Comcast potentially looking to buy gaming company

[quinnmac000]

Interesting transcipt was published by Venturebeat regarding a panel at a Causal Connect USA 2018 on acquisitions in the gaming business with Executive Vice President of Gaming for NBCUniversal, Chris Heatherly participating.

He helped transition the company into publishing their own games instead of licensing them out as well as investing Universal into Esports and VR.
Former Disney leader will guide NBCUniversal into mobile games | GamesBeat

During the panel he seems to hint Universal is looking at gaming in order to create franchises that they can exploit in film and television after developing the games.

Below are some excerpts

GamesBeat: Chris, you know about changing patterns in the business from your previous experience at Disney. There’s almost a cyclical pattern to Disney’s interest in games.

Heatherly: For entertainment companies–our view at Comcast Universal is that—Comcast started off as a cable company. It’s become a broadband company. The people in the company know what’s going down those pipes is what’s growing broadband views. Some of it is streaming video, but a lot of it gaming. We have a management team that has a very progressive view toward the games business.

We’re heavily invested in traditional media assets already. We have a lot of capital, but we’re in search of something new. One of the things that I think is attractive to our company is that games are adjacent to both the things we do in the cable business and the things we do in the entertainment side of the business. It’s a new media business we’ve found. That’s the opportunity for us.

Heatherly: I wholeheartedly agree with that. We have looked at, from an innovative perspective—we have some strong IP like Fast and Furious, Jurassic, Trolls, Minions. But we would like more. It’s amazing how little game IP there is out there that’s really extensible to other channels of exploitation, whether it’s consumer products or TV or elsewhere. A lot of game IP is really about that game, about the reason to engage with that mechanic. But I think there’s hope.

We were talking about Funko the other day. They do collectible toys. Video game-based characters are actually taking share in that business away from traditional entertainment. I think we’re at a point where we’ll start to see game IP turn into true Disney-like franchises. But having worked at Disney and having worked with game makers, the sensibility is very different. I think there’s a lot of value to be unlocked if you have more game developers pursuing game development from a standpoint of, “How can I use this to build a franchise?” In the same way Disney and Universal and Warner think about that when they make movies.

The experts give a mixed outlook for game company acquisitions - view all | GamesBeat

While this may not happen anytime within the next three months...Universal has already partnered with Square Enix, Level 5 Gaming, Capcom and now Nintendo. Could Comcast possibly be working on ways to acquire them.

 

[Scott W.]

Why not. It's a huge market with plenty of future potential.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

The only chance I could see it, is if it's more of a smaller team as opposed to Capcom or Square Enix.

 

[quinnmac000]

The only chance I could see it, is if it's more of a smaller team as opposed to Capcom or Square Enix.

Depends on the focus....is it massive franchise potential, esports where its used for competitive purposes, exploitation of current IPs, etc.

They may go bigger company if the goal is esports and franchise potential whereas if its more so for game creation etc a small company could fit them better.

 

[GadgetGuru]

If they're hiring external people, it's probably to build their own gaming division. They'll buy a couple small mobile-gaming studios (maybe Zynga but I doubt it) and then use that talent to bootstrap "Universal Interactive" or whatever they'll call it.

If they were serious about buying a major game studio, they'd just go and do it. They wouldn't be hiring press-release worthy people from their competitors and they wouldn't be using the phrase "mobile-gaming"

 

[Nick]

If Comcast is trying to buy a start-up, then they're fighting tough odds. Look at what happened to Tumblr after Yahoo bought them. Look at what literally JUST happened to Beme after CNN bought them. Disney's acquisition of Maker Studios was going poorly running independtly - just like Beme - so they absorbed the company into what they are now calling "Disney Digital Network". Disney also had to fire their largest content-creator and the most subscribed Youtuber over a bogus Wall Street Journal article.

These things don't end well. All they'd be buying is the talent that comes along with the company, really.

Corporate Acquisitions Of Startups -- Why Do They Fail?

 

[quinnmac000]

If Comcast is trying to buy a start-up, then they're fighting tough odds. Look at what happened to Tumblr after Yahoo bought them. Look at what literally JUST happened to Beme after CNN bought them. Disney's acquisition of Maker Studios was going poorly running independtly - just like Beme - so they absorbed the company into what they are now calling "Disney Digital Network". Disney also had to fire their largest content-creator and the most subscribed Youtuber over a bogus Wall Street Journal article.

These things don't end well. All they'd be buying is the talent that comes along with the company, really.

Corporate Acquisitions Of Startups -- Why Do They Fail?

looks like you may be the closest on the right track....

The challenge is to create a new game concept based on one of five Universal-owned IPs: Back To The Future, Battlestar Galactica, Jaws, DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender and Turok.

...............................................................................................

It's a staggering collaboration given the companies involved (not to mention the properties on offer), and Unity's vice president of marketing Katrina Strafford tells us it stems from Universal's desire to forge closer ties with the games industry.

"Universal initially came to Unity with the idea to give developers an opportunity to interact with their iconic brands," she tells GamesIndustry.biz. "We then brought Microsoft and Intel into the conversation, as we knew they would have a lot to offer the community as well.

"Ultimately, all of us are committed to providing great opportunities to our developer community, so it was a natural fit."

