Discovery, Inc., owner of television networks such as Discovery Channel, HGTV, Animal Planet, and TLC, will be launching their own video game studio, Discovery Game Studios, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Discovery Game Studios will “create, license and distribute games for PC, console and mobile platforms” based on properties across their networks. This isn’t the first time Discovery’s shows have been adapted into video games, as they’ve allowed other companies to adapt their properties into games before, such as the Man Vs. Wild game (developed by Scientifically Proven) and Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm (developed by Liquid Dragon Studios). By creating their own video game studio, however, Discovery intends to develop their games in-house.
They’re partnering with a few major players in the video game industry, such as Ubisoft, Jam City, Gamaga, Playaway Games, and Code Horizon Studios, to get the ball rolling. These partnerships have enabled them to get 12 games out on the market already—all based on their TV properties—such as Discovery #MINDBLOWN, an educational mobile app for children, and Code Horizon’s Gold Rush: The Game for PC.
This move comes after companies in other industries, such as Google, Apple, and Netflix, have started expanding into gaming within the last year. Speaking to THR, Matt Bonaccorso, the director of marketing and digital products at Discovery, said that Discovery is “always working to find new and exciting ways to interact with [their] fans…Discovery Game Studios is focused on creating innovative and interactive experiences that not only build upon the success of our series, but also surprise and delight our fans.”
Ian Woods, senior VP of international consumer products at Discovery, will lead the new Discovery Game Studios. He told THR he is “incredibly proud to lead Discovery’s innovative and passionate international consumer products team.”
In addition to their 12 titles already out on the market, Discovery Game Studios reportedly has more than a dozen new games currently in development, including adaptations of their other popular franchises like Naked & Afraid, Moonshiners, and Deadliest Catch.