thatgamecompany announced thatgamepublisher (TGP), a new label offering funding, production, marketing and long-term IP support for creators building emotionally driven interactive experiences.
The label offers funding, production planning, platform and launch strategy, marketing, community support, and long-term IP development.
thatgamecompany cites 20 years of development experience and seven years running Sky: Children of the Light as the foundation for TGP's approach.
Leadership frames TGP as a protector of creative processes aimed at growing communities and reaching players across cultures.
thatgamecompany has launched thatgamepublisher (TGP), a new publishing label focused on supporting "emotionally ambitious" games. TGP's stated purpose is to help developers who use interactivity to expand what games can make people feel across borders, generations and cultures.
TGP will provide several concrete services to partnered teams: funding, production planning, platform and launch strategy, marketing, community support, and long-term intellectual property development. The label says it will consider projects at any development stage and teams of any size, with no restrictions on genre or target platform.
thatgamecompany positions TGP as an extension of its two decades of experience making emotionally driven games and its seven years operating Sky: Children of the Light as a global, cross-platform live service. CEO and creative director Jenova Chen is quoted framing the label as a response to the medium's evolving capacity to move players emotionally, and as a way to help creators pursue new emotional directions in games.
Jenova Chen: when thatgamecompany began, many questioned whether games could affect players as films or music do. Over time, the company says, games have demonstrated that capacity. Shijie "SJ" Xue, VP of growth and corporate development, describes TGP's role as protecting the creative process and helping projects reach their intended players, communities and cultural life.
Practical implications for independent studios and creators:
The announcement adds to a wider trend of studios expanding into publishing to support smaller or more experimental projects. thatgamecompany leverages its history with emotionally-driven games to position TGP as a publisher that prioritizes creative vision and community development rather than genre constraints.
The company has outlined services and intent but has not listed specific projects, partners, or financial terms for deals. Developers interested in TGP should expect further details on submission processes and deal structures as the label begins operations.
thatgamepublisher is designed to be an open-entry publishing label targeting creators focused on emotional experiences in games. It pairs thatgamecompany's operational experience with an offer of both production and long-term IP support, and it will accept projects broadly by stage, size and platform.
Profit from Sky: Children of the Light will support the initiative.
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