Game and Film Incubator Radar Group Announced; Miller Claims Firm Is 'Desparately' Needed

A number of game industry veterans have banded together to form Radar Group, a firm that describes itself an "entertainment entity to incubate, manage and produce Intellectual Properties for cross-media leveraging in video game and film markets."

Informally unveiled over the weekend, the company's roster includes 3D Realms co-founder Scott Miller, who will serve as chief creative officer, and FormGen co-founder Jim Perkins, who has been appointed CEO.

Radar noted that it will only work with original, not licensed, properties. The company currently has three projects in the works--Earth No More, Prey 2, and Incarnate--with two more unannounced projects in development.

In the film market, Radar has partnered with Depth Entertainment and its president Scott Faye. Faye is currently acting as the producer on the game-to-film adaptation of Max Payne, which stars Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis.

"We promise that Uwe Boll will never direct one of our movies," Miller vowed on his blog, which noted his belief that "too many financial execs [are] leading inherently creative businesses" and that the used game market is hurting developers.

"We're something our industry desperately needs," he explained in today's announcement. "Radar is teaming up with many of the industry's top independent studios to help them create original IP in which they own a substantial ownership stake.

"In today's industry it's nearly impossible, unless you're Epic or Valve, to create original games and not give away full IP ownership to the publisher," Miller continued. "Radar believes that creators should share ownership, and all of the long-term benefits that come from that."

On his blog, Miller also touched briefly on Radar's approach to game and film production.

"Radar does more than develop a game concept, we also develop a deep storyverse," he wrote. "This storyverse is rich and broad, full of characters and story possibilities ... Three of the best storyverses are Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings.

"While it's nearly impossible to create storyverses this rich time and time again," Miller admitted, "at least we attempt to think in terms of the big picture, so that our properties have a history, and more importantly, a future."