Maximum Games

Last updated
Maximum Games Inc.
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Video games
FoundedAugust 2009;14 years ago (2009-08)
Founder
Headquarters
Walnut Creek, California
,
United States
Area served
International
Number of employees
60–70
Parent Zordix AB (2021–present)
Subsidiaries
  • Maximum Games Limited
  • Maximum Games Ireland Limited
  • Modus Games
  • Modus Studios Brazil
  • Mane6
Website www.maximumgames.com

Maximum Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Walnut Creek, California. [1] Originally founded in 2009 as a publisher of family-oriented titles for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii, the company shifted to publishing games of all genres for all ages across all platforms shortly after inception. [2]

Contents

Maximum Games has acted as a sub-publisher and North American distributor for many other major video game publishers including Nacon, Microids, Funcom, and Focus Home Interactive. Some of the most notable franchises they have partnered on include the Farming Simulator series, Five Nights at Freddy's , Bendy and the Ink Machine , Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid , Divinity: Original Sin , and the WRC series. [3]

Maximum Games expanded into funding and development with a new publishing label in 2018 called Modus Games. [4] In 2019, the company acquired its first studio, Brazilian-based The Balance, Inc. and rebranded it as Modus Studios Brazil. [5]

History

Maximum Games is a privately held California corporation, and was founded as "Maximum Family Games" in 2009 by Christina Seelye and Len Ciciretto. During the 2009 holiday season, the company launched two successful Nintendo DS titles, Junior Brain Trainer and Junior Classic Games, [6] with placement in major US retailers. In 2010, the company published 16 new products for the Nintendo DS, Wii and PC platforms. In the same year, the company was granted third-party publishing status with Nintendo of America [7] and Sony Computer Entertainment America, and in 2011, they were granted the same status in Europe with both companies. In 2012, the company also secured its license with Microsoft. That May, the company legally changed its name to Maximum Games. [8]

Following the rebrand, Maximum Games began rapidly expanding into sales and physical distribution in North America for European publishers, specifically for the seventh console generation. [9] The company's output averaged around eight releases per year, [3] [10] handling packaging, third-party logistics, and negotiating with retailers to secure placements for physical releases. By 2015, the company had invested $2.5 million in future games and shipped a total of 1 million units across all releases.[ citation needed ]

In March 2016, Maximum Games acquired UK-based video game publisher and distributor Avanquest Software Publishing Ltd. The acquisition marked Maximum's move to expand distribution of its games globally, establishing a European sales and marketing position. During this time, they also established a second European subsidiary, Maximum Games Ireland Limited. [11] [12]

In 2017, Maximum Games began development of its first fully owned IP, Extinction , which released in the following year. [13] [14] The expansion into development would lay the foundation for its publishing label Modus Games, focusing on AAA publishing services for independent developers. [15] During this same time, the company further developed its European network of partners and retailers, offering games in over 30+ countries. [3]

In 2018, Len Ciciretto transitioned out of the company and is no longer a shareholder.[ citation needed ]

In October 2020, Maximum Games entered an agreement with Nacon to handle third-party logistics for their lineup of RIG computer and gaming accessories.

Maximum Games began offering direct-to-consumer shipping from its own digital storefront in December 2020. It currently sells partner titles, Modus Games titles, and store exclusive collector's editions. [16]

The company was purchased by Swedish firm Zordix AB in November 2021, for a total of $42 million, with additional earnouts of up to $30 million. [17]

In February 2023, Zordix consolidated Dimfrost, Invictus Games, Mane6, Modus Brazil, and Zordix Racing to create Modus Studios. [18] It also acquired FUN Labs. [19] The company further consolidated in February 2024, announcing that publishers Maximum Games, Modus Games, Just For Games, and Merge Games, and developer Modus Studios, would all be grouped under the name Maximum Entertainment. [20]

Modus Games

In December 2017, Maximum Games created a new division of the company called Modus Games, focused on providing full-service publishing services to independent video game developers. Modus Games' first title published was action-adventure title Extinction , developed by Iron Galaxy. [13]

In 2019, Modus Games purchased the independent Brazilian game studio The Balance, Inc., which it previously partnered with to publish the action game Override: Mech City Brawl . The company was rebranded as Modus Studios Brazil and operates independently of the publishing arm, offering porting, development support, and development of original IPs. [5]

