Polytron to offer production, promotion services
But Phil Fish says "Polytron Partners" is definitely not a publisher
Polytron, the developer behind the indie hit Fez, is offering its assistance to other independent studios nearing the end of their projects.
In a post on the studio's website, Polytron head Phil Fish revealed that the decision to expand the range of the company's services arose from his personal interest in Fernando Ramallo and David Kanaga's music game Panoramical.
"When I heard the game could use some help to ship, I offered to pitch in," Fish said. "When I offered to help with the release, Fernando explained that he was already working out a somewhat similar deal with Adam and Bekah Saltsman's Finji.
"They would provide help with day to day operations, payment logistics, things like that. The kind of details independent developers often need help with when they're busy trying to ship the damn thing."
Polytron will offer help with both production and promotion, ensuring the final stretch of a game's production goes smoothly and that the message actually reaches the right audience. Fish stated that he wants to avoid using the term 'publishing', "because what does that even mean in 2014, really?"
"I'm super excited to finally close our first chapter and move on to the next one," Fish added. "I'm calling that new chapter Polytron Partners.
"And with it, Polytron becomes more than just the umbrella I operate under. We only got to make Fez in the first place because of the help and support of a lot of cool people. Time to give back a little, you know?"
What this means for Phil Fish the game developer is still unclear. Fish said that he had quit the industry in July last year, cancelling the development of Fez II in the process. The creation of Polytron Partners is something of a reversal, though Fish did not mention the possibility of him actually creating any games in the future.