Oberon Media ceases first-party game development

Oberon Media, the parent company of I-play, is closing its in-house game development studio to focus instead on game publishing and distribution. Plans for specific titles and franchises, such as I-play originals Women’s Murder Club, Dream Day, and Agatha Christie, have not yet been announced.

The company said in a prepared statement that it will continue to work with third-party developers to create games that will be published under the I-play brand. The company also plans to grow its game catalog beyond I-play titles to be the “largest and most inclusive in the industry.”

“We will be reaching out to a wider range of developers, going beyond the types of content we have served in the past,” said Oberon Media’s President and COO Bob Hayes. “We are interested in bringing games anywhere users want to play and have some exciting plans in the works to make that happen.”

Hayes added that offering game exclusives will not be a core part of the company’s strategy at the moment. “But,” he added, “we would of course take advantage of any opportunity that arises and makes sense to us and our partners.”

Erin Bell