Conan Exiles developer Funcom has won the rights to develop video games based on Frank Herbert’s Dune.
The games will not be specifically based on Herbert’s sprawling series of novels, but rather the upcoming coming film adaptation from Denis Villeneuve, the acclaimed director of Arrival and Blade Runner 2048.
Dune has received the video game treatment many times before, most effectively in Virgin Interactive’s 1992 strategy adventure, and Westwood Studios’ influential real-time strategy game, Dune II. Westwood’s game – which was released on home computers and the Sega Genesis in 1992/93 – laid the groundwork for future RTS classics including Command & Conquer.
The last game of note was a critically panned tie-in to the middling 2001 Sci-Fi Channel mini-series. It’s safe to predict that Funcom will be working with stronger material this time round.
Rui Casais, CEO of Funcom, says:
“Funcom has a strong history of working with beloved sci-fi/fantasy intellectual properties including our bestsellers Age of Conan and Conan Exiles. So many of us at Funcom, myself included, are huge fans of Frank Herbert’s work and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with Legendary to bring the iconic Dune universe to life for gamers all over the globe.”
Development on the first game will begin at Funcom’s Oslo studio later this year.
Image: Official Dune Website.
