Gearbox held Heat licence, has "probably expired"

Did you know Gearbox has held the rights to do a game based on Heat? At least, that used to be the case.

Studio head Randy Pitchford has told Game Informer it held the rights to the 1995 heist movie, starring Robert DeNiro, Val Kilmer and Al Pachino.

"I did a deal with New Regency and [director] Michael Mann for Heat. I think there needs to be a good heist game. I don’t think there really is one. There have been people that have made some attempts," said Pitchford.

"Most heist stories in passive entertainment, like television and film, are usually about the elaborate plan and, if it goes well, there’s actually the absence of conflict. Heat had hockey masks and AK 47s, and that was a reasonable strategy, in that one case, to go at it face first.

"Eventually other things started to cover it. Kane and Lynch tried some things. What I thought was great was basically the Heat mission in Grand Theft Auto IV. We had some other priorities at the time and I wasn’t able to do anything with Heat."

Don't hold your breath anytime soon on an offering from the property, at least from Gearbox: Pitchford said its rights to the licence has "probably expired".

"I haven’t looked at that license in years. I’m sure there was a term on it. It’s probably expired. It was never a project, but there was intent.

"If the deal would have gotten done three months earlier than it had, that’s where our attention would have gone. I eventually told the New Regency we missed the window after the deal got done."

As well as Heat, Pitchford said the studio also looked at Sin City and Blade Runner, the latter previously known.

Gearbox is currently making Aliens: Colonial Marines for a fall 2012 launch on PS3, 360 and PC.