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Publishing in the indie age: Tilting Point sets out to woo mobile devs

With industry vets and $40 million in the bank

Publishing in the indie age: Tilting Point sets out to woo mobile devs
Launching at a time when scores of developers are increasingly content to 'do it for themselves', Tilting Point has set out with a mission: To redefine the role of a traditional publisher.

The company – which boasts a host of industry veterans and $40 million in the bank for investment – says it's looking to cater to the needs of indie studios in the "rapidly growing but capricious mobile and tablet video game markets."

In short, it plans on delivering a whole suite of services beyond simply publishing games, from funding development to executing what it bills as "groundbreaking marketing campaigns".

'Developers own the future'

According to executive chairman Tom Frisina, providing "unbiased, data-driven advice" will also be a key component in its set up, with mobile and tablet studios its target.

"Our view is that independent developers own the future of games," said Frisina.

"However, a studio's potential can be severely hindered without a partner they can trust to help navigate the challenges of discoverability and monetisation. We will nurture the best teams, positioning them for independent success over the long term.

"We're taking the expertise and resourcefulness gained from our combined backgrounds and applying them to a new publishing model, where development talent gains the tools to control their own destiny."

Co-pilot

Behind Tilting Point is an impressive array of expertise. Frisina himself enjoyed 13 years at EA, where he founded EA Partners and served as his general manager.

Also on board is EEDAR's VP of insights and analyst Jessie Divnich and, amongst others, Jim Hsu, who – after working at both Zynga and EA – will be SVP of legal and business affairs at Tipping Point.

Though only publicly unveiled now, however, Tilting Point has already signed what it claims are several agreements with "some of the world's most successful game markers." Its first games, it claims, will launch later this year, with Signal Mobile, Housemarque, and 1337 Game Design & Senri unveiled as the first 'development partners'.

"We'd describe Tilting Point as our co-pilot," said Signal Mobile's president and creative director D.R. Albright III.

"They are facilitating us reaching our goals without taking over our intellectual property. Signal is excited to be working with Tilting Point and I look forward to releasing our first game together in 2013."

More details can be found on the firm's website and Facebook page.

With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.