Chris Heatherly, executive vice president of games and digital platforms at Universal, adds: "This is a new way for us to find developers that maybe wouldn't have been on our radar previously and see what they are capable of. We have developers approach us all the time with ideas for our IP but this is a much more organized way of doing it.

"And it takes a lot of the friction out of the process for everyone - so we don't have to do a bunch of contracts and negotiations upfront and can just focus on whether there is a compelling idea. The proof with games is in the pudding so this skips the 'talking' stage and gets us right into the 'show it' stage where good developers shine the best."
....................................

Both Unity and Universal are keen to stress that participating developers will have complete creative freedom when it comes to the use of the IP - after all, this is just a concept pitch to begin with. Such classic properties may come with established rules and philosophies, but developers are still encouraged to think outside the box.

"Working with a known IP is daunting for any developer," says Strafford. "There are truths about the brand and its fans to be respected and at the same innovation is required. It's tough, but it's fun. It's a high-quality problem to have."

Judging for the initial concepts will be based on four factors: creative use of the brand, gameplay and narrative design, capability, and integration of technology provided by Unity, Microsoft, and Intel. Strafford stresses that the challenge has been designed to be "as open and creative as possible", with the Unity VP telling us developers won't even be supplied with art work from their chosen franchise.

"I'm hoping that we make some new developer connections that we can parlay into long term partnerships, and see some great new concepts that are compelling enough to be made into full games"

"We don't want to influence the art style or creative direction," Strafford explains. "We're really excited to see what they come up with and how they bring these iconic brands to life."

Heatherly adds: "What we'll be looking for is ultimately core gameplay. We're used to seeing early game prototypes all the time, so we're not necessarily looking at art or polish. We know these are prototypes, not final games. What we'll be looking for is whether the game concept is fun to play - not just once, but repeatably - and whether it fits the core aspirations of the IP."

That's not to say developers are discouraged from working on an art style. Depending on the concept - Heatherly offers the example of an 8-bit retro-style game - the visuals may be central to the creative vision, so a sample of the artistic treatment could help sell the studio's idea. But, he stresses again, "the game needs to be fun."

Unity reiterates that this competition is open to any and all developers, not just the most experienced. An additional prize for the semi-finalists further illustrates this: a three-day VIP mentorship in Los Angeles. Chosen studios will be flown out to California and given advice and support from experts at Unity, Universal, Intel, Microsoft and DreamWorks.

-------------------------------

For Universal, there is more to be gained than just a single product from whichever lucky studio takes the top prize. The company is hoping this could even be the foundation of a larger push into games, and all the opportunities this opens for its brands.

"I'm hoping that we make some new developer connections that we can parlay into long term partnerships, and see some great new concepts that are compelling enough to be made into full games," says Heatherly. "If only the former happens, it will be a success in our eyes, but ideally, the latter happens too.

He concludes: "We have means and determination to [support a full game], so it really comes down to the ideas. We're 100% committed to this contest and have confidence that we'll see something from this contest come to market."

Why Unity and Universal are giving indies access to Hollywood IP | GamesIndustry.biz

 

[quinnmac000]

Sorry for DP but since this isn't tied to Nick's post,

any game developers here who would like to participate, here is the link. {of note, must know how to use unity system but can apply alone or part of a team}
Universal GameDev Challenge - Unity Connect

 

[AlexanderMBush]

Sorry for DP but since this isn't tied to Nick's post,

any game developers here who would like to participate, here is the link. {of note, must know how to use unity system but can apply alone or part of a team}
Universal GameDev Challenge - Unity Connect

Thinking about it, excluding Fast and Furious and Jurassic, those are great choices for game properties that could have interesting concepts.

I can easily see an Xcom and FE inspired RPG work out nicely for something like BSG, a horror game of Jaws inspired by Alien Isolation and Subnautica, a third person RPG/Action Voltron game, and perhaps a full remake of Turok redone on a new twist.

I wish everyone luck, as they have a lot of potential on their own.

 

[quinnmac000]

Thinking about it, excluding Fast and Furious and Jurassic, those are great choices for game properties that could have interesting concepts.

I can easily see an Xcom and FE inspired RPG work out nicely for something like BSG, a horror game of Jaws inspired by Alien Isolation and Subnautica, a third person RPG/Action Voltron game, and perhaps a full remake of Turok redone on a new twist.

I wish everyone luck, as they have a lot of potential on their own.

The Voltron game would be one I would go for and design something similar to Skyrim Meets Breathe of the Wild meet Persona 5.

I think the most utilized IPs that most people will choose will be BSG and Jaws.

The one most people won't use probably with be Back To The Future unless they go way outside the main canon storyline which they are allowed to do.

 

[fryoj]

Thinking about it, excluding Fast and Furious and Jurassic, those are great choices for game properties that could have interesting concepts.

I think F&F would make a good Grand Theft Auto type game.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

I think F&F would make a good Grand Theft Auto type game.

Honestly, I would argue a Burnout Paradise type game would be ideal for it (or to just give it to Playground Games, the guys responsible for Forza Horizon), and Jurassic already has a game coming out via by Frontier Developments.

 

[fryoj]

Honestly, I would argue a Burnout Paradise type game would be ideal for it (or to just give it to Playground Games, the guys responsible for Forza Horizon), and Jurassic already has a game coming out via by Frontier Developments.

Never played that, but I was more referring to the type of game that a specific game or developer. Something with a lot of cut scenes mixed with driving missions.