Latest news with #Westies
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Path of Exile maker Grinding Gear Games reports $105m revenue, new CEO
Grinding Gear Games was founded in 2006 by Westies Chris Wilson and Jonathan Rogers and Erik Olofsson, a Swede they met while playing online. Grinding Gear Games' co-founders (from left) Chris Wilson, Jonathan Rogers and Eric Olofsson, pictured near their Henderson office in 2014. Photo / Richard Robinson They used crowdfunding to grow Path of Exile (still the firm's only title). In 2018, Tencent bought an 88% stake in Grinding Gear Games for what the Overseas Investment Office said was a 'consideration that exceeds $100 million'. Over the intervening years, Tencent has gradually bought up the founders' remaining stakes. It now has 100% ownership. Throughout, Wilson remained as chief executive and held a seat on the board as well. Co-founder leaves for new project In January, Path of Exile fans noted his absence from the game. In February, he resigned as a director, with Rogers taking his place on the board and also taking over the reins as CEO. Wilson was the second of the three founders to depart. Olofsson left Grinding Gear in 2022 to found Erik's Curiosa, maker of an old-school offline game, Sorcery: Contested Realm. Wilson told the Herald he's founded a start-up, Light Pattern – a new game studio that's recruiting staff. He would only offer: 'I am intentionally not talking about my new project for a few years, so that I don't set any expectations.' Staff numbers jump, Exile 2 close Meanwhile, Rogers was happy to give an update on Grinding Gear's progress in its new financial year. 'In December, we released our sequel, Path of Exile 2, into Early Access and reached the number one position on the global top sellers list of Steam [online gaming distribution platform] with over 850,000 players online, more than doubling the previous PoE1 [Path of Exile] record,' he said. 'We have over 240 staff in New Zealand now and are continuing to hire – although we are quickly running out of office space. 'Contrast that to April 2024, when we only had 180 staff in-house.' READ MORE: Video game sector jobs up 20.5% with tax rebate, but half of funds unclaimed When Tencent took control in 2018, Grinding Gear had 114 staff at its long-time headquarters – a nondescript office building near the Henderson Pak'nSave (a contrast to another Tencent investment – RocketWerkz with its spacecraft-themed digs at the top of the new PwC Tower on Auckland's waterfront). 'Our major goal now is to finish Path of Exile 2 and get it out of Early Access and into full release. We don't have an announced timeline for that, but we will continue to release content for it every four months until it's done,' Rogers said. 'In the meantime, Path of Exile 1 continues to get content updates every four months as well.' The rising Auckland staff numbers will be music to the ears of the Government and NZ on Air – or at least a relief that a new 20% rebate is working (an NZ on Air report had total game sector employment rising by a fifth to 1300 in the year to March). Wilson was one of the industry leaders who said they they would be forced to set up shop in Australia in order to remain competitive in the talent war, if New Zealand did not match the tax rebates being offered cross the Tasman. Grinding Gear was a recipient in the latest NZ on Air funding round. (The scheme offers 20c back on every $1 spent on a video game, up to a $3m cap.) Postscript: A Musk moment Path of Exile has long been a favourite with the fantasy crowd, but also had a mainstream media moment in January when Elon Musk claimed to be one of the game's top players. The Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder used X, formerly Twitter to highlight his Path of Exile skills as part of a social media showcase designed to reveal his 'world-class' skills playing various titles, which he had bragged about on Joe Rogan's podcast. But as the New York Times reported on January 26: 'The community of gamers he's long tried to impress turned against him. It started with a livestream of Mr Musk playing Path of Exile, a popular action role-playing game known for its difficulty. Despite his account showing he had earned one of the game's highest levels, his game play looked like that of an amateur." Internet sleuths made YouTube videos and took to Reddit threads to dissect his game play, exposing mistakes a novice would make, the Times said. There were allegations that Musk was guilty of 'boosting' – hiring a skilled gamer on the sly to log on to his account and build it up. There was circumstantial evidence for the frowned-up practice (and it does go to the heart of the gaming ethos; the 'Grinding' in Grinding Gear Games is a nod to what fantasy players called 'the grind' of building a character). 'Gamers pointed out that Musk's Path of Exile account has been active at times he couldn't have been playing himself, like on Monday [January 20] morning, while he was at Trump's inauguration,' the Times reported. Musk was accused of the same jape with another popular game, Diablo IV, for the same reasons. Wilson has maintained a diplomatic silence. Ninja Kiwi takes profit, revenue hits Ninja Kiwi was founded by Kumeū brothers Chris Harris (left) and Stephen Harris. Meanwhile, Ninja Kiwi has reported a $28.8m net profit on $77.6m revenue for the year to December 31, 2024 – down from its $40.9m profit on $89.5m revenue for 2023. The result was net of a $32.0m dividend paid to its Scandinavian owner, down from $42m last year. The mobile gaming specialist was bought by Sweden's Modern Times Group (MTG) in a 2021 deal worth kr1.2 billion (Swedish krona, $203m) – with kr406m ($68m) of that total being contingent on performance targets. In 2020, the Technology Investment Network estimated Ninja Kiwi's revenue at $50m for its TIN200 list of our largest tech exporters. Ninja Kiwi was founded by Kumeū brothers Chris and Stephen Harris. It first released its hit game Bloons in 2007. The founders could not be immediately reached for comment. The game had some six million active users at the time of the company's Swedish takeover. LinkedIn Insights says Ninja Kiwi has 18 staff currently, including seven in Auckland (the rest are in the UK – primarily Scotland, where it bought another small gaming studio ahead of the MTG acquisition), from 16 in 2023. Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald's business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.
