Thatgamecompany has brought us quite a lot of unique experiences in titles like Flower and Journey, and with the news that they have raised $5.5 million in development funds, they are proud to claim independence from publishers.
The innovative developer has had a three-game partnership with Sony Computer Entertainment America, which included Flow, Flower, and the fastest-selling US PSN title ever, Journey. Although the partnership gave Thatgamecompany quite a lot of exposure, it also gave Sony exclusivity to their content and some creative rights over their projects.
Venture capital firm Benchmark Capital is providing the financing, and Mitch Lasky will be joining Thatgamecompany’s board of directors. Lasky explained that Benchmark wants to support the studio’s vision and likened it to Pixar’s contributions to animation.
In a blog post, Lasky added, “The intent of the investment is to provide the resources for TGC to remain independent, so they can innovate with complete autonomy from the pressures of platforms and publishers.”
Coming from titles that allow you to bloom as a flower or have a mystical romp with a stranger, gamers can’t wait to see what Thatgamecompany does next.
Via Gamasutra