Sumo Group Acquires The Chinese Room
Becomes Sumo Digital’s Fifth Studio
14th August 2018. Sheffield, UK. Sumo Group(AIM: SUMO), the award-winning provider of creative and development services to the video games and entertainment industries, today announces that it has acquired The Chinese Room from founders Dan Pinchbeck and Jessica Curry.
As an award-winning independent game developer, The Chinese Room is best known for creating the innovative games ‘Dear Esther’, ‘Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs’, the genre-defining ‘Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture’ and Google Daydream exclusive ‘So Let Us Melt’.
Dan will take the role of Creative Director of The Chinese Room, while Jessica will continue her career independently as a composer.
Located in Brighton, The Chinese Room will operate as part of Sumo Digital, becoming its fifth studio and fourth in the UK. Sumo Group intends to invest in The Chinese Room and continue development of current projects by building its team and collaborating with other Sumo Digital studios.
Carl Cavers, CEO of Sumo Group, said:
“I am really pleased that Dan has chosen to join Sumo Group. We believe Dan’s renowned creative abilities will add real value to Sumo Group. The Chinese Room has an outstanding reputation and its acquisition will enhance and extend Sumo Digital’s capabilities. Having a studio in the south of England opens new doors for the Group and we are confident that it will create exciting opportunities.
Dan Pinchbeck, Creative Director of The Chinese Room, said:
“I’m thrilled to be joining Sumo Digital, a network of studios I’ve a huge amount of respect for. Sumo will provide the support and experience I’m looking for to take The Chinese Room to the next level. Our aim is to build on the reputation I’m proud to have earned, to create a truly world-class studio delivering bold, imaginative new games. We’re already working on some really fantastic new concepts, alongside discussions with partners about some of the games we already have in the pipeline. The future for the studio is incredibly exciting and being part of the Sumo family is absolutely central to that.”
Paul Porter, Managing Director, Sumo Digital said:
“I’m delighted that Dan is joining Sumo Digital, and very much looking forward to The Chinese Room continuing to create the unique, innovative games they are known and loved for.”
This acquisition follows the addition of the studio in Newcastle, formerly CCP Games, in January this year, and the Nottingham studio that opened in 2016.
Enquiries:
Alison Beasley, Lincoln Beasley PR:
E: alison@lincolnbeasley.co.uk M: +(44) 7966 449130 T: @lincolnbeasley
About Sumo Group – www.sumogroupplc.com
Sumo Group’s award-winning businesses provide creative and development services to the video games and entertainment industries, from studios in Sheffield, Newcastle, Nottingham, Pune (India) and Vancouver (Canada).
The Group’s operating businesses include Sumo Digital and Atomhawk. Sumo Digital, its primary business, is one of the UK’s largest independent developers of AAA-rated video games, providing both turnkey and co-development solutions to an international blue-chip client base. Atomhawk, a complementary business acquired in June 2017, is a multi-award winning visual design company, servicing the games, film and visual effects industries. Together, the Group delivers full-service visual and development solutions, which include initial concepts and pre-production, production and development, and post-release support.
About Sumo Digital
Founded in 2003, award-winning Sumo Digital employs over 500 staff across its five studios in Sheffield, Nottingham, Newcastle & Brighton, UK and Pune, India. Developing successful games across all platforms and genres, Sumo is recognised for its versatility, proprietary technology and creativity across a portfolio of games featuring titles for major publishers including Microsoft, Sony, Sega and Disney Interactive. Current titles in development include ‘Crackdown 3’, in collaboration with Reagent and Microsoft; ‘Dead Island 2’ for Koch Media, ‘Project Nova’ for CCP Games and ‘Team Sonic Racing’ for Sega. Sumo Digital is part of the Sumo Group plc. For more information visit: SumoT: @SumoDigitalLtd
About The Chinese Room
The Chinese Room started life as a research team making experimental Half Life 2 mods, before releasing its first commercial title, Dear Esther in 2012. Dear Esther was an instant hit, selling over a million units, breaking the ceiling for arthouse games, and creating the new subgenre of walking simulators. The studios subsequent titles: Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, So Let Us Melt and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture have cemented The Chinese Room’s reputation as one of the most innovative and exciting studios in the UK. The Chinese Room have won or been nominated for every major award for gaming, including a total of fifteen BAFTA nominations and 3 BAFTA awards. http://www.thechineseroom.co.uk/