MTV is teaming up with blockbuster Hollywood movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer on a video game venture, committing to spend $500 million over the next two years on a new MTV Games unit.
With millions of TV viewers spending more time playing video games, MTV said early Wednesday that it is backing the new video game studio with its TV and digital platforms, including Spike TV, MTV and CMT.
Bruckheimer, who has produced major Hollywood hits such as Top Gun, Armageddon, Crimson Tide and National Treasure, will build a game incubation studio with MTV teams staffed by video game experts, artists and storytellers, MTV said.
“Bruckheimer and his innate talent for developing wildly successful entertainment properties that range from action, reality, drama, sports, and comedy are the perfect complement to our vision for MTV Games and the experience our audiences truly crave,” MTV Networks Music & Logo Group president Van Toffler said in Wednesday’s announcement.
MTV Games recently released the video game Rock Band with developers at Harmonix, which MTV acquired in 2006.
While MTV and Bruckheimer didn’t detail specific games that are in the works, Bruckheimer suggested the storytelling used in film and TV will be a key focus of the MTV Games venture.
“Video games represent a new and innovative medium for what we’ve always tried to do, which is to tell great stories. But this medium is unique in that it gives the player control over how those stories unfold,” Bruckheimer said. “I look forward to working with MTV Games to create new original game stories, always looking for ways to innovate the medium.”
MTV said the deal was negotiated by Creative Artists Agency on behalf of Bruckheimer. For MTV Games, the agreement was overseen by MTV Networks executive vice president and general counsel George Cheeks.
