IO Interactive has now become an independent studio!

As an avid shooter player, I found both games to have an immensely fresh perspective on the tone of video game violence. Both games came out before Spec Ops: The Line (Released in 2012), which was an absolutely fantastic experience. Its use of questioning a player's perspective on the glorification and reasoning of violence is something that people rarely get to see in the video game industry. We play a lot of games that really don't offer any insight or impact as to why we spend hours shooting individuals, making the rest of the experience feel rather... generalized. Being the hero of the day is what we're used too.

When a game doesn't give you a reason to feel good about constantly killing innocent policemen or criminals, this is where the entire experience starts to feel strange. It may not be fully evident, but the feeling of a selfish character killing someone for their own means makes the experience a bit more distressing. That's the feeling you receive while playing the Kane and Lynch 1/2. This alienates the series from becoming a huge success in sales and cuts off a lot of players who enjoy playing shooters with a familiar tone. I completely understand why there are people out there that dislike these games, as it isn't the type of story and tone they prefer.

For the people excited about the possibility of a new Kane and Lynch game, IO Interactive has recently become independent! This means that they can now work on any project they desire. (Freedom Fighters, Kane and Lynch, New IP?)

They are additionally hiring a Lead Multiplayer Programmer, as well as additional Multiplayer Programmers.

The job listings can be seen here.

So, who here is looking forward to new IO Interactive projects?

Just because they're independent doesn't mean they can do whatever they want. They may not have corporate overlords mandating their projects, but they would still need to secure a publishing deal for any future project they may want to undertake. It could be they wouldn't have trouble finding a publisher willing to bankroll and Kane and Lynch 3, but the first two didn't exactly set the world on fire, so it's not a sure bet by any means.

@kingbonesaw: No doubt, they'll be working on season 2 before anything else. That game can last forever if they keep adding new content.

Have they said they also retained the rights to Kane & Lynch. It's possible that they only mentioned Hitman, because that's the game many want them to continue to support. But it could also mean that's the one they negotiated with Square-Enix to retain.

Regardless of your opinion of the quality of the Kayne and Lynch games, reaquiring the rights and having it be the first thing they start developement on after going independant would be a really bad move. I'd much rather see a new Freedom Fighters but Hitman is the only thing of theirs that actually sells so the smart thing for them to do is keep making those.

I'd play a new Kane & Lynch. That second game was a big improvement. It had some really cool ideas in there and also just felt way better.

Thanks, but I'd rather take a new Freedom Fighters or a completely new IP.

Well, first I'd take a new season of Hitman of course, but after that.

They are additionally hiring a Lead Multiplayer Programmer, as well as additional Multiplayer Programmers.

Multiplayer support for Hitman does seem like the missing element that could make the seasonal model work. If that is the case, I would hope that you would be able to create your own character. Agent 47 has never had much of a personality anyway.

I wonder what Hitman Multiplayer would look like.

@scampbell: I always imagined it being exactly like a regular Hitman level, but the agent is randomly selected as one of the civilian models. They can change outfits and such as well.

3 other players would be security, trying to find and neutralize the agent.

This could be spiced up with having 2 agents needing to assassinate the same exact target, but whoever gets him first wins. There would still be security players as well. There are so many possibilities that I would love to see in a Hitman multiplayer game. IO Interactive is pretty creative with their multiplayer stuff, so I feel like it would be something similar to this.

I would definitely be way into some more Kane and Lynch. I'm one of the few fans of that series. That said, I feel like A Way Out might go for something similar, but with way more commitment than K&L1 to the way that split-screen multiplayer can be a unique storytelling device.

The Fragile Alliance multiplayer is one of the most underappreciated multiplayer modes ever, so even if they just released a new $20/free to play version of that, I'd be so in. Hell, that might even be the right way to gauge interest in the franchise. Seriously, it's some of the most unique multiplayer out there.

That said, the thing I've always liked is the story and the characters. Not to say that their likable, but it's refreshing to play a game where you are objectively the bad guys, and not just a mislabeled anti-hero or over the top Sauron type. Kane and Lynch are bad in a very mundane, selfish, inglorious way. They'd be thugs in a Max Payne game, not some grand archvillains. Similarly, it's refreshing to play a game where the central conflict isn't caused by some outside force or random circumstance, but purely because the main characters are violent fuck-ups. Again, it's not exactly a happy or fun premise, but it's very interesting and fairly unique in videogames.

As others have said though, a sequel would depend on whether or not they retained the rights, though I can't imagine Square Enix was too invested in IO's other properties, so they might have just gotten everything. Except Freedom Fighters, EA owns that, I believe.

Well in a way without Kane and Lynch there would be no Giantbomb so might as well go for it.

Giantbomb uses CBS money to bankroll K&L3, and it becomes a masterpiece. The circle will be complete.

And may they forever remain closed...

Na, I think Kane & Lynch sucks. It's one of those series, like Mirror Edge, I was a fan of until I played them. Work with EA and get Freedom Fighters going.

If they're going to work on something other than Hitman I'd rather it wasn't another sequel. IO are a talented bunch, they should spread their wings a bit.

Yeah, zero interest in any Hitman multiplayer. Not what I come to those games for. I'd be curious to see what they went with, if that's even their aim, but I can't imagine any sort of adversarial multiplayer I'd want to take part in. Maybe co-op. Maybe. But probably not.

I actually think co-op could be great. If you could imagine 4 people getting in place at once and pulling the move at once from disguised positions... it becomes like a heist movie as well.

IOI have been working on Hitman season 2 for the best part of a year after the management buyout and their recent layoffs I can't imagine IOI ploughing headlong into a new project, Kane & Lynch hasn't even been that successful in the past and it would need to be considerably retooled for todays market. IOI are most likely trying to fix their Hitman problem why didn't more people buy their game?

All I want from them is another Freedom Fighters. That game at least to me is their best game to date. Kane & Lynch is the one I least want.

Kane and Lynch bad, Freedom Fighters good

Did they keep the Kane and Lynch IP when they left?

Two openings a new game doesn't make. I doubt they're already staffing up for a new title, but I imagine they're fielding offers from publishers to produce their next game whatever that may be.