Griffin Gaming Partners will invest $100 million in indie developers
Griffin Gaming Partners, a venture company, has announced the launch of a dedicated fund for indie investments — The Special Opportunities Fund (SOF).
In an interview with GamesIndustry, Griffin Gaming Partners co-founder Nick Tuosto (Nick Tuosto) revealed that the fund was established some time ago, but its launch had not been publicly announced until now. Now, SOF is ready to formally announce itself.
What is known about the terms of collaboration with SOF:
- The fund operates on a project financing model. It provides funds in exchange for a share of the game's revenue, rather than a stake in the studio, as is often the case. The exact share of revenue allocated to SOF is not specified, but according to Tuosto, the fund will not claim all of the developers' earnings through recoupment;
- The investment range is from several hundred thousand dollars to $5 million. The amount largely depends on the size of the development team and the game's potential. Currently, the fund's budget is $100 million;
- SOF distributes money under the supervision of Hooded Horse's head Tim Bender, who has been collaborating with Griffin Gaming Partners for nearly three years;
- The fund is very selective with games. It considers the number of wishlists, subscriber counts, target audience engagement levels, and other project indicators. SOF is also interested in gameplay — as Tuosto asserts, this is one of the most important criteria;
- “We are particularly drawn to games focused on systems that fans play for years, but ultimately we are open to any strong projects. Above all, we seek innovation and quality,” stated Tuosto.
To date, SOF has allocated funds to 15 games. For instance, the studio Ice-Pick Lodge has secured its support with investments for the development of the Darkwood sequel. SOF's portfolio also includes games such as MENACE by Overhype Studios, Begone Beast by Tandemi, and Expedition: Into Darkness by Antediluvian Interactive.