Glitch (Minnesota company)

Last updated
GLITCH
TypePrivate
Industry
  • Video Games
  • Software Development
Founded2010  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Founder
  • Evva Karr
  • Nicolaas VanMeerten
Headquarters Minneapolis–Saint Paul Minnesota, US
Area served
Worldwide
Number of employees
11
Website heyglitch.com

Glitch SBC, stylized as GLITCH, is an American software and video game development company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota specializing in original titles, player insights and the publishing of indie games. GLITCH was founded in 2013 by Evva Karr and Nicolaas VanMeerten. Karr previously worked in publishing and strategic partnerships for Riot Games and Activision Blizzard Media Network. [1]

Contents

The collective finances prototypes from early stage game studios with $120,000-$250,000 USD equity checks through the Moonrise Fund, and attempts to raise $10,000 Galaxy Grants for projects from emerging game developers. The company began co-developing and publishing indie games with the release of Optica in 2018 and HyperDot in 2020. As of January 2022, GLITCH employs 11 people.

History

Founding and initial development (2013–2022)

Evva Karr and Nicolaas VanMeerten began GLITCH as a student group while attending the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. [1] Karr and VanMeerten bootstrapped the studio by making white-labeled games, producing work for companies like PBS, Disney, and Warner Brothers to avoid bringing in investors. [1]

GLITCH partnered with Charles McGregor of Tribe Games in 2019 with the co-development and publishing of their first title, HyperDot. [2] HyperDot was released on video game consoles and Steam in 2020 as a timed-exclusive on Microsoft Xbox. [3] It received critical praise, being nominated at the 2020 Game Awards for its Innovation in Accessibility. [4] As of January 2022, the game has been played by over 800,000 people world-wide. [5]

Following the success with HyperDot, GLITCH launched both the Moonrise Fund and Galaxy Grants to back early stage game studios and prototype grants for game developers. [5] The Moonrise Fund supports prototypes from early stage game studios with $120,000 - US$250,000 equity checks. [5] The Galaxy Grant provides US$10,000 checks to emerging game developers. GLITCH cited the challenges for independent game developers in early production and access to actionable insights as primary reasons for launching the funds. [5]

In June 2021, GLITCH announced Future of Play Direct, a digital festival streaming on the Twitch Gaming channel as a part of Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest. [6] A second Direct was broadcast live during the 2021 Game Awards pre-show. [7] The two showcases featured titles from over forty studios worldwide. [7]

Moonrise Fund

The Moonrise Fund is an early-stage equity fund that pools together various studio investors’ capital in order to back game studios creating new modes of play. [5] The Moonrise Fund is backed by a board of advisors, who provide insights on development, marketing, and publishing. [5] The fund's advisory board includes former Paradox Interactive COO and co-founder of Aldeon, Susana Meza Graham, Unknown Worlds Entertainment, the developers of the Subnautica series, InnerSloth, the developers of Among Us, Chandana Ekanayake of Outerloop Games, Saleem Dabbous of KO-OP, Sunni Pavlovic of Yacht Club Games, Felix Kramer of The Game Band, and Zhengua Yang of Serenity Forge. [5]

Three studios were announced as recipients of the fund in 2021; this included co-op studio Future Club, known for its work on titles such as fighting game Skullgirls and RPG platformer Indivisible; Virtuoso Neomedia, developer of Raddminton, Killer Auto, and Zodiac XX; and Perfect Garbage, the studio behind cyberpunk visual novel Love Shore. [8]

Founder's Kit

GLITCH launched the Founder's Kit in 2020 to provide knowledge sharing resources for startup studios and game developers. It is a collection of public notes and tool kits contributed by various studios from around the world. [9] It contains three sections: Pacts, Covenants, & Treaties, which includes templates of actual documents such as mutual NDAs, contractor deals, and founder's agreements for developer's reference; Business Structures, which lists the information intended to help developers identify an optimal business structure in the context of their goals; and Pitch Decks, a curated collection of presentations from game creators and the outcomes of each sample. [9] This collection contains pitch decks from games like Bioshock, Diablo, and Backbone. [9]

