Table of Contents Categories
  Encyclosphere.org ENCYCLOREADER
  supported by EncyclosphereKSF

Good Shepherd Entertainment

Topic: Company

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 6 min
Short description: Dutch video game publisher
Good Shepherd Entertainment
FormerlyGambitious Digital Entertainment (2011–2017)
IndustryVideo games
Founded2011; 13 years ago (2011)
Founders
  • Paul Hanraets
  • Sjoerd Geurts
  • Harry Miller
  • Andy Payne
  • Mike Wilson
Headquarters
The Hague
,
Netherlands
Number of locations
2 offices (2012)
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Number of employees
23[1] (2022)
ParentDevolver Digital (2021–present)
SubsidiariesArtificer
Websitegoodshepherd.games

Good Shepherd Entertainment (formerly Gambitious Digital Entertainment) is a Dutch video game publisher based in Amsterdam. The company was founded in 2011 and opened its equity crowdfunding platform in September 2012. Gambitious' publishing label was opened in 2014, offering publishing services. In August 2017, Gambitious Digital Entertainment was rebranded Good Shepherd Entertainment whereas they ceased their crowdfunding activities and fully transitioned into being a publisher. Having been a consultant to the company prior, Brian Grigsby now became the CEO of the company.[2]

History

Foundation (2011–2012)

Former Gambitious Digital Entertainment logo, used 2015–2017

Gambitious Digital Entertainment was established in 2011 by chief executive officer Paul Hanraets.[3][4] Founding partners include Mike Wilson and Harry Miller of Devolver Digital, Sjoerd Geurts, and Andy Payne.[4][5] Additional funding was provided by business funding platform Symbid.[6] The company and its crowdfunding platform, also called Gambitious, were formally announced in February 2012.[7][8] By June 2012, the company was headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with another office in Austin, Texas , United States.[5][9] The shareholdings of Miller and Wilson, while independent from Devolver Digital, made for a controlling interest.[3]

Crowdfunding (2012–2013)

Gambitious' crowdfunding platform was opened on 25 September 2012.[10] The platform was described as a hybrid crowd-finance platform and indie publishing label.[11] The first product featured on Gambitious' platform was to be a sequel to Mushroom Men.[12] The first game featured became Train Fever instead.

According to Wilson, the idea behind the company was to create "a platform that brings investors and developers together to create great games to their mutual benefit".[13] In March 2013, Gambitious successfully closed their first equity-based crowdfunding campaign for Train Fever, which raised €250,000 from 640 international investors.

Gambitious also experimented by offering pledging as a funding option on their platform. This resulted in a successful funding for charity SpecialEffect, which raised 113% of it target aimed towards purchasing specialised computers for severely disabled gamers that can be controlled using eye movement.[14]

Changes to crowdfunding (2015–2017)

Due to international regulatory differences on the topic of equity-based crowdfunding, Gambitious was forced to restructure their model several times, leading to the eventual decision to officially separate from Symbid in February 2015 and transition into an independent game publisher. Between 2015 and 2017 Gambitious utilises an evolving set of crowd finance tools and techniques in order to fund their games. Whereby they rely on a private network of investors who invest alongside them under the same exact terms and conditions. In January 2016, Gambitious opened their network to new United States accredited and European investors. On 16 August 2017, Gambitious was rebranded as Good Shepherd Entertainment.[15] and transitioned from a crowdfunding platform to a publisher collaborating with a private network of accredited[16] investors upon request. The company also received a new investment by Advance/Newhouse, through which they opened new full-time positions.[15] At this time, the company had 12 employees.[15]

Indie game publishing (2013–present)

Every game that Gambitious has signed on has been funded and released, with four of the first six titles delivering profits to investors in the first month following release.[17] Gambitious had a core group of 30 investors.[18]

In 2019, Good Shepherd Entertainment partnered with Lionsgate Games and announced John Wick Hex.[19] Paul Hanraets stated that Good Shepherd intends to focus on triple-I games and similar licence-holder collaborations.[2] According to Hanraets, the company has access to popular pop-culture IPs like John Wick, which it will pair with experienced indie developers.

