Philadelphia-based TLA Entertainment Group announced it will partner with independent game developer Republik Games to market and promote the hotly anticipated upcoming videogame Spend the Night.
TLA is well-established in the independent film and video distribution market, but this is the company’s first foray into videogames.
“We are always looking ahead at new opportunities,” says TLA partner, Richard Wolff. “TLA has been a longtime supporter of independent film, and we see early indicators that stand-out independent games like Spend the Night will be making a serious impact on the market.”
While the exact terms of the deal have not been disclosed, Republik Games Chief Executive Officer Robert Coshland confirms that TLA will acquire an equity stake in Republik Games in exchange for its marketing and promotional muscle.
“The question of marketing and distribution always comes up when you are an independent studio,” says Coshland, “Partnering with TLA will give us strategic leverage in this regard. Also, TLA isn’t shy about handling controversial content, and Spend the Night is definitely going to push the boundaries of videogame interactions.”
Spend the Night has been the subject of much media speculation in recent months due to its promise of immersive gameplay that features virtual sex. In the game, players find compatible matches via a built-in network of other Spend the Night users, and then play cooperative “virtual dates.”
“This is not a downloadable chat application; it’s a serious title for the emerging genre of social video gaming,” notes Coshland who has been in the videogame business since 1997 and has a number of high-profile titles to his credit, including The Incredibles, based on the Disney/Pixar film of the same title, which sold more than 4.5 million units in 2005.
