Why Big Media’s arrival in games is good for independent studios

In the latest monthly opinion piece by Games Investor Consulting, GIC director Nick Gibson this month looks at the arrival of Big Media firms in the games industry, saying the moves ‘augur well for independent developers’.

The piece, available to read here, recounts the moves by Disney, Viacom and Time Warner into the games industry.

Specifically, the firms have bucked the trends of traditional games publishers in two ways. Firstly, they "have listened to consumers and built their games strategies on reaching new audiences and exploiting new business models".

Adds Gibson: "These companies appear to be positioning themselves more intelligently than in previous efforts. Just as Microsoft’s $375m splurge on Rare served, in part, to demonstrate long-term intent to a doubting industry, we believe these media giants are similarly signalling their intent to stay for good."

He adds that, ultimately, the plan for these firms is to couple their new long-term goals with those of independent studios. Warner, Viacom and Disney all own IP which they may well ‘take back’ from established publishers, meaning the demand for new IP will increase across the board.

"Not only is original IP being forced back on the publisher menu but the arrival of three financially stable, IP-rich new publishers with relatively limited in-house development resource (compared with the incumbents) and a proclivity for spending premiums to acquire partners also opens numerous doors of opportunity," Gibson asserts.

To read the full piece, click here.