MTV partners with Bruckheimer to launch game studio

LONDON - MTV and Jerry Bruckheimer, the award-winning producer behind 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and 'Top Gun', is to launch a videogame development centre.

The multi-year partnership will see a Jerry Bruckheimer Games team working with MTV to create games based on original ideas.

Bruckheimer said that he wants to do for videogames what he has done for other well-defined genres of content.

He said: "It's no different than what we did with movies. We did 'Top Gun' when everyone said you couldn't do an aviation movie because they all failed. We did a pirate movie when they said pirate movies aren't going to work."

Jeff Yapp, executive vice-president of programming enterprises for MTV Networks Music Group, said that the move will help to establish MTV Games as a major player, ready to contend with gaming heavyweights like Activision and Electronic Arts.

It follows MTV's acquisition of music game developer Harmonix and the publishing of 'Rock Band'.

Earlier this year, MTV Networks, owned by Viacom, said that it planned to invest over $500m (£250m) in developing and distributing videogames linked to its entertainment properties around the world over the next two years.

The company said gaming is the focal point of its entertainment strategy but analysts said the investment was risky as the industry has a high rate of failure.

 

Market Reports

Get unprecedented new-business intelligence with access to ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s new Market Reports.

Find out more

Enjoying ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s content?

 Get unlimited access to ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s premium content for your whole company with a corporate licence.

Upgrade access

Looking for a new job?

Get the latest creative jobs in advertising, media, marketing and digital delivered directly to your inbox each day.

Create an alert now

Partner content