EXCLUSIVE:
Mobile developer Outplay Entertainment has rebranded for the first time since it was founded in 2010. The Scottish studio partnered with design agency JDO to update its aesthetics around the idea of “limitless fun.”
Outplay cofounder and president Richard Hare says that the team conceived of the original brand identity before the studio opened. The company has grown since then, raising funds to the tune of $9 million total and acquiring developers such as Eight Pixels Square. It was enormously successful last year, ranked the fastest-growing Scottish tech company by the Deloitte Technology Fast 500. Outplay also reported a 1,904 percent growth in revenue since 2013.
“We wanted to take the time to take stock of our original vision for the company, the journey we’ve been on since then, who we are now as a team (in all of its cultural and creative diversity), and crucially who our players are and how our games connect us all,” said Hare in an email to GamesBeat.
Outplay’s free-to-play mobile titles, such as Crafty Candy and Mystery Match, have been downloaded over 100 million times when combined, according to Pocket Gamer. In 2018, the studio is focused on adding community features for its existing games as well as developing new titles for its portfolio.
Above: Outplay’s new logo after its rebranding.
“For 2018, we’re focused on providing our players with more ways to play together each day in all of our games and offering additional opportunities for community participation within the games as well as our existing forums,” said Hare. “We also are in the process of developing and testing new games that are either exploring new platforms or genres for Outplay (both in some cases) as well as exploring concepts for games that are a natural evolution from our most successful titles.”
Mobile spending grew 30 percent year-over-year in 2017, and most of that was thanks to games. Last year, players spent $48.3 billion on mobile titles, and mobile game revenue finally outpaced those of PC and consoles. And mobile games are predicted to rake in $57.9 billion this year, according to market analyst Newzoo.
It’s a crowded space with juggernauts to contend with, such as Chinese tech giant Tencent’s Honor of Kings, which launched in the West in December under the name Arena of Valor. And older titles are still topping the charts. King’s Candy Crush Saga was the top grossing title in the U.S. last year despite debuting in 2012.
“Although this rate of change is challenging, we have never lost sight of making games that we find fun to play and create (and delivering them to the highest standards) and understanding who our players are and evolving games around them,” said Hare. “Although our company, team, games, and audiences have all evolved (and now our branding too), this focus endures.”
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