Blumhouse, the multimedia company, is launching a new subsidiary to produce and publish video games. The company has appointed Zach Wood as President and Don Sechler as CFO of the new venture.
Blumhouse Games will partner with independent game developers to bring their creative vision to life via original, horror-themed games for console, PC and mobile audiences. In the spirit of its film business, Blumhouse Games will target indie-budget games (below $10M) to enable innovation and pushing creative boundaries.
“For some time we have been looking to build out a team to start accessing the growth opportunity in interactive media. When we sat with Zach and Don they articulated an approach that resonated with Blumhouse’s model and we knew it was a perfect place for us to start our push into the interactive space.” said Abhijay Prakash, Blumhouse President. “With their experience, sensibility and knowledge of the gaming marketplace Zach and Don are the ideal leaders to leverage Blumhouse’s unique genre strengths into gaming.”
“Through my time in the industry, I’ve had the good fortune of working closely with developers to bring their ideas to life. There’s a unique opportunity for horror and genre in the indie game space, and I’m thrilled about teaming up with Blumhouse to meaningfully leverage the company’s brand, reputation, and creative talent,” said Zach Wood.
At the end of last year, Blumhouse and James Wan’s Atomic Monster announced their merger plans, which are expected to close in the next few months. The entry into video games will provide the combined company an exciting new area for creative collaboration.
Wood has been a video game producer for more than 25 years and has shipped over 30 games on every major platform — from the Game Boy to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The games range from large-teamed AAA to award-winning indie darlings, like Sound Shapes, Hohokum, The Unfinished Swan and Bound at Santa Monica Studio/PlayStation; Prey: Mooncrash and Redfall at Arkane/Bethesda; and most recently, a stint with Iron Galaxy.
Before joining Blumhouse Games, Sechler headed finance, operations, and strategy for Sony PlayStation's publisher and developer relations function, where he helped to structure and execute business development deals for the development, marketing, and distribution of games ranging from the largest IP in video games to first time developers. Upon joining the team in 2013, he was a key team member reforming the culture of PlayStation's relationship with third party game creators, culminating in the investment of over $150 million in indie game content, generating significant returns for creators. He also created the team that advises game makers on industry best practices that help optimize the engagement and monetization of their content.