Take-Two and Private Division have teamed up to launch the Private Division Development Fund, a new game funding initiative designed to support small, independent studios with financial opportunities, as well as mentorship. Die Gute Fabrik (Mutazione), Radical Forge (Minecraft Dungeons) and Lost Native are the first three studios supported by the initiative, with many more to come.
‘We see tons of amazing games and we’ve seen tons of amazing pitches from smaller, maybe less proven developers than what we typically work with. But [they] still had tremendous potential and so we wanted to establish this fund as another way to make sure that we don’t pass on a great thing,’ Private Division head of business development Blake Rochkind told GamesIndustry.biz of the project.
The fund will have an annual intake, with all independent game studios invited to apply. While there will be strict judging criteria for grants – including income potential, diversity and inclusion, and the studio’s capacity to self-publish – the newly-established fund may still provide great opportunities for the right studio.
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‘It is hard for people to get … that first financing and we’re proud of the fact that two-thirds of [our] initial developers are woman-led,’ Rochkind said.
‘There are lots of places in pools of funding and developers can go to. They can go to venture capital now and go to later stage private equity. They can raise small business loans or government financing. But if they want expert help and advice that will align with the team? It’s a good source of capital that’s important to Private Division to help develop a brand.’
Given Private Division already has extensive history with independent video game developers, having published many popular indie titles in recent years – OlliOlliWorld, Rollerdrome, and the physical console release of Hades – it’s likely this expertise will prove very useful.
At this stage, applications for future funding rounds are not open, but expect Private Division to unveil the future of this initiative in the new year. In the meantime, you can visit the publisher’s website to learn more about its work and upcoming projects – including a new publishing agreement with horror game studio Bloober Team.
