Bet On Soldier dev ditches DJs

By Tom Bramwell Published 24 November, 2005

Seeks new publisher.

Paris-based developer Kylotonn Entertainment has announced that it is seeking a new publisher for PC FPS title Bet On Soldier, after terminating its publishing agreement for the game with UK firm Digital Jesters.

In a statement issued directly to the media this week, Kylotonn CEO Roman Vincent claims that Digital Jesters "has committed a number of breaches of contract", including non-payment and other breaches.

Vincent believes that the rights to Bet On Soldier remain with the developer, and is now seeking a new publisher for the title in the UK and North America. Digital Jesters declined to comment on Kylotonn's statement.

Bet On Solider was released at the end of September, but despite being promoted relatively heavily by Digital Jesters, has failed to achieve significant commercial or critical success since its launch.

Digital Jesters, meanwhile, has been at the centre of some controversy in recent months, after experiencing some financial problems over the summer. Marketing director Leo Zullo told GamesIndustry.biz last month that a new investment had allowed the company to "overcome our difficulties", and described Digital Jesters' financial position as "110 per cent" secure.

However, two weeks later a group of developers who had worked for the publisher - Frogwares, Cyanide, Nadeo and Focus Home Interactive - issued a joint statement threatening legal action over issues including the sale of products in territories where DJs did not own the licenses and non-payment of monies owed for older products.

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About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (9) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Salaman #1 6 years ago

    They did produce a lovely looking box (a black tin really) for the German version.
    I was tempted to buy it on the basis of that but I've long learnt not to be taken in by a box and wait for a review.

    Edit: Forgot the obligatory ... F1R5T!1!!one yaaay go me!
    Woohoooo!
    Edited by 1 at 24/11/05 @ 16:42

  • Spud_leg_wizz #2 6 years ago

    Desperate Jesters Scramble For Cash

  • AHiFi #3 6 years ago

    "Desperate Jesters Scramble For Cash"

    New name again? :)

  • laur #4 6 years ago

    Bet on Solider, eh?

  • Darkedge #5 6 years ago

    "They did produce a lovely looking box (a black tin really) for the German version."

    Is the same german version that Kylotonn released without DJ's permission 2 months early that needed a 400 mb patch to work properly and DJ's had a massive go at them as it almost killed the game. Kylotonn are a bunch of idiots using DJ's recent issues to cover up their own mistakes

  • urban #6 6 years ago

    it was a fairly boring game anyway...

  • Khanivor #7 6 years ago

    It was a crap game. But DJs seemed like a fine publisher, keen and responsive. Looks like their mamangement were a bunch of shifty cowboys so it seems fitting they only seem to be representing that bloody frog game at the moment.

  • smirny #8 6 years ago

    http://www.m cvuk.com/newsitem.php?id=619

  • volb #9 6 years ago

    Is the same german version that Kylotonn released without DJ's permission 2 months early that needed a 400 mb patch to work properly and DJ's had a massive go at them as it almost killed the game.

    Wow, this is a new one.

    Some thoughts:

    The german publisher is not DJ, but Pointsoft. Other publishers include Focus Interactive in France or Nobilis Ibérica in Spain. DJ is (was) only concerned with publishing BOS in the english-speaking territories.

    The game was released in an unfinished state in august because Pointsoft wanted it in august. Period. I do not believe they needed DJ's permission, right?

    Also, a developer releasing a game early? Without permission? Do you have any idea what you are talking about?

    Has it crossed your mind that publishing the game might be the darn publisher's job?