GitHub founder launches new publisher Null Games with hockey roguelite ‘Tape To Tape’
GitHub founder Chris Wanstrath has announced his “developer-friendly” publisher Null Games and confirmed the first title to be released is hockey roguelite Tape To Tape.
Wanstrath co-founded software development platform GitHub in 2007 and served as the company’s CEO until it was acquired by Microsoft in 2018.
Today (February 1), Wanstrath announced Null Games, which is “part of a new wave of indie game publishers that put developers first.”
The first title Null Games is releasing is Tape To Tape, which comes via Canadian developers Excellent Rectangle. Described as a hockey roguelite, Tape To Tape is a “fantasy sports game that even non-sports fans can enjoy.”
“A hockey game at its core, you’ll take control of the worst team in an imaginary league filled with unforgettable characters and colourful teams. It’s your job to build your roster, acquire new abilities, and ultimately win games as you turn your pack of misfits into world champions — or face defeat and go back to the drawing board,” reads the description.
Tape To Tape is set for release April 2023 and is available to wishlist via Steam now.
According to the official website, Null Games was “founded in 2022 [and] created in the spirit of weekends spent losing yourself in a new world and late nights spent conquering enemies with your friends. We publish games that are fun and social, without battle passes or loot boxes. Our games treat players with respect, and our publishing agreement has the most developer-friendly terms there are. We partner with developers who share our vision, and, in exchange, we share their risk.”
Speaking about the company in a statement, Wanstrath said: “So many of us grew up exploring amazing digital worlds. But as we got older, we learned that the games industry isn’t always fun. The creative people directly responsible for making great games are often treated the worst. In the world of indie games, the publishers have all the power and they know it. Contracts are often one-sided, as is the risk. We think there’s a better way.”
“Null is just one publisher. We can’t change the industry, but we’re part of a growing movement that can,” he continued.
“By partnering with developers and offering great terms, we believe they’ll make better games in a more sustainable way,” Wanstrath added. At the end of the day, this is really all about the games. We’ve seen what the developer-unfriendly, crunch culture produces. It’s time to see what happens when you treat developers and gamers with respect.”
In other news, Hollow Knight developer Team Cherry has filed a trademark in Australia for the words “Fearless Fox”, which appears to be the title for an unannounced project.
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Ali Shutler
NME