In April 2019, Good Shepherd Entertainment acquired a majority stake in Artificer, a Warsaw based game development studio founded by the core team responsible for Hard West and Phantom Doctrine.[20] Artificer consists of over 30 team-members who have previously worked on numerous titles including the Call of Juarez and the Dead Island series.

Devolver Digital bought Good Shepherd on 7 January 2021.[21]

Games

Games published

Year of release Title Developer(s) Platform(s)
2014 Train Fever Urban Games Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows
2015 Magnetic: Cage Closed Guru Games Microsoft Windows, Xbox One
Breach & Clear: Deadline
Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows
Xeodrifter Renegade Kid Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita
Pathologic Classic HD Ice-Pick Lodge Microsoft Windows
Hard West CreativeForge Games Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows
Oh...Sir! Vile Monarch iOS, Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows
2016 Hard Reset Redux Flying Wild Hog Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Crush Your Enemies Vile Monarch Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows
Zombie Night Terror NoClip Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows
RunGunJumpGun ThirtyThree macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
Oh...Sir!! The Insult Simulator Vile Monarch Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
Transport Fever Urban Games Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows
2017 Diluvion Arachnid Games macOS, Microsoft Windows
Oh...Sir! The Hollywood Roast Vile Monarch Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
Redeemer Sobaka Studio Microsoft Windows
2018 Where the Water Tastes Like Wine Dim Bulb Games Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows
MachiaVillain WildFactor Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows
Milanoir Italo Games Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Semblance Nyamakop macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
Phantom Doctrine CreativeForge Games Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2019 John Wick Hex Bithell Games macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
Black Future '88 Super Scary Snakes macOS, Microsoft Windows
Transport Fever 2 Urban Games Linux, Microsoft Windows
2020 Monster Train Shiny Shoe Microsoft Windows
OlliOlli Switch Stance Roll7 Nintendo Switch
2021 The Eternal Cylinder ACE Team Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S October 13, 2022)
2022 Hard West 2 Ice Code Games Microsoft Windows
2023 Showgunners Artificer Microsoft Windows
Hellboy Upstream Arcade Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
TBA Dicefolk LEAP Game Studios, Tiny Ghoul Microsoft Windows

Games re-released

Year of re-release Year of original release Title Developer(s) Platform(s)
2015 2014 Breach & Clear Mighty Rabbit Studios Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows
2013 Mutant Mudds Deluxe Renegade Kid Microsoft Windows
2014 Xeodrifter Renegade Kid Microsoft Windows
2011 Hard Reset Flying Wild Hog Microsoft Windows

