Telltale Games recently announced the acquisition of the interactive video tech company Flavourworks in its efforts to enhance and expand its storytelling.
Flavourworks is a UK-based technology and production studio known for the creation of TouchVideo technology for mobile devices– “a sophisticated methodology and software solution for enhancing the world’s video content with interactivity and gameplay.” Flavourworks uses this technology to create immersive mobile-based experiences, allowing users to “touch, engage with, and ultimately guide the narrative.” The technology isn’t just limited to phones, it can also be used on other touchscreen devices, smart-TVs, PCs, and consoles.
Since Telltale Games’ revival in 2019 by LCG Entertainment, the company has been vocal about enhancing its narrative experiences by collaborating with like-minded developers. Telltale Games’ current CEO Jamie Ottilie expanded on the acquisition in an interview with VentureBeat’s gaming division GamesBeat. He noted that the company had been “paying attention” to Flavourworks since their 2019 interactive film video game Erica.
“…Fans today want to interact with their favorite IPs more deeply, and interactive narratives are a really immersive way to do that. At the same time, people want to access their games from wherever they are, regardless of device or platform,” said Ottilie. “Flavourworks’ technology and interactive video expertise will enable us to efficiently create story-based games and reach more people through streaming and new platforms. We’re excited about what it could mean for our portfolio of games.”
“Our intention is that the two teams will wind up being integrated and we will pass things back and forth fluidly,” added Ottilie. “We’re going to spend time getting those things lined up.”
CEO of Flavourworks Zachary Slatter, also commented on the acquisition, telling GameBeat that its team is “delighted to be a part of Telltale.”
“We obviously recognized the of iconic brand and obviously the team. We spent a lot of time really trying to innovate, particularly around the technology, getting it working on multiple different platforms and allowing us to bring these really graphically rich experiences to lower-end devices, mobile-connected TVs, and more.”
“Flavourworks has always had ambitions to bring our technology more closely to the player experience,” continued Slatter. “Working with Jamie and the creative team there, we’re going to be able to continue to elevate the types of experiences we want to make.”
Flavourworks’s technology will certainly be a massive gain for Telltale in its current and future content. Fans of Telltale can expect more collaborations in the future that will hopefully help raise the company to new heights. Telltale Games’ latest narrative game The Expanse: A TellTale Series is available now on the Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and the Epic Games Store.