Journey dev Thatgamecompany attracts $160m investment

pcgamesinsider.biz:

Developer Thatgamecompany has brought in $160 million in investment.

This money has come from investment group TPG and VC firm Sequoia. The cash is going to be going towards game development and expanding its staff, as well as growing the player base of mobile game Sky: Children of Light. The studio is best-known for titles such as Journey, Flow and Flower. 

In addition to the investment, Thatgamecompany has brought on board Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull as an advisor for the studio's creative culture and strategic growth.

“Our mission is to elevate games as a legitimate form of art,” said Thatgamecompany CEO and co-founder Jenova Chen.

“We want to see a game that emotionally appeals to people of all ages, identities and backgrounds within a single experience. Animated feature films have had genre-defining moments with Snow White and Toy Story, and we will continue working toward this moment in the gaming world. With the advisory support from legendary Ed Catmull, and the financial backing from TPG and Sequoia, we are going to double down on thatgamecompany’s pursuit and continue to push the boundaries between art, human connection and video games.”

Catmull added: “Thatgamecompany is a driving force for the advancement of games’ deeper emotional impact. I’m honored that Jenova and the studio have asked me to share my learnings on building an enduring creative culture befitting its ambition to provide enriching and accessible interactive experiences for a worldwide audience.”