Future of Play Direct

GLITCH launched its first digital festival in June 2021, streaming on the Twitch Gaming channel during Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest. [6] The company produced a showcase inspired by Adult Swim's late-night television programming block Toonami, highlighting creators and new modes of play. [10] GLITCH collaborated with 3D artist Sakura Rabbit to design and build android Vtuber, Melios, to host the show. [11] The twenty minute segment showcased games from twenty studios, including Among Us developers, Innersloth, Lethal League developers, Team Reptile, Future Club, a new studio formed by a team of Former Lab Zero employees, and Umurangi Generation developers, ORIGAME DIGITAL. [11]

A half-hour long second broadcast of Future of Play Direct launched in December 2021 during The Game Awards pre-show. The Direct showcased a program of newly announced independent projects, trailers, and game updates. [7] Segments included the debut trailer for The Wreck and CURSES, and new trailers for El Paso, Elsewhere , ValiDate: Struggling Singles in Your Area, Hyper Gunsport from Necrosoft Games, Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between, Midautumn, and One More Multiverse. [12]

It also saw the addition of concerts, featuring music from the game's soundtracks. In conjunction with the broadcast, a Steam event ran from December 9 to 16, highlighting all available and upcoming titles from both Directs. [12]

Games

Optica

GLITCH published the puzzle game Optica in 2018 alongside Graveck, the award-winning game developer and studio behind Strata. [13]

HyperDot

GLITCH published HyperDot in partnership with developer, Tribe Games, in January 2020. The game implemented a wide variety of accessible features. [14] The game supports many different types of controller inputs beyond standard console or PC inputs, from eye-tracking to touch controls to the Xbox Adaptive Controller, and is designed to automatically detect what type of controller is being used. [15] It also includes features such as colorblind mode, two different high-contrast modes, button remapping options, and the ability to disable things such as background animations, controller vibrations, and screen shake. [14]

HyperDot was nominated for the Innovation in Accessibility awards at the 2020 Game Awards, alongside The Last of Us Part 2, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and Watch Dogs: Legion. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Independent Games Festival</span> Annual video games festival

The Independent Games Festival (IGF) is an annual festival at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), the largest annual gathering of the independent video game industry. Originally founded in 1998 to promote independent video game developers, and innovation in video game development by CMP Media, later known as UBM Technology Group, IGF is now owned by Informa after UBM's acquisition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unreal Engine</span> Video game engine developed by Epic Games

Unreal Engine (UE) is a series of 3D computer graphics game engines developed by Epic Games, first showcased in the 1998 first-person shooter video game Unreal. Initially developed for PC first-person shooters, it has since been used in a variety of genres of games and has seen adoption by other industries, most notably the film and television industry. Unreal Engine is written in C++ and features a high degree of portability, supporting a wide range of desktop, mobile, console, and virtual reality platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frontier Developments</span> British video game studio (founded 1994)

Frontier Developments plc. is a British video game developer founded by David Braben in January 1994 and based at the Cambridge Science Park in Cambridge, England. Frontier develops amusement park management simulators Planet Coaster and Planet Zoo, and has produced several games in David Braben's Elite series, including Elite Dangerous. The company takes its name from the earliest titles in the Elite series with which it was involved, a port of Frontier: Elite II and development of Frontier: First Encounters. In 2013, the company was listed on the AIM segment of the London Stock Exchange. It published third-party games under the Frontier Foundry label between 2019 and 2022.

<i>Fuzion Frenzy</i> 2001 party video game

Fuzion Frenzy is a party video game developed by Blitz Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox. The game is a four-player party game featuring 45 different minigames. Developed as a launch title for the Xbox in the United States, Fuzion Frenzy was the first game mastered for the console and developed to fill the niche for a party game in its launch strategy. The game was released to mixed to average reviews, with critics praising the game's accessibility and visual presentation as an early showcase of the capabilities of the Xbox, whilst faulting the game's repetition and limited variety of minigames. Fuzion Frenzy was a moderate commercial success, although slow initial sales led Microsoft Game Studios to discontinue work by Blitz Games on a sequel for the Xbox. A sequel for the Xbox 360, Fuzion Frenzy 2, was later released for the Xbox 360 in 2007 by Hudson Soft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xbox (console)</span> Video game console by Microsoft

The Xbox is a home video game console manufactured by Microsoft that is the first installment in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was released as Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market on November 15, 2001, in North America, followed by Australia, Europe and Japan in 2002. It is classified as a sixth-generation console, competing with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube. It was also the first major console produced by an American company since the release of the Atari Jaguar in 1993.

