New indie publisher Kinda Brave focuses on social and ecological sustainability
James Batchelor
Editor-in-Chief
Wednesday 30th March 2022
Yet another new publisher has emerged from stealth today, but this one has several differences in its strategy that it hopes will shake up the industry -- all centred around sustainability.
Based in Sweden, Kinda Brave operates on what it describes as a 'hybrid indie' model, whereby it doesn't sign publishing deals with studios but instead acquires them and shares resources across the group.
The idea is to give indies the structure and support of being owned by a larger publisher, but maintaining the creative freedom to work as they would if they were fully independent. Since its inception, Kinda Brave has raised SEK 60 million ($6.3 million) from investors and signed/acquired three studios, all of which now operate in the same office.
Much of the messaging around the publisher's announcement is around sustainability, and CEO Björn Rudolfsson emphasises that this is not limited to focusing solely on combatting climate change.
Björn Rudolfsson, Kinda Brave
"Sustainability is extremely broad -- it's both the planet and also people," he tells GamesIndustry.biz. "There's a social aspect to it and there's an ecological aspect to it. Sustainability is essentially about trying to give back at least as much as you take."
When it comes to climate change, that last part can refer to reducing and offsetting carbon emissions. When it comes to people, it can mean time, money and so on, Rudolfsson suggests.
"As soon as you hire your first person, you are dealing with people's lives," he says. "You realise that you have a massive impact on these people's lives. It's a responsibility."
In Kinda Brave's case, it manages that responsibility by acquiring studios and giving them the support
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