| Maximum Games Inc. | |
| Type: | Subsidiary |
| Location City: | Walnut Creek, California |
| Location Country: | United States |
| Area Served: | International |
| Industry: | Video games |
| Num Employees: | 60–70 |
| Parent: | Zordix AB (2021–present) |
Maximum Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Walnut Creek, California.[1] Originally founded in 2009 as a publisher of family-oriented titles for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii, the company shifted to publishing games of all genres for all ages across all platforms shortly after inception.[2]
Maximum Games has acted as a sub-publisher and North American distributor for many other major video game publishers including Nacon, Microids, Funcom, and Focus Home Interactive. Some of the most notable franchises they have partnered on include the Farming Simulator series, Five Nights at Freddy's, Bendy and the Ink Machine, , , and the WRC series.
Maximum Games expanded into funding and development with a new publishing label in 2018 called Modus Games.[3] In 2019, the company acquired its first studio, Brazilian-based The Balance, Inc. and rebranded it as Modus Studios Brazil.[4] In 2024, Maximum Games was grouped together with several other related publisher labels under the parent brand Maximum Entertainment.
Maximum Games is a privately held California corporation, and was founded as "Maximum Family Games" in 2009 by Christina Seelye and Len Ciciretto. During the 2009 holiday season, the company launched two successful Nintendo DS titles, Junior Brain Trainer and Junior Classic Games,[5] with placement in major US retailers. In 2010, the company published 16 new products for the Nintendo DS, Wii and PC platforms. In the same year, the company was granted third-party publishing status with Nintendo of America[6] and Sony Computer Entertainment America, and in 2011, they were granted the same status in Europe with both companies. In 2012, the company also secured its license with Microsoft. That May, the company legally changed its name to Maximum Games.[7]
Following the rebrand, Maximum Games began rapidly expanding into sales and physical distribution in North America for European publishers, specifically for the seventh console generation.[8] The company's output averaged around eight releases per year,[9] [10] handling packaging, third-party logistics, and negotiating with retailers to secure placements for physical releases. By 2015, the company had invested $2.5 million in future games and shipped a total of 1 million units across all releases.
In March 2016, Maximum Games acquired UK-based video game publisher and distributor Avanquest Software Publishing Ltd. The acquisition marked Maximum's move to expand distribution of its games globally, establishing a European sales and marketing position. During this time, they also established a second European subsidiary, Maximum Games Ireland Limited.[11] [12]
In 2017, Maximum Games began development of its first fully owned IP, Extinction, which released in the following year.[13] [14] The expansion into development would lay the foundation for its publishing label Modus Games, focusing on AAA publishing services for independent developers.[15] During this same time, the company further developed its European network of partners and retailers, offering games in over 30+ countries.
In 2018, Len Ciciretto transitioned out of the company and is no longer a shareholder.
In October 2020, Maximum Games entered an agreement with Nacon to handle third-party logistics for their lineup of RIG computer and gaming accessories.
Maximum Games began offering direct-to-consumer shipping from its own digital storefront in December 2020. It currently sells partner titles, Modus Games titles, and store exclusive collector's editions.[16]
The company was purchased by Swedish firm Zordix AB in November 2021, for a total of $42 million, with additional earnouts of up to $30 million.[17]
In February 2023, Zordix consolidated Dimfrost, Invictus Games, Mane6, Modus Brazil, and Zordix Racing to create Modus Studios.[18] It also acquired FUN Labs.[19] The company further consolidated in February 2024, announcing that publishers Maximum Games, Modus Games, Just For Games, and Merge Games, and developer Modus Studios, would all be grouped under the name Maximum Entertainment.[20]
In December 2017, Maximum Games created a new division of the company called Modus Games, focused on providing full-service publishing services to independent video game developers. Modus Games' first title published was action-adventure title Extinction, developed by Iron Galaxy.
In 2019, Modus Games purchased the independent Brazilian game studio The Balance, Inc., which it previously partnered with to publish the action game . The company was rebranded as Modus Studios Brazil and operates independently of the publishing arm, offering porting, development support, and development of original IPs.
Modus Games was first introduced in 2018 when the company was soft launched with the release of Iron Galaxy's Extinction.[21] The company was fully launched in March 2019.[22] Their first title as a publishing label was Finnish developer Frozenbyte's , which received favorable reviews.[23]
Modus Games has since partnered with several developers of varying sizes for both physical and digital releases globally. The company has made their first foray into the collectibles market with the announcement of a collector's edition for Dreams Uncorporated's action role-playing game Cris Tales.[24]
In October 2020, Modus Games initiated an ongoing charitable initiative called Games Giving Back,[25] in which the company donates a portion of each games' profits towards a charity, often in a similar theme to each game being highlighted. The first of these donations was to the Exceptional Women Awardees Foundation, an organization that helps women advance their careers through coaching and mentorship.
In January 2022, Modus Games acquired Mane6, the development team behind Them's Fightin' Herds.[26]
Following the release of by Brazilian studio The Balance, Inc., Modus Games purchased and rebranded the developer as Modus Studios Brazil in 2019.[27] The company operates independently of the publishing arm, and has since released a sequel titled . It is the company's first developer acquisition under the Modus name. In addition to development, the studio also co-develops and offers porting services for other Modus published games.[28]
Games published and/or developed[29]
| Year | Title | Platform(s) | Developer(s) | Role | Publisher | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Extinction | Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | Iron Galaxy | Publisher | Maximum Games, Modus Games | |
| Ninjin: Clash of Carrots | Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch | Pocket Trap | Modus Games | |||
| Modus Studios Brazil (formerly The Balance, Inc.) | Publisher, Developer | Modus Games, 3goo | ||||
| 2019 | , Trine: Ultimate Collection | Frozenbyte | Publisher | Modus Games | ||
| , The Complete Collection | Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS | Exordium Games | Modus Games, Exordium Games | |||
| Degrees of Separation | Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch | Moondrop | Modus Games | |||
| 2020 | Ary and the Secret of Seasons | Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia | eXiin, Fishing Cactus | |||
| Skully | Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch | Finish Line Games | ||||
| Them's Fightin' Herds | Windows, iOS, Linux | Mane6 | ||||
| Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia | Sketchbook Games | |||||
| Super Animal Royale | Windows, Macintosh, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia | Pixile Studios | Publisher | Modus Games (Self-published by Pixile Studios as of May 8, 2024) | ||
| Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch | Modus Studios Brazil (formerly The Balance, Inc.) | Publisher, Developer | Modus Games | |||
| Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch | Stormind Games | Publisher | ||||
| Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia | ACE Team, Giant Monkey Robot | |||||
| 2021 | Rustler | Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch | Modus Games, PlayWay | |||
| Cris Tales | Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia | Dreams Uncorporated, SYCK | Modus Games | |||
| In Sound Mind | Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch | We Create Stuff | ||||
| 2022 | Soulstice | Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X | Reply Game Studios | |||
| 2023 | Maximum Football | Windows, MacOS, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One | Invictus Games | Publisher, Developer | ||
| Teslagrad 2[30] | Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch | Rain Games | Publisher | |||
| Secret Base, Arc System Works | ||||||
| 2024 | Until Then[31] | Windows, Linux, PlayStation 5 | Polychroma Games | Publisher | Maximum Entertainment |