The AbleGamers Foundation is an American nonprofit organization dedicated to improving accessibility in the video game space, enabling more people with disabilities to be able to play video games. The charity creates resources, assists individuals in getting the peripherals they need, runs scholarships, and works with video game publishers and video game companies to improve accessibility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xbox</span> Video gaming brand owned by Microsoft

Xbox is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming, and online services such as the Xbox network and Xbox Game Pass. The brand is produced by Microsoft Gaming, a division of Microsoft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xbox One</span> Video game console developed by Microsoft

The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Australia, and South America in November 2013 and in Japan, China, and other European countries in September 2014. It is the first Xbox game console to be released in China, specifically in the Shanghai Free-Trade Zone. Microsoft marketed the device as an "all-in-one entertainment system", hence the name "Xbox One". An eighth-generation console, it mainly competed against Sony's PlayStation 4 and Nintendo's Wii U and later the Switch.

<i>Hyper Light Drifter</i> 2016 video game

Hyper Light Drifter is a 2D action role-playing game developed by Heart Machine. The game pays homage to 8-bit and 16-bit games, and is considered by its lead developer Alx Preston as a combination of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Diablo. Preston originally launched Kickstarter funding for the title for approximately US$27,000 to develop the title for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux computers, but ended up with more than US$600,000, allowing him to hire more programmers and artists, and expanding the title for console and portable platforms through stretch goals. Though originally scoped for release in 2014, various improvements in the game and issues with Preston's health set the release back. The Microsoft Windows, Linux and OS X versions were released in March 2016, and the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions in July 2016. A Special Edition port of the game, featuring additional content, was released by Abylight Studios for the Nintendo Switch in September 2018 and for iOS devices in July 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart Machine</span>

Heart Machine is an American independent video game development studio founded by Alx Preston. The studio is best known for developing Hyper Light Drifter (2016) and Solar Ash (2021).

Game Pass is a subscription service as part of Xbox and offered by Microsoft Gaming. Launched on June 1, 2017, the service allows users to download and play video games for Xbox video game consoles or Microsoft Windows PCs from a rotating library, with the games remaining accessible as long as the user has an active subscription. Game Pass subscribers also receive discounts on purchases of games from the service's library and their respective downloadable content (DLC).

<i>Halo Infinite</i> 2021 video game

Halo Infinite is a 2021 first-person shooter game developed by 343 Industries and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is the sixth mainline entry in the Halo series, following Halo 5: Guardians (2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Stadia</span> Cloud gaming service

Stadia was a cloud gaming service developed and operated by Google. Known in development as Project Stream, the service debuted through a closed beta in October 2018, and publicly launched in November 2019. The service was to compete with Sony's PlayStation Plus cloud streaming, Nvidia's GeForce Now, Amazon's Luna, and Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming. Stadia initially received a mixed reception from reviewers, with most criticism directed at its limited library of games and lack of promised features. Google had initially intended to develop in-house games in addition to hosting games produced by third parties, but abandoned this plan in February 2021, shutting down its studios. The service continued to sell third party games, and Google offered the game-streaming technology as a white-label product. Google announced in September 2022 that it would be shutting down Stadia; the service went offline permanently on January 18, 2023, at 11:59 pm PST.

Apple Arcade is a video game subscription service offered by Apple Inc. It is available through a dedicated tab of the App Store on devices running iOS 13, tvOS 13, iPadOS 13, and macOS Catalina or later. The service launched on September 19, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xbox Series X and Series S</span> Home video game consoles developed by Microsoft

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are the fourth generation consoles in the Xbox series. Released on November 10, 2020, the higher-end Xbox Series X and lower-end Xbox Series S are part of the ninth generation of video game consoles, which also includes Sony's PlayStation 5, released the same month. Both superseded the Xbox One.

