ProbablyMonsters, Developer of AAA Game Studios,
Establishes Itself as a New Category of Gaming Company
Industry Leader Harold Ryan Assembles Talent
from Entertainment Giants Including Sony, Microsoft, Bungie, Activision &
Pixar; Launches ProbablyMonsters & First Two Studios with Signed Next
Generation Games
Issaquah, WA – October 9, 2019 – ProbablyMonsters™ Inc., a developer of industry-defining video
game studios and interactive entertainment, announced its formation under the
leadership of CEO and founder, Harold Ryan, offering a new business model for
games focused on creating world-class development studios and original
entertainment. The privately held company, which has been operating in stealth
mode since 2016, today revealed its first two ProbablyMonsters development
studios, Cauldron Studios™ and Firewalk Studios™. Led by top industry talent
hand-selected by Ryan, each studio is working on an original AAA game that has
been signed by a leading publisher.
ProbablyMonsters is a new category of game company for the next
generation of gaming, neither a traditional developer nor a publisher. Instead,
it creates and sustains independently operated development studios, each
specifically formed to develop hit entertainment franchises in genres they are
passionate about. Under Ryan’s leadership, the ProbablyMonsters team is
establishing a strong foundation built on successfully leading multiple AAA
games while establishing a positive creative culture, starting with studio
formation, culture, people development, creative development, funding,
staffing, administrative, and technical needs.
With over 20 years of industry achievements, Ryan has been
responsible for generating over $5 billion revenue through blockbuster
franchises such as Halo, Destiny, Age of Empires, and MechWarrior.
He has held distinguished roles including CEO and President of Bungie as well
as key positions at Microsoft and with Ensemble Studios and FASA Studios. Ryan
negotiated Bungie’s divestiture from Microsoft in 2007 and demonstrated the
company’s vision as a leading independent game developer while securing over a
billion dollars in funding and forging strategic partnerships with Activision,
Sony, and Microsoft. He is known for creating exceptional and highly creative
results—both critically and commercially—with efficient teams, clear goals, and
an atmosphere of respect and transparency.
“As we enter a new generation of gaming, the
industry needs a better model for building AAA studios where game developers
can reliably turn their creative vision and effort into exceptional experiences
that delight players,” said Harold Ryan, CEO and founder of
ProbablyMonsters. “Our mission at ProbablyMonsters is to unite, guide, and
empower talented game developers in a stable and predictable business
environment that respects people, culture, and creativity.”
ProbablyMonsters has assembled an exceptional team of leaders,
including Lonnye Bower, COO, an engineering leader experienced in large
scale projects who was formerly Worldwide Technical Lead at Microsoft. Fiscal management
and strategic planning expertise is provided by Douglas Kikendall, CFO,
formerly CFO at TheTVDB.com and Oak Harbor Capital. HR and recruiting is
overseen by Shannon Armstrong, Chief People Office, an HR leader with
over 20 years of experience who was formerly Senior Recruiting Manager at
Amazon.
Firewalk Studios is headed by Tony Hsu, previously SVP and
General Manager of the Destiny Business Unit at Activision Publishing. Hsu
is a champion of new gaming IP and has extensive gaming and strategy experience
including the massive launches of Destiny and Call of Duty: Black Ops.
Firewalk’s Game Director is Ryan Ellis, formerly Creative Director at Bungie
and Lead Artist at Oddworld Inhabitants.
Cauldron Studios is headed by Dave Matthews, who has over
20 years of experience managing AAA teams while helping build franchises like God
of War and Myst. Matthews was formerly Lead Character Artist at Sony
Computer Entertainment of America and Art Director at Bungie and WB Games. Game
Director for Cauldron Studios is CJ Cowan, who was previously the Story Lead
for Destiny’s House of Wolves and Taken King releases, and
Bungie’s Director of Cinematics for the bulk of their Halo titles.
ProbablyMonsters, located in scenic Issaquah, Washington, is
committed to building a positive creative culture where game developers can
thrive while creating and shipping original AAA games. In July 2019,
ProbablyMonsters closed a private $18.8 million Series A round led by Jerry
Jones, Owner/President/ General Manager of the Dallas Cowboys, and John Goff,
Founder and Chairman of Crescent Real Estate and Goff Capital; Luther King
Capital Management affiliates; gaming executive and venture capitalist David
Oxford; among other private investors, to fund its ongoing growth. More details
on ProbablyMonsters and the ProbablyMonsters studios will be shared in coming
months.
Follow ProbablyMonsters
on Twitter at @prblyMONSTERS.
About ProbablyMonsters
Inc.
ProbablyMonsters Inc. was founded in 2016 by former Bungie
President and CEO, Harold Ryan. ProbablyMonsters exists to build the next
generation of video game studios where developers can build careers in a positive
environment, and reliably turn their creative vision and effort into
exceptional experiences. Located in Issaquah, Washington, the company has a
strong cast of experienced, innovative game development leaders with a record
of launching successful AAA games. ProbablyMonsters’ mission is to unite, guide
and empower talented game developers in a stable and predictable business
environment. ProbablyMonsters has announced the formation of its first two
independently owned and operated development studios, Firewalk Studios, LLC and
Cauldron Studios, LLC. Each studio is developing its own inaugural AAA game
project via separate, signed deals with major publishers. For more information,
visit probablymonsters.com.
# # #