Sumo Group Establishes Indie Games Publisher Secret Mode - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 11 March 2021 / 1,023 Views
Sumo Group has announced the establishment of an indie games publisher called Secret Mode that is "focusing on bringing fresh, smaller games, developed either internally or by independent developers, to market."
"We want to break down the stereotypical publisher-developer relationship and create genuine lasting partnerships. We think our values and long-term ambitions will give every studio something to think about" said James Schall. "We will bring a fresh approach to the publishing scene, embracing creativity and experimentation, whilst being intuitively and commercially guided by the decades of experience we have within the Group."
Sumo Group COO Paul Porter added, "We have previously published titles that have been created in-house, like Snake Pass, and have enjoyed some success with that. This is a natural progression of that process. Being developers ourselves, we know great teams want to focus on making the best game possible – without distractions. Secret Mode knows how to nurture developer talent, providing the resources and creativity to help make their creations fly.
"The guiding principles for Secret Mode are transparency and honesty. The team is driven to create something different and adaptive – building truly collaborative relationships with our developer partners that will endure. Combining our industry knowledge, connections, and passion for great games, Secret Mode has what it takes to help developers grow and thrive"
Schall added that "Secret Mode is focusing on finding those smaller gems" that have the following qualities:
- Fresh - we don’t want to be pigeonholed by genre, but we are looking for games that bring something new to the table, something we’ve never seen before
- Sticky - we’re looking for games that keep you thinking about them, even when you’re not playing
- Fetching - we’re always suckers for a fetching art style or a mechanic that makes you smile with joy
- Longevity - we’re looking for IP we can nurture and grow, not fire-and-forget projects
- The umami factor - that ineffable something you feel in your gut when you know a game is special
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.
