Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment has announced the formation of a new video game publishing studio, Firesky. This new studio will publish Cheyenne's flagship title Stargate Worlds.
MESA, Ariz. – April 17, 2008 – FireSky, a new video game publisher dedicated to improving how gamers play and interact online, announced today that it would publish Stargate Worlds, a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) based on MGM’s award-winning Stargate franchise. FireSky will also publish other unannounced titles as it paves the way for SNAP games.
FireSky is pioneering the development and publishing of games for Social Networks At Play™ (SNAPs), a unified theory of online gaming that combines social interaction, economies and game play across a variety of titles. The FireSky team calls this evolution “Project: Ascension.” This project – currently under wraps – will bring gamers together in new and unprecedented ways.
“We don’t intend to be another garden-variety games publisher,” said FireSky CEO Tim Jenson. “We are focused on publishing high quality social gaming experiences online. As the industry moves online, more and more people will be turning to games as a way to spend time with friends. With a few notable exceptions, game developers and publishers haven’t done a great job of marrying quality games with social experiences. Project: Ascension and SNAP games will change that dynamic forever.”
FireSky Senior Vice President of Product Development, Rod Nakamoto, has launched more than 80 titles over his 25-year career in game development. Mr. Nakamoto leads FireSky’s four internal development studios and oversees the progress on Project: Ascension.
“There is a degree of pressure to play a title after the fun factor has gone, simply because the investment is too great,” explained Mr. Nakamoto. “Gamers who invest time building characters, making friends and gathering resources typically have no ability to transfer this investment to a new experience. We’re working on a new set of ideals that will push online gaming past these barriers and into an era of portability.”
Senior Vice President of Strategic Operations Joe Ybarra, a 25-year veteran of the video game industry and one of the founding members of Electronic Arts, is heading up FireSky’s publishing operations. Mr. Ybarra has extensive experience publishing products worldwide, handling licensed material and managing business development with third-party developers.
“From a business perspective, publishing is the logical next step for FireSky,” said Mr. Ybarra. “We’ve got the chops to do it and we’re assembling a great team here in the desert. I can’t wait to get our flagship up and running to show off our operation.”
FireSky, a subsidiary of Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, currently has four studios working on a variety of interactive titles.
“It’s almost time for us to lift the veil and show the world some of the unique projects we’re working on in addition to Stargate Worlds,” said Mr. Jenson. “Our studios are filled with talented game designers, world builders and engineers and we’ll be announcing several products over the course of the summer and fall that will lay the foundation for SNAP games and Project: Ascension. We have projects that span a variety of game genres as well as proven and emerging business models.”
