Activision confirms the return of Sierra and a "reimagined" King's Quest

Last week's Sierra teaser has paid off pretty much as expected, as Activision has brought the famous name back from the dead, with plans to use it as a publishing label for "edgy" independent projects. It will also re-release at least some old Sierra classics, beginning with an updated King's Quest and a new Geometry Wars.

"Sierra's goal is to find and work with gifted up-and-coming indie developers working on their own amazing projects or who are passionate about working on great Sierra IP," Bob Loya, Activision's senior director of external development, told VentureBeat . "We're in talks with a large number of other indie devs, and we can't wait to share more details with fans in the near future."

The first deal to be revealed is actually for an old game: The Odd Gentlemen, the developers of The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom , is working on a new version of King's Quest that's expected to be ready for release in 2015. It will be a "reimagining" of the game rather than a straight-up remake, but the studio said it will bring the same blend of "difficult puzzles and engaging narratives" to the table as the originals. For those who prefer a slightly more recent vintage of Sierra, Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions, a fully 3D addition to the franchise that's scheduled for launch during the holiday season, is also in the works at Lucid Games.

"We're very proud of what we created all those years ago with Sierra Online, and today's news about carrying Sierra forward as an indie-specific brand is very encouraging," original Sierra founder Ken Williams said in a statement reported by Eurogamer . "We look forward to seeing Sierra's independent spirit live on, and are especially excited to see what The Odd Gentlemen will do with King's Quest."