Blumhouse is stepping into the video game arena, and it appears James Wan’s Atomic Monster is coming too. Blumhouse announced Tuesday that a new subsidiary is being created to produce and publish video games, and it is set to be one of the first collaborative ventures between Blumhouse and Atomic Monster once their impending merger is closed.
Plans to merge the two companies were first reported last year, and according to Blumhouse, the deal is expected to close within the next few months. The new video game venture, called Blumhouse Games, will be led by Zach Wood as President and Don Sechler as CFO.
Blumhouse Games will partner with independent game developers to bring their creative vision to life via original, horror-themed games for console, PC and mobile audiences. In the spirit of its film business, Blumhouse Games will target indie-budget games (below $10M) to enable innovation and pushing creative boundaries.
“For some time we have been looking to build out a team to start accessing the growth opportunity in interactive media,” Blumhouse President Abhijay Prakash said in a statement. “When we sat with Zach and Don they articulated an approach that resonated with Blumhouse’s model and we knew it was a perfect place for us to start our push into the interactive space. With their experience, sensibility and knowledge of the gaming marketplace Zach and Don are the ideal leaders to leverage Blumhouse’s unique genre strengths into gaming.”
Wood has produced video games for more than 25 years, shipping more than 30 games on major platforms, ranging from Game Boy to PS5 to Xbox Series X. Wood produced games including “Sound Shapes,” “Hohokum,” “The Unfinished Swan” and “Bound” for Santa Monica Studio/PlayStation and most recently completed a stint with Iron Galaxy.
“Through my time in the industry, I’ve had the good fortune of working closely with developers to bring their ideas to life,” Wood said in a statement. “There’s a unique opportunity for horror and genre in the indie game space, and I’m thrilled about teaming up with Blumhouse to meaningfully leverage the company’s brand, reputation, and creative talent.”
Meanwhile, before joining Blumhouse Games, Sechler headed finance, operations, and strategy for Sony PlayStation’s publisher and developer relations function, where he helped to structure and execute business development deals for the development, marketing, and distribution of games ranging from the largest IP in video games to first time developers.