The Name Game – Operation Flashpoint

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Template:SideTOC Operation Flashpoint is the name of the original release of Arma: Cold War Assault. It is also the name of Operation Flashpoint: Elite, the XBox version of Operation Flashpoint.


Bohemia Interactive and Codemasters

Bohemia Interactive was contacted by Codemasters after seeing their demo of Operation Flashpoint reaching the million downloads and both agreed to work together; Codemasters would publish Operation Flashpoint. Doing so, Codemasters would hold the rights to the "Operation Flashpoint" name, while Bohemia Interactive would keep rights to their engine, assets and narrative.

Bohemia Interactive and Codemasters parted ways after Bohemia encountered issues in porting Operation Flashpoint on the XBox, and delays in a very ambitious Game 2 project. Those delays and issues increased Codemasters' pressure on Bohemia to create and release a sequel to Operation Flashpoint and in order to leave these restrictions, Bohemia Interactive started a new franchise with the game called ArmA: Armed Assault (ArmA: Combat Operations in the USA) and terminated Codemasters' partnership circa 2005.


Usage by Codemasters

Date Event
2001-06-21 Operation Flashpoint release
2002-02-01 Operation Flashpoint: Red Hammer release (dev. by Codemasters)
2002-06-28 Operation Flashpoint: Resistance release
2005-11-08 Operation Flashpoint: Elite release
ca. 2005 Bohemia Interactive/Codemasters split-up
2006-09-10 Armed Assault release
2009-02-20 Clive Lindop is presented as "a veteran of the original OFP team"
2009-02-26 Bohemia Interactive Press Release
2009-06-17 Arma 2 release
2009-10-06 Codemasters' Dragon Rising release
ca. 2010 Codemasters' "Operation Arrowhead" cease and desist letter
2010-06-29 Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead release
2011-04-21 Codemasters' Red River release
2011-07-13 "Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis" becomes "Arma: Cold War Assault"
2011-09-14 Dragon Rising and Red River studio is closing down by Codemasters
2013-09-12 Arma 3 release

Codemasters does own the rights to "Operation Flashpoint" but there is an exclusivity clause stating a sequel can only be done by Bohemia Interactive.
Codemasters, wanting to use the good aura of the license, decided to create a new game (technically not a sequel) with the same name and announced Dragon Rising in 2007, revealing it in 2008 at the E3 convention.

Developers

According to Eurogamer, Clive Lindop was introduced to them as a "veteran of the Operation Flashpoint team"[1] before being rebuked by Bohemia Interactive and corrected.[2]

Bohemia Interactive Press Release

On 2009-02-26, a press release was published[3] by Marek Španěl, CEO of Bohemia Interactive, to clarify the situation and put an end to Codemasters' voluntarily ambiguous statements - the praised, GOTY game is Operation Flashpoint, and Dragon Rising is -not- its sequel.

Operation Arrowhead

Codemasters sent a cease and desist letter to Bohemia Interactive before Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead's release, as they felt the expansion/standalone name was too close to "Operation Flashpoint". Bohemia Interactive did not comply and released the game with this name on 2010-06-29.

Guildford Studio Closure

On 2011-09-14, Codemasters is closing the studio responsible for Dragon Rising and Red River[4] and announces it will be focusing on racing games from now on.


See Also


Notes and References

  1. ↑ "Clive Lindop is (not) a veteran of the Operation Flashpoint team" 2009-02-20 Eurogamer's article (corrected on 2009-10-21)
  2. ↑ "Bohemia Interactive slams Dragon Rising marketing" 2009-03-02 Eurogamer's article
  3. ↑ Bohemia Interactive Press Release on the forums
  4. ↑ "Codemasters to close Guildford studio" 2001-09-14 GamesIndustry.biz's article
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