thatgamecompany, the studio behind Flower, Journey, and Sky: Children of Light, has launched a publishing label to support “emotionally ambitious games.”
In a press release, the company says it wants to give developers the resources of a publisher, including funding, production planning, platform and launch strategy, marketing, community, and long-term IP development.
These are things many smaller studios simply can’t afford.
“When we first began making games, many people questioned whether interactive experiences could move players as deeply as film, literature or music,” said Jenova Chen, CEO and Creative Director for thatgamecompany. “Over the years, games have shown us what impact they can have on people. Lifelong friendships formed. Personal struggles healed. Loved ones reconnected. Hope restored. Those moments convinced us that games are capable of touching lives in profound ways. thatgamepublisher exists because we believe there are countless creators around the world discovering new emotional frontiers for this medium, and we want to help them bring those visions to life.”
In the same release, we learn that Sky: Children of the Light has more than 300 million downloads.
“Most publishers are built around genres or market opportunities. We are built around a conviction that emotionally meaningful games matter, and that the creators behind them deserve a partner who understands both their creative ambition and their cultural potential. Our job is to protect the creative process and help each project reach the players, communities and cultural life it is meant to find.” said SJ Xue, Vice President of Growth and Corporate Development at thatgamecompany, who leads the TGP initiative.
thatgamecompany is looking to partner with devs to “identify, strengthen and preserve the emotional heart of their work.”
If you’re currently working on a game that may fit the criteria, you can reach out to info@thatgamepublisher.com for pitches or questions.
Good for them!! Just wonderful!! Hope they make billions!!