Game services firm PTW rebrands as Side

PTWa 30-year-old game developer services firm, has rebranded as Side, bringing its various brands under one brand identity.

PTW started out in 1994 as Pole To Win, but it has since accummulated more than 40 studios around the world with brands including 1518 Studios, Ghostpunch Games, PTW, and Side.

Although the brand is familiar to the gaming industry as a leader in audio services, Side now takes on a new meaning, symbolizing the company’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions side-by-side with its global partners across a wider range of specialisms.

“For years now, our company has operated as one team, with one vision driving how we do business – I’m proud that all our employees are now united under one banner,” said Deborah Kirkham, CEO of Side, in a statement. “The new brand symbolizes our commitment to delivering innovative, tailored solutions that drive our partners’ successes around the world.”

Through the rebranding, Side will present its range of services through a collaborative lens, leveraging the strengths of each business unit cohesively to deliver best-in-class storytelling to customers and ultimately, players. At the core of the rebrand is the promise to infuse technology with human ingenuity across all Side solutions.

Side emerges following a year of growth and expansion as the industry leader for game development services.

This includes its recent acquisition of Ghostpunch Games, the establishment of its fifth North American studio in Charleston, North Carolina, and the expansion of its international presence with newly expanded studio operations in Braga, Portugal.

With over 40 studios in 15 countries worldwide, Side’s industry-leading services include codev, art production, localization, audio production, quality assurance, localization QA, player support, community management and datasets.

“We’re a client-driven company, through and through; being on your side of the game is in our DNA,” said Kaley Hurst, chief revenue officer at Side, in a statement. “This rebrand is the amalgamation of years of organic and inorganic growth, strategic planning for the future, and the realization that we are stronger together – in both brand and values.”

Side will exhibit at Game Developers Conference (GDC) at Booth S1635 from March 19 to March 21 in San Francisco. In addition to the new branding, the company will showcase its full range of game development services.

In 1994, Kozo Matsumoto, Mitsutaka Motoshige, and Tamiyoshi Tachibana formed Japan’s first video game quality assurance company: Pole To Win, or PTW.