Cinemaware Debuts New Independent Games Label

Cinemaware has announced the opening of a new branch of the company, called Cinemaware Marquee. The new division of the game developer will highlight independent game developers, with no restrictions on location or genre. For the moment, the label will concentrate on the PC platform, with console and handheld expansion planned for later. "Cinemaware Marquee is the equivalent of an independent film label featuring innovative titles with truly compelling gameplay," said eGames VP of development Lars Batista. "Our goal is to deliver consistently incredible and epic games. There are many extremely talented developers making amazing titles in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere. Many of these games never make it to the North American market, so we are aggressively seeking out and publishing this unique content that serious gamers in the U.S. and Canada will love." The new Marquee label represents another change in strategy for the company, which was acquired in October by budget games publisher eGames Inc. The move represented an attempt for eGames to branch out into regular-priced releases, though in the brief time since the purchase no new Cinemaware titles have been announced. "Our new Cinemaware brands are crucial to eGames' overall strategy of diversifying far beyond the casual games segment, and Cinemaware Marquee pushes that vision into new places," said eGames VP of sales and marketing Richard Siporin. "Publishing genuinely ambitious games, for all platforms, that are developed all over the world will establish Cinemaware Marquee as a top label in its own right, and will ultimately be great for gamers and our business."