of Dutch history, and yet at the same time, it makes the concept seem even more exciting if Désilets' prototype is not being used as the skeleton for it.
Source – Eurogamer: Patrice Désilets gains 1666 Amsterdam rights, calls off Ubisoft lawsuit, written by Tom Phillips.