I’ll never pass up a chance to talk about Playtonic Games. You know the lads – the ones behind Yooka-Laylee, that game you either despised or, well, actually played. Maybe it’s just my bias as a Brit, but whenever their name, work and pedigree come up I can’t help but smile. Something about their rinky-dink little operation in Derby has always charmed me; whether it be their staff composed principally of ex-Rare devs, their uppercrust-yet-snide Northern sensibilities, or their dedication to reviving long-dormant genres of platforming action.
They had a crack at the Banjo-Kazooie formula for their first outing, and a truly stellar stab at the Donkey Kong Country template for their second, and you owe it to yourself to give ’em a try. They’re certainly one of my top studios to keep an eye on at the mo, and I’m on hooked tenters waiting for their next title. Where else am I going to get a videogame where I fight a chavvy boss named Trev who moans about double glazing and the fact he’s missing his soaps? No questions, dammit, no questions. I have very specific tastes.
Tencent backstory
(Side note: I’m fairly certain I served someone who works there last year at my prior-job-which-shall-not-be-named, as they were able to maintain a suspiciously knowledgeable conversation about the Yooka-Laylee IP and were wearing a Team17-branded facemask. I wonder if that dude ever mentioned me. If not, hi guys! My CV’s being pushed under your door as we speak. No pressure.)
Anyway, to the story, which is a bit more dour than I would have liked, as it concerns yet another extension of the company Tencent’s influence. If you’re unfamiliar, Tencent are a China-based tech conglomerate that to date have purchased stakes in such companies as Ubisoft, Epic Games, Remedy, Marvelous, Dontnod, Klei, Platinum, Bohemia Interactive, Roblox and Krafton.
Putting money into Playtonic
Earlier this year, they fully bought out Sumo Digital (the devs behind the Sonic racing games) adding to their veritable Infinity Gauntlet of acquisitions. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with a company buying stakes – it is, after all, how business works – it is a tad disheartening to see one group have this breadth of control, especially given their indiscriminate, ‘hoover ’em all up’ approach. Just makes the whole thing feel a bit… soulless, y’know? Makes one wonder what their motivation is.
As Eurogamer reports, Playtonic are indeed the latest studio to join the Tencent brigade. Higher-ups “have not disclosed how much of the company they had sold,” but affirmed that they retain control over their original IPs. According to the report, the money from the deal is to be spent “on scaling up the business from its current single-team structure to multiple teams, hiring diverse talent, improving its office and exploring an expansion to other locations.” Well, at least some good may come of this, then. Anything to get Twoka-Laylee out the door faster, eh?
Playtonic final thoughts
It seems things are all change at Playtonic, as the deal isn’t the only thing in the mix at present. A new head of publishing has been hired; “Danny Spiteri, formerly of Raw Fury and Team 17,” to allow the “ship to be steadied and captained to new ports” and “free up” studio head Gavin Price and executive producer Andy Wilson to focus fully on development again.
The report mentions nothing (bar some vague comments) vis-a-vis what any of the studio’s current projects actually are, but they’ve made a bit of a habit out of dropping hints on Twitter a la Aaron Webber of late, so keep yer eyes peeled.
What’s your opinion of this acquisition, or of Playtonic themselves? Thoughts on Tencent? Let us know!
Via, EuroGamer.