<i>Godfall</i> 2020 action role-playing video game

Godfall is an action role-playing game developed by Counterplay Games and published by Gearbox Publishing. The game was released for PlayStation 5 and Windows on November 12, 2020. It was also released for the PlayStation 4 on August 10, 2021. An enhanced version of the game containing all downloadable content up to that point, titled Godfall: Ultimate Edition, was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on April 7, 2022. It received mixed reviews from critics.

The Electronic Entertainment Experience 2021 was the 26th E3, during which hardware manufacturers, software developers, and publishers from the video game industry presented new and upcoming products. The event, organized by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), ran as a virtual, online-only event with free access to all, from June 12–15, 2021.

<i>KeyWe</i> 2021 video game

KeyWe is a 2021 puzzle-platform video game developed by Stonewheat & Sons and published by Sold Out. The game was released for Windows and Nintendo Switch on August 31, later releasing on September 28 for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S ports were released on December 16. KeyWe follows Jeff and Debra, two kiwis working at the Bungalow Basin Telepost Office. KeyWe was prototyped during the 2018 Global Game Jam. Grant Gessel, the technical artist, took inspiration from Going Postal, a story by Terry Pratchett. Rare games such as Banjo-Kazooie and Conker's Bad Fur Day inspired KeyWe's art style. KeyWe received mixed reviews from critics.

<i>Love Shore</i> 2023 video game

Love Shore is a cyberpunk noir visual novel developed and published by Perfect Garbage Studios. Set in the cyberpunk city of Love Shore, the game revolves around protagonists Sam and Farah, who attempt to navigate the monstrous underworld in hopes of uncovering the means to save their friends.

<i>HyperDot</i> 2020 video game

HyperDot is a minimal action arcade game where the goal is to dodge everything. Players control a dot in a circular arena, and must dodge a variety of enemies until time runs out. It features a single-player campaign mode, multi-player battles and a level editor where players can build custom challenges.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Howard, Jessica (18 November 2021). "How Evva Karr And GLITCH Are Changing The Way Games Are Made". UPROXX. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  2. ↑ Carlson, Frankie. "Local game developer Charles McGregor launches "HyperDot" game for Xbox". The Minnesota Daily. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  3. ↑ Diaz, Ana (2019-05-20). "Minnesota-Made Game HyperDot Is Coming as an Xbox Exclusive". Twin Cities Geek - MN Geek Culture Magazine. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  4. ↑ Good, Owen S. (2020-11-18). "The Game Awards 2020 nominees: The Last of Us Part 2, Hades lead the list". Polygon. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Valentine, Rebekah (13 January 2021). "Glitch CEO launches early stage Moonrise Fund". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  6. 1 2 Galiz-Rowe, Ty (2021-06-12). "Here's What to Expect from the Future of Play". Uppercut. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  7. 1 2 3 Van Allen, Eric (2021-12-07). "New Future of Play Direct will air just before this week's Game Awards". Destructoid. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  8. ↑ Dealessandri, Marie (3 November 2021). "Glitch's Moonrise Fund backs first three studios". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  9. 1 2 3 Nesterenko, Oleg (2020-11-18). "Founder's Kit: pitch deck collection and other info for fledgling devs". Game World Observer. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  10. ↑ Van Allen, Eric (2021-06-09). "The Future Of Play Direct brings indies and Toonami vibes this weekend". Destructoid. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  11. 1 2 Kim, Matt (2021-06-12). "Future of Play - Everything Announced at the Toonami-Inspired Showcase". IGN. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  12. 1 2 Van Allen, Eric (2021-12-09). "Here's everything shown at today's Future of Play Direct stream". Destructoid. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  13. ↑ Deschamps, Marc (15 March 2021). "Prime Gaming Reveals Latest Free Game". comicbook. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  14. 1 2 Campbell, Colin (2018-08-09). "Not-for-profit game developer faces major obstacles". Polygon. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  15. ↑ Cassidy, Ruth (2021-08-16). "Is PC gaming for everyone yet?". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  16. ↑ Good, Owen S. (2020-11-18). "The Game Awards 2020 nominees: The Last of Us Part 2, Hades lead the list". Polygon. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.