It’s been almost 30 years since he was first introduced to movie audiences, but UK-based video game publisher Reef Entertainment hasn’t forgotten about the one-man army named John Rambo. In fact, they’re banking on the lasting appeal of Sylvester Stallone’s iconic character with plans to develop a new Rambo game for release next year.
According to MCV, Reef has secured the rights to develop multiple titles based on the Rambo character and films, and announced plans to put a new Rambo game on shelves as soon as next year.
“Rambo will be a triple-A title on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC and will capture the gritty atmosphere and full-on action which made the Rambo movies so successful,” said Reef commercial director Craig Lewis. “We have big ambitions for Reef and the Rambo IP is the first step in establishing us as a worldwide player.”
Primarily known for its Wii ports of Rogue Trooper and Sniper Elite, Reef isn’t exactly a household name among gamers, but the company hopes to change all of that by bringing the gun-friendly First Blood antihero back to the game market.
If the company does put a new Rambo game on shelves next year, it will be far from the first appearance for the character. At least eight other games featuring Rambo have been produced since 1987, including a 2008 mobile game based on the most recent film, simply titled Rambo.
The character of John Rambo first appeared on the screen in 1982’s First Blood, which was loosely based on a gritty 1972 novel by David Morrell. The commercial and critical success of the first film spawned two more sequels in quick succession before the franchise went on a 20-year hiatus.
In 2008, Stallone reprised the role for Rambo, an ultra-violent encore performance that pushed the sum total of the franchise’s worldwide gross over the $750 million mark.
“I am a big fan of Sylvester Stallone movies, and when we had the opportunity to secure the video game rights from StudioCanal for the Rambo franchise, we had to grab it with both hands,” said Reef Entertainment CEO Peter Rezon. “With the success of the most recent Rambo film, and an international appetite for action movies with Expendables 2 scheduled for release next summer, we felt now was a good time to do something special with this licence.”
