Crate Entertainment Case Study

Located in Boston are many local video game companies that have various specialties that make their business stand out from the others. Companies such as Crate Entertainment and Harmonix Music Systems have had major success because of their unique style of game content. Harmonix, which was founded by MIT students, focuses mostly on the music part of video games. Because of their success, they have taken part in projects with other well known companies such as Rock Band and Dance Central. Similarly, Crate Entertainment also have a major competitive and unique system, taking part in the game series Grim Dawn which became a major hit bringing positive critic reviews, and support on Steam and the console platform. However, these companies are

Two companies to look into to find the answer would be FableVision and Irrational Games. FableVision is a video game company directly focused on children. Founded by children’s book author and illustrator, Peter Reynolds, this company has had major success over its 20 year span, partnering with other companies such as Nick Jr., Smithsonian, and National Geographic Society. It is one of the few local companies whose main concern is producing educational video games for young students. For the majority, FableVision creates iOS and Android games for the kid level style, and at times, it does also produce games for the console platform. Then there is Irrational Games, which is perhaps a more well known company due to its past success. The company mostly focuses on creating games in the console scene even though it does at times allow their games to be on sale on PC. Their prime target audience is the older generation, roughly from ages 16-25 years old, that for the most part play games that involve violence and action. So, the main question stands, does a video game company such as Irrational Games follow a different business standard compared to

Do the higher paid at Irrational Games have more of an impact in the product when working with other companies than do the employees of FableVision? Does the educational video game company have a larger say because they are a children and educational oriented company with little restriction than Irrational Games? Since these are only local companies, it can be assumed that the voice of the larger and more accomplished company will have a greater say as to what part of the game and what should be implemented. Companies such as Nick Jr. and Disney, should definitely have more of a voice than FableVision just because of the size of their reputation. An example of FableVision’s collaboration with other companies would be when they partnered with Pearson to create Poptropica. Author for the Family Education Network, Lisa Wolfe, explains that “Under Reynolds' creative direction, the game's story features a virtual artist colony where a disgruntled inventor is removing all color and creativity from the island and kids come to the rescue to reverse the colorless chaos.” (Wolfe 1). This does show that FableVision as a matter of fact do have a major part, if not, larger than assumed and that it’s in the hands of them to decide which direction they would want the game to go.. The President of FableVision was also quoted saying, "We are honored to collaborate with such a trusted name in family-friendly education on an endeavor