Warner's Purchase of Midway Games Now Court Approved

The ongoing Midway Games saga is finally coming to an end. As reported by the Chicago Tribune, the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding for Midway Games has now seen the judge approve the $33 million sale to Warner Bros., meaning the company will control assets like Mortal Kombat, Spy Hunter, Joust and Wheelman, along with the company's primary studio in Chicago and another in Seattle.

The fates of Midway Newcastle (which made Wheelman) and Midway San Diego (which is working on a TNA wrestling game) are still undecided and those studios could face closure without an interested investor.

Although there had been other objections to Warner's bid, including some intellectual property disputes, the judge revealed that all disputes had been settled, which cleared the way for the court to approve the deal. Midway's creditors agreed last month to give majority shareholder Mark Thomas a $5 million payment as part of the deal. Thomas, if you recall, came out of nowhere to buy Midway for $100,000 from Sumner Redstone.

We're happy to see things finally resolved, and this can only further strengthen Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment's growing business. The Mortal Kombat franchise remains a top IP in this industry, and now creator Ed Boon won't have to worry about finances. We're also curious to see what kinds of collaborations could come out of this pairing.