Archon Returns via Original Devs

We managed to miss this last week, but asset management company Myriad Interactive has announced that it has signed a publishing agreement for classic strategy franchise Archon. Rather remarkably, the deal is with original Archon developer Free Fall Interactive, the team of Jonathan Freeman and Anne Westfall that originally released Archon in 1983 for the Atari 8-bit platform and eventually numerous other systems. Acting as a co-designer at the time was Paul Reiche, probably best known for his role as designer on Star Control II, which with its mesh of turn-based and action gameplay shares some similarities with Archon; Reiche still heads up original Star Control developer Toys for Bob and does not appear to be involved in this current deal. "Archon was such a favorite that we're pleased to make it available to a new generation. We look forward to a new version of the game that combines the fun and spirit of the original with today's exciting technology," said Freeman in last week's announcement. "We are incredibly pleased to have signed this brand. Archon is a well respected license that has huge nostalgic value for the right reasons--the gameplay, the great combination of strategic thinking and the intense arcade action," said Myriad Interactive partner Leo Zullo. "We believe now is the right time to bring Archon back and look forward to presenting the concept to a new generation of gamers, as well as those that remember it 1st time around." The last game to bear the Archon brand was Archon Ultra for the PC, released in 1994. There have not yet been any projected platform targets or release periods for the upcoming game.