Following Technicolor’s recent collapse amid financial difficulties, it has inked a deal to sell Technicolor Games to global language translation and AI tech business TransPerfect. Meanwhile the future of Technicolor’s other brands–VFX giant MPC, commercial VFX company The Mill, and Mikros Animation–is still uncertain.
TransPerfect chief business officer Barnaby Wass told Variety that the companies had been in negotiations for several weeks but Technicolor was seeking a buyer to acquire its entire business. After Technicolor failed to find a buyer and filed for bankruptcy on Feb. 24, TransPerfect negotiated a deal to save the gaming unit. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
With the deal, Technicolor Games will keep its name and become a division of TransPerfect Gaming with a goal of “business as usual for clients, in a stable financial environment,” said Wass.
With offices in London, San Francisco, Montreal, and Bangalore, Technicolor Games employed more than 400 artists and serviced clients including Electronic Arts and 2K Games. As part of the deal, Technicolor Games India employees will return to the company’s largest facility, in Bangalore. Artists in London, San Francisco and Montreal will work out of TransPerfect offices.
Technicolor Games CEO Andy Emery and vice president of global business development Eric Williams will continue to lead the division and both will join TransPerfect’s senior leadership team. Said Emery, “With the support of clients, employees, and industry partners, this acquisition ensures that the legacy of Technicolor Games continues, reinforcing its reputation as a premier provider of art, animation, and VFX services to the global video game industry.”
Added TransPerfect’s president and co-CEO Phil Shawe, “Technicolor is a renowned brand and this division has an impressive track record of producing stunning creative work.”
At the time of Technicolor’s shut down, which affected thousands of artists, work at MPC included VFX on Disney’s “Lilo and Stitch” and Paramount’s “Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning.” Mikros’ work included Paramount and Nickelodeon’s upcoming “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2.”
Much of the creative team at Technicolor’s The Mill U.S. pivoted and joining forces with Dream Machine FX to launch a new venture, Arc Creative.
