One True King (OTK), a creator-owned media company, has launched its own publishing label, Mad Mushroom, at its second annual OTK Games Expo. The publisher aims to use the popularity of many of its gaming personalities and crossover content to give indie game developers unrivaled visibility. Unlike other publishers that are launched by a single personality, Mad Mushroom has access to several prominent gaming personalities and their 38 million cross-platform social followers. The publishers plan to hire 10-15 employees initially and scale up as their slate of games expands.
Mad Mushroom plans to give creators a voice early in development to help games resonate with viewers. Signed developers will have access to prominent and creators from several genres to provide a variety of perspectives. Mad Mushroom prioritizes replaybility, audience participation, games that create engaging content, and commercial viability over specialisation in any specific genre. Developers with a unique story or background are a plus. In contrast to other publishers, Mad Mushroom is uniquely positioned due to its relationship with these creators. Since the death of retail, marketing has become important for developers, especially indies. Mad Mushroom has a team of creators who will play games at reduced or zero cost, allowing them to invest the money they would have allocated for influencer marketing to different types of marketing.
OTK has launched other related businesses that will also take advantage of this flywheel. OTK launched its PC line Starforge Systems in 2022, and its Mythic Talent agency earlier this year. In addition to the business advantages, the relationship between these creators and their audiences is valuable to Mad Mushroom. This personal touch will help Mad Mushroom build a deeper relationship with fans. Feedback will reach developers quickly. The community wants developers to listen, and Mad Mushroom can act as a conduit for that to happen. It’s a huge advantage for Mad Mushroom.
As a creator collective, OTK understands that building a strong relationship with its audience underpins its operations. Of course, maintaining this trust is paramount for both OTK and Mad Mushroom. The publisher is looking to create mutually beneficial agreements between itself and indie developers. Historically, publisher deals with developers have been somewhat predatory, especially when it comes to smaller indie developers. Many modern-day publishers take IP rights and have an unfavorable revenue share between the developer and publisher. Mad Mushroom knows it can put a spotlight on its games and that gives it a massive advantage. It has the luxury of being able to give freedom and flexibility back to developers. Also, it is all public figures, and if they do not give people good deals, it’s going to come back to haunt them. Mad Mushroom’s goal is creating mutually beneficial partnerships between developers, publishers, fans, and creators.
The publisher’s transparency, built-in distribution, and forward-thinking strategy will make Mad Mushroom an attractive option for indie developers. Rather than publishers calling the shots and developers executing them, Mad Mushroom’s goal is to create mutually beneficial partnerships. Given recent controversy, OTK’s move to diversify its operations and support grassroots talent is more important than ever.