History

Modus Games was first introduced in 2018 when the company was soft launched with the release of Iron Galaxy's Extinction. [21] The company was fully launched in March 2019. [22] Their first title as a publishing label was Finnish developer Frozenbyte's Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince , which received favorable reviews. [22] [23]

Modus Games has since partnered with several developers of varying sizes for both physical and digital releases globally. The company has made their first foray into the collectibles market with the announcement of a collector's edition for Dreams Uncorporated's action role-playing game Cris Tales . [24]

In October 2020, Modus Games initiated an ongoing charitable initiative called Games Giving Back, [25] in which the company donates a portion of each games' profits towards a charity, often in a similar theme to each game being highlighted. The first of these donations was to the Exceptional Women Awardees Foundation, an organization that helps women advance their careers through coaching and mentorship. [25]

In January 2022, Modus Games acquired Mane6, the development team behind Them's Fightin' Herds . [26]

Modus Studios Brazil

Following the release of Override: Mech City Brawl by Brazilian studio The Balance, Inc., Modus Games purchased and rebranded the developer as Modus Studios Brazil in 2019. [27] The company operates independently of the publishing arm, and has since released a sequel titled Override 2: Super Mech League . It is the company's first developer acquisition under the Modus name. In addition to development, the studio also co-develops and offers porting services for other Modus published games. [28]

List of video games

Games published and/or developed [29]

YearTitlePlatform(s)Developer(s)RolePublisher
2018 Extinction Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Iron Galaxy PublisherMaximum Games, Modus Games
Ninjin: Clash of Carrots Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch Pocket TrapModus Games
Override: Mech City Brawl Modus Studios Brazil (formerly The Balance, Inc.)Publisher, DeveloperModus Games, 3goo
2019 Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince, Trine: Ultimate Collection Frozenbyte PublisherModus Games
Bear with Me: The Lost Robots, The Complete Collection Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS Exordium GamesModus Games, Exordium Games
Degrees of Separation Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo SwitchMoondropModus Games
2020 Ary and the Secret of Seasons Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia eXiin, Fishing Cactus
SkullyWindows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo SwitchFinish Line Games
Them's Fightin' Herds Windows, iOS, Linux [nc 1] Mane6
Lost Words: Beyond the Page Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, StadiaSketchbook Games
Super Animal Royale Windows, Macintosh, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, StadiaPixile StudiosPublisherModus Games (Self-published by Pixile Studios as of May 8, 2024)
Override 2: Super Mech League Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo SwitchModus Studios Brazil (formerly The Balance, Inc.)Publisher, DeveloperModus Games
Remothered: Broken Porcelain Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo SwitchStormind GamesPublisher
Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia ACE Team, Giant Monkey Robot
2021RustlerWindows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo SwitchModus Games, PlayWay
Cris Tales Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, StadiaModus Games
In Sound Mind Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo SwitchWe Create Stuff
2022SoulsticeWindows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series XReply Game Studios
2023 Maximum Football Windows, MacOS, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One Invictus Games Publisher, Developer
Teslagrad 2 [30] Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, SwitchRain GamesPublisher
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the DragonsSecret Base, Arc System Works

Notes

  1. ↑ Linux port was released in 2021, not 2020. Modus acquired Mane6 in January 2022.

Distributed games

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Video game developer</span> Software developer specializing in the creation of video games

A video game developer is a software developer specializing in video game development – the process and related disciplines of creating video games. A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks to a large business with employee responsibilities split between individual disciplines, such as programmers, designers, artists, etc. Most game development companies have video game publisher financial and usually marketing support. Self-funded developers are known as independent or indie developers and usually make indie games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Activision</span> American video game publisher

Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one of the largest third-party video game publishers in the world and was the top United States publisher in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take-Two Interactive</span> American video game holding company

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an American video game holding company based in New York City founded by Ryan Brant in September 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebellion Developments</span> Video game company

Rebellion Developments Limited is a British video game developer based in Oxford, England. Founded by Jason and Chris Kingsley in December 1992, the company is best known for its Sniper Elite series and multiple games in the Alien vs. Predator series. Sister company Rebellion Publishing has published comic books since 2000, when it purchased 2000 AD, the publisher of characters such as Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Codemasters</span> British video game developer