References

  1. ↑ "Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2022". Devolver Digital. 3 May 2023. https://investors.devolverdigital.com/files/downloads-and-publications/DevolverDigital-Annual-Report-2022.pdf. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Handrahaan, Matthew (10 July 2018). "Good Shepherd eyes growth through "bigger investments with bigger titles"". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-07-10-good-shepherd-eyes-growth-through-bigger-investments-with-bigger-titles. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Osborn, George (13 September 2016). "A Gambitious Proposal?". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2016-09-13-a-gambitious-proposal. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 van Otterlo, Alessandra (17 August 2017). "Gambitious krijgt nieuwe naam en financiële injectie" (in nl). https://control-online.nl/gamesindustrie/2017/08/17/gambitious-krijgt-nieuwe-naam-en-financiele-injectie/. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Takahashi, Dean (27 January 2016). "Gambitious resurfaces with profitable titles and a new way to invest in games". https://venturebeat.com/2016/01/27/gambitious-resurfaces-with-profitable-titles-and-a-new-way-to-invest-in-games/. 
  6. ↑ Curtis, Tom (5 June 2012). "New crowdfunding service offers a game-focused twist on the Kickstarter formula". https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/171668/New_crowdfunding_service_offers_a_gamefocused_twist_on_the_Kickstarter_formula.php. 
  7. ↑ Rose, Mike (14 February 2012). "Equity-based crowdfunding platform Gambitious launching next month". https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/129641/Equitybased_crowdfunding_platform_Gambitious_launching_next_month.php. 
  8. ↑ Weber, Rachel (14 February 2012). "New equity based crowdfunding platform to launch". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-02-14-new-equity-based-crowdfunding-platform-to-launch. 
  9. ↑ Takahashi, Dean (4 June 2012). "Gambitious creates crowdfunding just for games". https://venturebeat.com/2012/06/04/gambitious-creates-crowdfunding-just-for-games/. 
  10. ↑ Weber, Rachel (25 September 2012). "New crowdfunding platform Gambitious launches". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-09-25-new-crowdfunding-platform-gambitious-launches. 
  11. ↑ Hall, Charlie (6 February 2017). "Crowdfunding for video games was way down in 2016". https://www.polygon.com/2017/2/6/14311836/crowdfunding-video-games-down-in-2016-kickstarter-fig-gambitious. 
  12. ↑ Cook, Dave (25 September 2012). "Gambitious: Mushroom Men sequel is first featured crowd-fund project". https://www.vg247.com/2012/09/25/gambitious-mushroom-men-sequel-is-first-featured-crowd-fund-project/. 
  13. ↑ Couture, Joel (3 February 2016). "Mike Wilson explains Gambitious' plans for funding indie devs". https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/265006/Mike_Wilson_explains_Gambitious_plans_for_funding_indie_devs.php. 
  14. ↑ Pearson, Dan (13 September 2013). "Special Effect launches crowdfunding drive". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-09-13-special-effect-launches-crowdfunding-drive. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Hall, Charlie (16 August 2017). "Investment platform Gambitious is now called Good Shepherd Entertainment". https://www.polygon.com/2017/8/16/16153762/investment-platform-gambitious-is-now-called-good-shepherd-entertainment. 
  16. ↑ Cronin, Audrey (5 September 2017). "Game Investment Platform & Publisher Good Shepherd Entertainment Reports Strong Investor Returns". https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170905006369/en/Game-Investment-Platform-Publisher-Good-Shepherd-Entertainment. 
  17. ↑ Weber, Rachel (29 January 2016). "Gambitious: 3 years, 6 successful projects". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2016-01-29-gambitious-interview. 
  18. ↑ Batchelor, James (10 February 2016). "Gambitious on the secrets of crowdfunding success". https://www.mcvuk.com/development/gambitious-on-the-secrets-of-crowdfunding-success. 
  19. ↑ Brief, Staff (30 May 2019). "Good Shepherd, Lionsgate Launch 'John Wick Hex' Video Game". https://brief.promax.org/article/good-shepherd-lionsgate-launches-john-wick-hex-video-game. 
  20. ↑ "GOOD SHEPHERD ENTERTAINMENT TAKES MAJORITY STAKE IN AMBITIOUS NEW DEVELOPMENT STUDIO, ARTIFICER". 4 October 2019. https://www.gamasutra.com/view/pressreleases/340483/GOOD_SHEPHERD_ENTERTAINMENT_TAKES_MAJORITY_STAKE_IN_AMBITIOUS_NEW_DEVELOPMENT_STUDIO_ARTIFICER.php. 
  21. ↑ "Devolver Digital, Inc. | AIM Admission Document | November 2021". Devolver Digital. November 4, 2021. https://investors.devolverdigital.com/files/downloads-and-publications/Admission-Document-Devolver-Digital-Inc.pdf. 

External links



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Company:Good_Shepherd_Entertainment&oldid=3477825"
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 | Source: https://handwiki.org/wiki/Company:Good_Shepherd_Entertainment
7 views | Status: cached on September 12 2024 10:25:32
↧ Download this article as ZWI file
Encyclosphere.org EncycloReader is supported by the EncyclosphereKSF