Senior media executive Sharon Tal Yguado is taking her talent from the small screen to game design. Yguado has worked at big-name studios, like Fox and Amazon, developing hit series like The Boys and The Walking Dead, which recently wrapped up its 11th and final season.
Recently Yguado announced she founded Astrid Entertainment, a game studio where she’ll act as CEO. According to Yguado, the plan is to start small and expand into other entertainment mediums over time.
“We will most likely start in early access because we want to bring in players early and evolve the world with them. We also care deeply about building passionate communities,” Yguado told Polygon. “We are making an accessible game that inspires positive, community play and hope to see more people play.”
Astrid Entertainment’s First Game
Astrid Entertainment is currently developing its first game . Yguado states is not an MMO but will allow players to play together. Rather than featuring a linear story, the game will allow players to essentially write their own stories. Players will play with a small group of other players within their world. However, they’ll have the option to meet other players by engaging with other worlds. The yet unannounced game has already received a seven-figure pre-seed investment from investors such as Tower 26 and NetEase.
Yguado also expressed her wish to change the toxic culture pervasive in the game industry. She plans to fight this by placing more women in high-ranking positions and creating a space where all employees feel free to speak up.
“I’m humble to come in and learn, but I do think there’s room to grow. There are a lot of companies that said they were going to change their cultures and didn’t. There’s a lot of work to be done,” Yguado told Polygon.
Upcoming Games Based on TV and Film
While Yguado is moving away from television, there are a plethora of games in the works based on movies and television series. Telltale, the game studio responsible for Telltale’s The Walking Dead, is developing The Expanse: A Telltale Series, based on the hit show. Likewise, Disney plans to release a new Star Wars game every six months. In addition, while Robert Downy Jr may never don the Iron Man suit again, Motive Studio is currently developing a new game staring the beloved superhero.
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
