Paramount: We’re excited about games

Movie distributor Paramount has told MCV it is ready to increase is presence in the games market – and hasn’t ruled out setting up its own publishing division.

The cinema giant is owned by media conglomerate Viacom, and already licences many of its properties to publishers including Activision, Ubisoft, EA and Sierra – which will publish upcoming franchise The Spiderwick Chronicles next month.

But speaking exclusively to MCV, Paramount Digital’s general manager of worldwide distribution, Alex Carloss said:

Broadly speaking, it’s exciting to work for a company that has a portfolio that crosses film, interactive entertainment and online – and that’s a strength of position that [Paramount parent] Viacom certainly holds. Paramount is very, very excited about the growth in the interactive entertainment market. I’m sure you’re going to see an awful lot more from Paramount in this space.”

In addition to its movie IP, Paramount owns the rights to TV programmes such as Young Indiana Jones, as well as the properties on its own Paramount comedy channel.

Last month Paramount signed up content to Microsoft’s Xbox Live Video Store service – a package which included last year’s cinema smash Transformers.

Paramount already offers its own licensed games on its website, including titles based on movies Mean Girls and Stardust – and Carloss would not rule out a games publishing move in future.

When asked if the firm would consider following Warner Brothers into third-party games publishing, he replied saying: It would be imprudent of me to give you any guidance on that.”