The Codemasters Software Company Limited is a British video game developer and former publisher based in Southam, England, which is a subsidiary of American corporation Electronic Arts and managed under its EA Sports division. Founded by brothers Richard and David Darling in October 1986, Codemasters is one of the oldest British game studios, and in 2005 was named the best independent video game developer by magazine Develop. It formerly also published third-party games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockstar Leeds</span> British video game developer

Rockstar Leeds Limited is a British video game developer and a studio of Rockstar Games based in Leeds. Ian J. Bowden, Dave Box, Gordon Hall, and Jason McGann founded the company as Möbius Entertainment in December 1997 after working together at the studio Hookstone. Möbius worked with SCi on two games: Alfred's Adventure, a remake of the Twilight-developed Alfred Chicken, and the cancelled Titanium Angels. From 2001 on, the studio created Game Boy Advance games for several publishers, including multiple for The 3DO Company and Max Payne for Rockstar Games.

Saber Interactive Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Founded by Andrey Iones, Matthew Karch, and Anton Krupkin in 2001, it is controlled by Karch's investment company Beacon Interactive. The company employs over 1,350 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vivendi Games</span> Defunct American video game company

Vivendi Games was an American video game publisher and holding company based in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1996 as CUC Software, the publishing subsidiary of CUC International, after the latter acquired video game companies Davidson & Associates and Sierra On-Line. Between 1997 and 2001, the company switched parents and names multiple times before ending up organized under Vivendi Universal. On July 10, 2008, Vivendi Games merged with Activision to create Activision Blizzard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Wilson (executive)</span> American video game producer

Michael S. Wilson is an American business executive, video game producer, and film-maker. Beginning his career at DWANGO as Vice President of Development before being hired to lead marketing and publishing at id Software in 1995, Wilson has subsequently co-founded multiple independent video game publishers, including Gathering of Developers, Gamecock Media Group, Devolver Digital, Good Shepherd Entertainment, and DeepWell DTx.

Team17 Group plc is a British video game developer and publisher based in Wakefield, England. The venture was created in December 1990 through the merger of British publisher 17-Bit Software and Swedish developer Team 7. At the time, the two companies consisted of and were led by Michael Robinson, Martyn Brown and Debbie Bestwick, and Andreas Tadic, Rico Holmes and Peter Tuleby, respectively. Bestwick later became Team17's chief executive officer until 1 January 2024. After their first game, Full Contact (1991) for the Amiga, the studio followed up with multiple number-one releases on that platform and saw major success with Andy Davidson's Worms in 1995, the resulting franchise of which still remains as the company's primary development output, having developed over 20 entries in it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffee Stain Studios</span> Swedish video game developer

Coffee Stain Studios AB is a Swedish video game developer based in Skövde. Founded in 2010 by nine University of Skövde students, the company is best known for Goat Simulator, which was released in April 2014, and Satisfactory, released as an early access game in 2019. Their parent holding company also operates Coffee Stain Publishing, a publisher, and majority-owns developers Coffee Stain North and Lavapotion. In November 2018, the Coffee Stain group was acquired by THQ Nordic AB.

THQ Nordic GmbH is an Austrian video game publisher based in Vienna. Formed in 2011, it is a publishing subsidiary of Embracer Group. Originally named Nordic Games, as was the parent company, both companies were renamed THQ Nordic in August 2016 after the parent company had acquired the "THQ" trademark in 2014.

Nacon is a French video game company based in Lesquin. It designs and distributes gaming accessories, and publishes and distributes video games for various platforms. In 2020, Bigben Group was consolidated to form Nacon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Private Division</span> American video game publisher

Private Division is an American video game publisher based in New York City. The company was founded by Take-Two Interactive and announced in December 2017. Private Division funds and publishes indie games developed by small to mid-sized studios. This includes taking over Kerbal Space Program publishing and releasing titles from Obsidian Entertainment, Panache Digital Games, and V1 Interactive.

