NEW ORLEANS — Video game industry icon Jeff Strain has announced the public launch of Crop Circle Games, the second studio under Strain’s New Orleans-based Prytania Media imprint. Strain is co-founder of ArenaNet and founder of Undead Labs.
The good news is that Crop Circle will be headquartered in New Orleans. The bad news? Most of parent company Prytania’s employees will work remotely. Like its “sister studio” Possibility Space, Crop Circle will be a fully distributed studio, “allowing every CCG developer to live and work wherever they are happiest,” said Strain in a press release announcing the new company’s debut.
In 2021, city and state economic development officials touted a deal with Jeff and Annie Strain, Prytania’s co-founder, that would bring up to 75 new jobs to an office at the Pan-American Life Center on Poydras Street, but Strain said the realities of post-pandemic work life — and “red tape” associated with claiming state incentives — caused them to rethink the plan.
Supported by investments of $25 million from Transcend Fund and other strategic partners, Crop Circle Games is led by Studio Director Jessica Brunelle, Creative Director Doug Williams, Art Director Ocala Scott-Bellows, Design Director Nick Mhley, Tech Director Braeden Shosa and Narrative Director Josh Scherr.
“In a dispiriting political, economic, and environmental time of history, what a pleasure to be part of a team creating a joyful, productive zone of creativity, positivity and innovation,” said Strain. “It’s a genuine delight to be using my decades of successfully managing the business behind making games so that developers can focus on the creation of games. Trends come and go in this industry but balancing the non-flashy fundamentals of both game development and managing a business is how you build studios for the long run. I’m really excited to support this world-class team to bring this intriguing and somewhat unconventional title to players.”
