Zoo Games, Inc. has emerged as a major player in the development, publishing and distribution of interactive software for family-oriented consumers.
The Cincinnati company, which in 2007 sprang from Take Two -- the creator of Grand Theft Auto and one of the top game publishers worldwide -- focuses on more casual games.
"Triple A or blockbuster games like Grand Theft can cost from ten to eighty million dollars to develop, whereas development budgets for our casual games are anywhere from one hundred thousand to one million dollars," says Mark Seremet, Zoo Games CEO. "Casual games don't have steep learning curves and are generally played for short periods of time. The Wii and most iPhone apps are some examples of casual games."
Themes include sports, racing, game shows, strategy, and action-adventure. Zoo develops software for all major consoles, handheld gaming devices, PCs, and mobile and smart-phone devices, as well as the emerging "connected services." Its 100-game library will grow to 150 games by the end of the year.
The company's innovative content creation site, indiePub Games, develops opportunities in digital entertainment. The site, which consists of independent game developers and players, offers the resources to create new games and serves as a venue where enthusiasts can help to create new software. "indiePub is like an American Idol for video games," says Mark Seremet, the company's CEO.
Sales for the first nine months of the year show a 50 percent year-over-year increase compared to last year's sales of $48.5 million. Zoo's games vary in price from about $20 to $40.
Source: Mark Seremet, Zoo Games
Writer: Patrick G. Mahoney