Thunderful Group AB is a Swedish video game holding company based in Gothenburg. It was founded in December 2019 through a merger between Thunderful AB and Bergsala Holding's distribution business, consisting of Bergsala, Amo Toys, and Nordic Game Supply. The former Thunderful had been founded in December 2017 between Bergsala Holding, Brjánn Sigurgeirsson, and Klaus Lyngeled, incorporating Sigurgeirsson and Lyngeled's indie game studios—Image & Form and Zoink—and acquiring the publisher Rising Star Games from Bergsala Holding in July 2018. Thunderful Group has since acquired further developers, the publisher Headup Games, and the consultancy firm Robot Teddy.

Embracer Group AB is a Swedish video game and media holding company based in Karlstad. The company comprises 11 operative groups: Amplifier Game Invest, Asmodee, CDE Entertainment, Coffee Stain, Dark Horse Media, Deca Games, Easybrain, Freemode, Gearbox Entertainment, Plaion, and THQ Nordic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christina Seelye</span> American entrepreneur

Christina Seelye is an American entrepreneur. She is the CEO and founder of video game publisher Maximum Games, and its subsidiaries Modus Games and Modus Studios.

References

  1. ↑ "IGN: Maximum Family Games Company Profile". IGN. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  2. ↑ "Maximum Games's Profile". Metacritic.
  3. 1 2 3 "Maximum Games Published Games". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  4. ↑ "Maximum Games to fully launch new indie publishing label Modus Games". GamesIndustry.biz.
  5. 1 2 "Modus Games acquires The Balance Inc". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  6. ↑ "Maximum Games announce Dead Alliance". www.gamekult.com (in French). 2017-05-24. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  7. ↑ "Nintendo wants all third-party games on the Nintendo Switch". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  8. ↑ "Gamasutra: Maximum Family Games Changes Name to Maximum Games". Gamasutra. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  9. ↑ "Maximum Games Leads the Retro Revolution at E3 Tomorrow". www.gamasutra.com. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  10. ↑ "MobyGames: Game Browser". MobyGames. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  11. ↑ Dring, Christopher (2016-05-23). "Avanquest now '100% focused on games' after name change". MCV. ISSN   1469-4832 . Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  12. ↑ "Maximum Games Ireland Ltd - Irish Company Info - SoloCheck". www.solocheck.ie. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  13. 1 2 "Iron Galaxy and Maximum Games Announce Extinction for PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC". www.gamasutra.com. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  14. ↑ "Maximum Games' new action IP Extinction will be playable at E3". MCV/DEVELOP. 2017-06-02. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  15. ↑ "Maximum Games announces new indie publishing label Modus Games". GameDaily.biz. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  16. ↑ "Cris Tales Getting Collector's Edition in Limited Quantities". Game Rant. 2021-01-20. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  17. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (November 29, 2021). "Zordix acquires Maximum Games for $42m". gamesindustry.biz . Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  18. ↑ Dring, Christopher (2023-02-07). "Zordix launches Maximum Entertainment and restructures its studio organisation". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  19. ↑ "Maximum Entertainment Completes the Acquisition of FUN Labs". Maximum Entertainment. 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  20. ↑ Dealessandri, Marie (2024-02-15). "Maximum Entertainment merges six games divisions under parent brand". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  21. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (2017-06-01). "Bloody giant ogre battles are at the heart of Extinction". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  22. 1 2 "Maximum Games announces new indie publishing label Modus Games". GameDaily.biz. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  23. ↑ "Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince". Metacritic. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  24. ↑ "Cris Tales collector's edition includes art book and cuddly Matias". Destructoid. 19 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  25. 1 2 "Modus Games launches the Games Giving Back charity initiative". GameDaily.biz. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  26. ↑ Willett, Joscelyn (2022-01-20). "Maximum Games acquires Them's Fightin' Herds developer Mane6, teases upcoming additions to the game" (Press release). Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  27. ↑ Kerr, Chris (3 September 2019). "Trine 4 publisher Modus Games acquires Brazilian studio The Balance". www.gamasutra.com. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  28. ↑ "Modus Games Expands by Acquiring The Balance Inc., Porting Override to Switch". 29 August 2019. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  29. ↑ "Modus Games". Metacritic. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  30. ↑ "Teslagrad 2". Gematsu. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
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.