IO Interactive to develop new IP after Hitman: Absolution

Danish developer IO Interactive is looking forward to trying something totally new once Hitman: Absolution ships.

IO Interactive boss Niels Sorensen told Gamasutra the studio will split into two teams. One will devotes its energies to a new project based on fresh IP.

"When people work on the same IP for some time, I believe that there's a sort of creative drain," Sorensen said of the decision.

"Thankfully we managed to make sure we keep focusing on different IPs and keeping people fresh."

Sorensen dropped no clues as to what the new project might be or whether it is expected to become one of owner Square Enix's planned catalogue of franchise properties.

"We've built an incubation department whose focus is work on new IP and prototypes, and all sorts of things for existing and new IP," the developer revealed.

"And that's a really interesting sort of secret place where they cook up a lot of new things."

The rest of IO's staff will be collaborating with Square Enix Montreal on the next Hitman game.

Hitman: Absolution is due in 2012 on major platforms, and has drawn massive praise from press at preview events. It will be IO's first release since the poorly-received Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days in 2010.