Annapurna Pictures, the production company behind the likes of Zero Dark Thirty, Sausage Party, Her, The Master, and Spring Breakers, has announced a new branch of their operations with Annapurna Interactive, a division entirely dedicated to producing and publishing video games. Annapurna Interactive will focus on developing personal, emotional, and original games that push the boundaries of interactive content and encourage artists to bring new visions to the medium.
“I’ve had a great passion for video games for as long as I can remember,” Annapurna’s founder and CEO, Megan Ellison said. “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 added, “We believe video games 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.”
The group is already set to publish two games targeting Spring 2017 release dates: Jason Roberts’ Gorogoa, a hand-illustrated story suspended inside a puzzle with a unique mechanic where the player moves panels on a grid as though arranging framed drawings on a wall; and Giant Sparrow’s What Remains of Edith Finch, a playable collection of short stories, each with different art styles and gameplay mechanics centered around the cursed Finch family.
As part of its growing portfolio, Annapurna Interactive will also release games from highly-regarded industry talents, including San Francisco-based developer Funomena (Terra) and Creative Director Keita Takahashi, creator of the Katamari Damacy franchise, and Mountains, which is led by Ken Wong, best known for his work on Monument Valley.
The new publisher will be run by a team of game veterans whose credits include Journey, God of War, Mortal Kombat, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, Flower, and Fat Princess.
