Outer Worlds publisher Private Division signs four small studios to create innovative games
Take-Two subsidiary, Private Division has inked four new publishing agreements with lead indie developers – Die Gute Fabrik, Evening Star, Piccolo Studio, and Yellow Brick Games. The news follows the company’s recent acquisition of Roll7 in January, the British studio that is known for creating the cartoonish skateboarding game, OlliOlli World.
“At Private Division we champion the best creative talent in the games industry, and these four teams and the experiences that they are building represent an array of genres that will appeal to many different gaming audiences,” said Michael Worosz, Private Division’s Head and Executive VP.
Die Gute Fabrik is best known for 2019’s IGF and Indiecade award-winning title, Mutazione, a mutant soap opera game that combined the elements of small-town gossip with the supernatural. The Danish studio had also worked on Sportsfriends and Johann Sebastian Joust which was designed for motion controllers. Under Private Division, the studio will be creating a new story-driven game – which goes in line with their impressive writing talent.
Today we’re excited to announce that we’ll be publishing new IP with four outstanding developers. Please give a warm welcome to @gutefabrik, @EveningStarStdo, @Piccolo_Studio, & @YellowBrick_Qc! We can’t wait to share more about their new projects.
Read: https://t.co/Kx1dKiyWmO pic.twitter.com/WRg8RDzzX1
— Private Division (@PrivateDivision) March 16, 2022
Next is Evening Star, who had previously worked with SEGA on the critically-acclaimed Sonic Mania and Sonic Mania Plus games. Founded in 2018, the studio will be now working on an unannounced 3D action platformer, utilising their Star Engine.
Piccolo Studio – the creators of Arise: A Simple Story, a narrative-heavy game with time-bending puzzles garnered critical acclaim in 2019. The developer will now be working on a unique new IP in partnership with Private Division.
And finally, the newly-formed (2020) Yellow Brick Games will create rich, interactive worlds via an ambitious new action RPG (role-playing game). The Quebec-based studio had previously worked on numerous AAA franchises including Assassin’s Creed, Rainbow Six Siege, and Dragon Age.
“I find myself energized the challenge of helping build a new studio – full of incredible talent, ambitious ideas, and a real focus on our product – while taking risks that might not be possible in AAA game development,” said Mike Laidlaw, CCO at Yellow Brick Games. “We want to deliver something special for our debut title, and partnering with Private Division provides our team with the support to create a game that’s truly memorable.”
All four titles are currently in early development at Private Division offices, and therefore does not have a release window. Further details on the same will be announced in the future, though the first of these games is not to be expected to launch until Take-Two’s 2024 fiscal year.
