Publisher Devolver Digital on Tuesday announced the creation of a new publishing label called Big Fan Games that’ll focus on allowing indie studios to make licensed games, and it already has deals in place with Disney, Dark Horse Comics, Rebellion, Lionsgate, HBO, and more.
Devolver has worked on video game adaptations of other media properties before, such as Reigns: Game of Thrones, John Wick Hex, and Hellboy Web of Wyrd. Big Fan Games will continue this line of work, but with the caveat that the indie studios will call the shots.
“Big Fan’s DNA is in games like John Wick Hex and Reigns: Game of Thrones – unique takes on familiar franchises led by devs we love. Those games rule,” Devolver wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “So lets make more.”
Big Fan Games hasn’t announced a lineup just yet, but with those partners already in place, players can expect titles based on some huge properties.
Hi, we're Big Fan. A new label from Devolver Digital.
We're publishing video game adaptations of our favorite movies, shows, comics, and more. And we're doing it all with some of the coolest indie devs in the business.https://t.co/rCHITOZipe pic.twitter.com/E3OzbKiQl0
— Big Fan Games (@BigFanPresents) October 1, 2024
The video game industry has a long history with licensed games, and it hasn’t always been positive. For every Goldeneye or Telltale’s The Walking Dead, there’s an E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for Atari, Skull Island: Rise of Kong from just last year, or The Lord of the Rings: Gollum. While many think of licensed games as those half-baked platformers from the 1990s, there have been others that have managed to become great games in their own right.
In many ways, we’re also in a new age of licensed games thanks in part to the growing success of the Lego brand in Fortnite and other upcoming titles like Lego Horizon Adventures. Plus, Fortnite in general has popularized the pop culture crossover, bringing licensed properties to existing games like PUBG: Battlegrounds or the Call of Duty franchise.
“We believe (and have seen firsthand) that great games that propel existing franchises can offer a connection with a fan that only an interactive experience can offer,” a Big Fan spokesperson wrote in a press release. “Independent games created in these universes can explore them in new and unexpected ways, and it’s our goal to raise the bar of what fans can expect.”
In response to a question about what kinds of genres they’ll explore, the Big Fan X account noted that genre doesn’t matter. “Making genuinely good video game adaptations that are just as good as their source material is the only goal,” it wrote.
Devolver has published a number of acclaimed and unique indie titles this year, including The Plucky Squire, Pepper Grinder, The Crush House, and many others.
