Jason Blums Blumhouse Launches Horror Games Division, Hires Veterans Zach Wood and Don Sech

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Blumhouse is sinking its horror chops into the video-game biz.

The media company on Tuesday announced the launch of Blumhouse Games, a new subsidiary that will produce and publish “indie budget” video games (below $10 million) “in the spirit of its film business” in a way that will “enable innovation and push creative boundaries.”

The company has named veteran video-game producer Zach Wood (above left) as president and ex-PlayStation exec Don Sechler (above right) as CFO of the new venture. Blumhouse Games will partner with independent game developers to bring their creative visions to life via original, horror-themed games for console, PC and mobile platforms.

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Blumhouse president Abhijay Prakash said the company had been looking at building out a team to “start accessing the growth opportunity in interactive media” for some time. “When we sat with Zach and Don they articulated an approach that resonated with Blumhouse’s model and we knew it was a perfect place for us to start our push into the interactive space,” Prakash said. “With their experience, sensibility and knowledge of the gaming marketplace Zach and Don are the ideal leaders to leverage Blumhouse’s unique genre strengths into gaming.”

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Wood has been a video game producer for more than 25 years and has shipped 30-plus games on every major platform. Those titles have ranged from large-teamed AAA games to indie games like “Sound Shapes,” “Hohokum,” “The Unfinished Swan” and “Bound” at Santa Monica Studio/PlayStation; “Prey: Mooncrash” and “Redfall” at Arkane/Bethesda; and most recently, a stint with Iron Galaxy.

“Through my time in the industry, I’ve had the good fortune of working closely with developers to bring their ideas to life,” Wood in a statement. “There’s a unique opportunity for horror and genre in the indie game space, and I’m thrilled about teaming up with Blumhouse to meaningfully leverage the company’s brand, reputation, and creative talent.”

Before joining Blumhouse Games, Sechler headed finance, operations and strategy for Sony PlayStation’s publisher and developer relations group. He also created the team that advises game makers on industry best practices that help optimize the engagement and monetization of their content.

Blumhouse has produced more than 150 movies and TV series with theatrical grosses totaling over $5 billion. In film, the company’s franchises include Halloween, Paranormal Activity and The Purge. The studio’s movies include “M3gan,” Scott Derrickson’s “The Black Phone,” “Split” from M. Night Shyamalan, Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman” and Jordan Peele’s “Get Out.”

Blumhouse said its planned merger with James Wan’s Atomic Monster, announced last year, is anticipated to close sometime in the summer.

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