New UK video games studio, Sunset Sugar Studios, has secured its first deal, teaming with Aardman as it begins its goal to work with ‘the biggest names in licensing’.
The studio – which was established by games publishing veteran, Darryl Still (who has a 35+ year career in the UK and international games industry), alongside former colleagues Matt DC and James Deputy – will initially focus on its popular Pixel Puzzles franchise.
Created by Matt DC, the franchise already has over four million players around the world. Currently available on Steam, the series will also be available on PlayStation and Xbox formats going forward.
Pixel Puzzles Aardman (available on Steam) is the first licensing deal for the studio, which has said that working with brands will be a key focus.
The game features iconic scenes from Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and more, boasting 26 free puzzles with piece counts ranging from 96 to 425.
“It’s great to be back with the launch of Sunset Sugar Studios, and with the opportunity to take the incredibly popular Pixel Puzzle games to an even wider audience,” commented Darryl Still, publishing director at Sunset Sugar Studios. “Our goal when we chose to set up Sunset Sugar was to work with the biggest names in licensing – and we’ve done that from the off with our first deal with Aardman. We are delighted to be working with them, and to have the chance to recreate their worlds into the Pixel Puzzle environment.”
Hannah McFarlane, licensing executive at Aardman, continued: “We are delighted to be partnering with Pixel Puzzles, collaborating on a range of online jigsaw puzzles featuring much-loved Aardman characters. The traditional format of jigsaws mixed with online gaming is a popular and growing market and is a great addition to the portfolio of digital Aardman games. We are looking forward to showcasing these games to our current fanbase who will love interacting with the iconic characters, as well as attracting new fans from the world of online gaming.”
Want to read more news like this? Simply sign up to our daily digest by clicking here. You can also follow @LicensingSource on Twitter and @licensing_source on Instagram.
