PTW‘s Side division has acquired Vibe Avenue, an award-winning interactive music and sound studio, for $1.46 million.
The Montreal-based studio will be rebranded as Side Montreal and will bring sound design, music composition, and soundtrack production expertise to Side’s existing audio offerings. PTW, formerly known as Pole To Win, is a big game services firm based in Japan. It has 6,000 people.
The deal, which was finalized today, marks an important milestone in PTW’s growth strategy. By acquiring Vibe Avenue, PTW aims to bring on board top-notch talent while expanding its service portfolio. The addition of Vibe Avenue’s audio capabilities will enable Side Montreal to offer clients a more comprehensive range of services, said Deborah Kirkham, CEO of PTW International, in an interview with GamesBeat.
“We’re super excited to have Vibe Avenue as part of the PTW family,” Kirkham said. “We have long wanted to add sound design and composition to our portfolio. And in terms of our acquisition strategy, we look for a company that is best of breed and a cultural fit, that we know we can grow and expand organically post acquisition, and Vibe Avenue is all of those things. They’re a great company.”
Mathieu Lavoie and François-Xavier Dupas, the founders of Vibe Avenue, will join Side Montreal as senior director and creative director of music and sound, respectively. They will report to Olivier Deslandes, senior vice president of audio and speech technology at Side.
While Vibe Avenue is small, Kirkham said it’s a good fit.
“We’re boutique with scale. We target every engagement as a separate engagement. And we really hope to work with our clients as partners. We don’t see ourselves as a provider, as a services company. We are their right hand,” Kirkham said.
PTW has worked on thousands of games over time.
“At PTW, a key component of our growth strategy is bringing on best-in-class talent and continually expanding our service offerings — this acquisition checks both boxes,” Kirkham said. “Not only does Vibe Avenue have some of the best audio talent in the industry, but we can now offer clients new sound design capabilities we didn’t previously have.”
Vibe Avenue, founded in 2013, has grown from a two-person operation to a team of 17 composers, sound designers, voice designers, and production experts. The studio has collaborated with companies such as Sega, Square Enix, Norsfell, Marvel, and Wizards of the Coast, working on projects related to some of the most recognizable franchises in the gaming industry.
“We’re thrilled to join an industry leader like PTW and add our talents to their audio division – this match brings together the best of both worlds, resources and scale alongside talent and new services,” said Lavoie, in a statement.
“I’m excited to see what sort of magic we can make together at SIDE for our clients,” said Dupas, in a statement.
PTW has more than 40 studios in 15 countries worldwide. Established in 1994, PTW has grown into a global force in the gaming industry, offering a wide range of services, including art production, game development, audio, quality assurance, player support, community management, localization, voice production, and data collection. The PTW family of brands includes Side, 1518 Studios, Entalize, Delfi Sound, and OR Esports.
I asked if PTW is embracing AI in game development as well. Kirkham said investors are asking about the impact and she tells them it isn’t having one in terms of affecting the workforce. She said it is true that it is an important technology, and the company has been preparing for incorporating AI and machine learning into its pipeline for a long time. It will help clients cost effectively reach more players in more languages.
“Gaming has always been the driving force behind technological innovation for a very long time,” Kirkham said. “Games and the games industry at large are becoming more inclusive, which I see is a good thing. I definitely said I think we’re all learning that the gaming industry is not as recession proof as we had thought.”