Annapurna Pictures is Getting into Videogame Publishing

Annapurna Pictures has only been in the movie-making business for five years, but in that time the production company has produced a number of critically lauded films, including The Master, Zero Dark Thirty, Her, and American Hustle. The company announced today that it would be expanding into videogame publishing with Annapurna Interactive. The videogame wing of the company will continue in the same vein as its film counterpart by focusing on “personal, emotional, and original games that push the boundaries of interactive content and encourage artists to bring new visions to the medium.”

Annapurna Interactive announced two titles slated for a spring 2017 release. The first is Gorogoa from Jason Roberts, which features hand-drawn four-panel grids that players have to navigate and arrange to solve puzzles. Gorogoa has been in development for over two years and will be released on Steam and mobile devices. The second announced game is What Remains of Edith Finch, a series of short stories from The Unfinished Swan developer Giant Sparrow that follows the titular Finch as she investigates her family’s “cursed” history; each short story explores a different time period with different styles of gameplay, and art. What Remains of Edith Finch will be released on PlayStation 4 and Steam.

Though they aren’t ready to announce titles just yet, Annapurna Interactive will also be publishing games from Keita Takahashi, the creator of Katamari Damacy, and Mountains, the studio led by Monument Valley creator Ken Wong.

Megan Ellison, founder and CEO of Annapurna Pictures, said of the company’s new videogame wing:

I’ve had a great passion for videogames for as long as I can remember. Growing up, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was one of my all-time favorites. My brother and I ran up quite a bill calling the 1-900 numbers for tips on those games, before the internet provided game-guides. The artistry and diversity of interactive storytelling is exciting and we look forward to exploring the limitless possibilities in gaming. We want to empower artists across this medium to make Annapurna Interactive their home and I believe we’ve assembled the perfect team to make that happen.

The Annapurna Interactive team, which is run by “a team of game veterans” whose previous works include Journey, God of War, Mortal Kombat, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, Flower and Fat Princess, said:

We believe videogames have a powerful ability to stir emotion. We are excited by the opportunity to collaborate with the artists who inspire us in order to bring memorable experiences to all players, whether experienced or first-time gamers.

Find more info about Annapurna Interactive here.

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— AnnapurnaInteractive (@a_i) December 1, 2016