Swiss developer studios land major international gaming contracts
Computer game developers from Switzerland are attracting the attention of major American corporations.
This is reported by the Handelszeitung in the latest issue. The trend towards new streaming technologies in online gaming requires exclusive and crowd-pleasing content on the new gaming platforms from Google and other technology groups. Swiss studios deliver.
Giants Software in Schlieren, for example, has already jumped on Google's new game streaming platform Stadia with its Farming Simulator. "We are in exchange with Google and are currently porting the Farming Simulator to the new platform," confirms Giants partner Thomas Frey. The simulator is the country's most successful game, with sales in the high double-digit millions since 2008.
Zurich-based game studio Gbanga is also working on a major production with Universal Studios in the US. Universal is cooperating with Gbanga on the production of a hit series from the 1980s, which was most recently remade by Netflix over several seasons. "If successful, porting to other platforms will come," says Gbanga CEO Matthias Sala. Gbanga beat out 550 applicants for the major production. Co-productions between US entertainment giants and Swiss companies are still rare. There is speculation in the industry that this could be the next million-seller after Farming Simulator.
