MARCH 25, 2011 • The independent film production firm The Weinstein Company is launching its very own game publishing label, TWC Games. Titles for mobile, social, and console platforms are planned. Weinstein is best know for its Oscar winning The Kings Speech, but also such movies as Scream, Hellraiser, Halloween, Scary Movie in its catalog.

Impact: Movie studios have waded into games development and publishing with mixed success.  While WBIE is currently reaping the benefits of owning LEGO game developer Traveler’s Tales and finding success with its new Batman: Arkham series, the stable of Warner Bros. controlled IP now also includes all of DC Comics, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Inception and similar types of content well suited for diverse gaming executions.  Conversely, Disney recently shuttered much of its game development efforts after series of expensive acquisitions that failed to yield sufficient positive returns. Brash Entertainment, a startup publisher founded in 2007 with an exclusive focus on developing better games based on movie licenses, went out of business in November 2008.  DFC feels TWC’s IP is initially best suited for lower risk mobile and social content and should avoid high end console content until it develops a track record in the former markets.