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ASX-listed PlaySide (ASX: PLY) has today announced it is branching out and adding a third-party publishing division to its business to support independent PC and console video game developers.
The move will see the Melbourne-based company establish a new division called PlaySide Publishing, which will offer a full suite of publishing services for independent developers across the globe.
In the video game industry, publishing involves taking a developed game and launching it to the market by performing services like marketing, game localisation, quality assurance and release management.
The company hopes to generate revenue from this business through milestone-based investment deals with developers and a revenue-share model whereby PlaySide and the developer both receive money from sales of the title.
By expanding into publishing, the company will be taking on titans of the industry including Japan’s Sony Interactive Entertainment and China’s Tencent Games, as well as Nintendo and Microsoft.
For PlaySide, this is a significant add-on considering until now it has mostly focused on developing its own titles. The company’s portfolio of games includes The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, Cars 3, and The Lego Batman Movie.
"PlaySide has established a global reputation for producing high-quality gaming experiences across multiple platforms,” PlaySide says.
“PlaySide Publishing seeks to leverage this expertise and the company’s deep developer talent to bring true Triple I / AA PC and console experiences to market on behalf of its clients.
“PlaySide has created its publishing division with the goal of establishing strong working relationships with independent development partners, offering fair and transparent deal terms, and ensuring that quality of the product is paramount throughout the development process.”
To support its expansion, PlaySide has hired a number of industry experts with proven track records in the publishing space.
These include Harley Homewood who joins as global head of publishing following eight years leading business development and publishing at Team17. Homewood worked on the launches of games including Overcooked!, Hell Let Loose, The Escapists, and Blasphemous.
The company has also hired ex-Bethesda Softworks and Rockstar Games executive Michael McAlister as global head of marketing and communications, and former Activision Blizzard global senior communications manager Jordan Cameron to lead the marketing and communications strategy alongside regional agency partners.
“We are commencing a new era for PlaySide Studios, supporting developers in their vision to launch new, industry-leading experiences fans will come to love,” Homewood says.
Shares in PLY are down 1.54 per cent to $0.64 per share at 11.26am AEST.
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