The Spinoff
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
Twenty years on, Outrageous Fortune remains as relevant as ever
Tara Ward reflects on an Outrageous week on The Spinoff. On 12 July, 2005, Outrageous Fortune burst onto our screens and transformed the landscape of New Zealand television. Created by Rachel Lang and James Griffin, the big, bold comedy-drama ran for six award-winning seasons and 108 episodes following the unpredictable exploits of the Wests, a family of career criminals living in West Auckland. It wasn't easy for the Wests to go straight, and Outrageous captured the attention and affection of New Zealanders in a way that no local scripted series had before. The Spinoff spent this week celebrating the 20th anniversary of Outrageous Fortune, and it's been a delightful trip down TV memory lane. We began on Monday with my cover story about how the Wests were born, and how the show was inspired by a news report that writer Rachel Lang heard in the shower one morning in 2003. I'd always thought Outrageous Fortune was an instant success, but it turns out New Zealand audiences were a tough crowd. It took three seasons before our love affair with Outrageous truly blossomed, and the show proved critics wrong over and over again. Across six dramatic seasons, Outrageous burrowed into our national consciousness in a variety of unexpected and colourful ways. I loved Alex Casey's deep dive into the show's spectacular use of swearing, while Liam Rātana took us on a thoughtful trip through Outrageous Fortune's most defining and memorable moments. Gareth Shute explored how the show championed a variety of iconic, sometimes forgotten New Zealand music, and Emma Gleason unpacked the unique style of our favourite Westies in all their leather and leopard-print glory. Tomorrow, actor Siobhan Marshall (who played Pascalle West) ends the week by taking us through her life in television. The legacy of Outrageous Fortune runs deep – even now, it's hard to see someone wearing leopard print without thinking of Cheryl West (and if you're wondering how obsessed New Zealand was with the show, check out this impressive 2010 entry for a Cheryl-lookalike competition in Ashburton). Outrageous Fortune inspired the award-winning prequel series Westside, and several of the show's cast and crew went on to achieve international success, including Antony Starr (The Boys, Banshee) and Robyn Malcolm, who most recently starred in the BAFTA-nominated After the Party and Netflix global hit drama The Survivors. Rewatching Outrageous Fortune reminded me that aspects of the show remain as relevant today as they were in 2005. 'In our real world, we are all encouraged to think that if we just try hard enough and show initiative, we can all be rich and famous,' Lang and Griffin wrote in their original Outrageous pitch. Twenty years later, everyone from politicians to influencers to the media remind us that we too can be wealthy and successful, if we only try hard enough. Lang was inspired to create Outrageous Fortune after she learned the median income for New Zealand women in 2003 was just over $14,000. The week before I spoke to Lang about that memory, the government rushed through changes to pay equity laws, which will predominantly impact the incomes of working-class women. Two decades may have passed, but some things haven't changed. Outrageous Fortune is a New Zealand television success story, a show filled with our voices, our issues and our humour. It's been a joy to spend a week remembering and celebrating the series. Once you've read all our Outrageous Week pieces, do yourself a favour – take a trip back to 2005 and enjoy a West family reunion this weekend.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Titus Welliver To Star In ‘The Westies' MGM+ Series
EXCLUSIVE: Former Bosch star Titus Welliver is back on the cop beat as a lead opposite J.K. Simmons in The Westies, MGM+'s upcoming period crime drama series from co-creator, executive producer and showrunner Chris Brancato. Co-created by Brancato and Michael Panes, The Westies is set in the early 1980s when the construction of the Jacob Javitz Convention Center on the Westies' home turf in Hell's Kitchen promises a financial windfall for the Irish-American organized crime gang. Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, The Westies' legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente. But internal conflict between the brash younger generation and the old-school leadership threatens to set a match to this powder keg, which will sweep the Westies into the FBI's ever-deepening investigation into the Italian mafia. More from Deadline 'Bosch' Spinoff 'Ballard' Starring Maggie Q Sets Premiere Date At Prime Video 2025 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming Stephen King Series 'The Institute' Gets Premiere Date At MGM+; First Look Welliver will play Glenn Keenan, a troubled NYPD officer who grew up with the Westies crew, torn between loyalty to the law and love for his wayward son. He likely will spar with Simmons' Eamon Sweeney, the charismatic but ruthless leader of The Westies, in a pairing of two accomplished actors each of whom has headlined their own series. Production on the eight-episode The Westies is slated to begin in July in Toronto with casting by Seth Yanklewitz, CSA and Ben Pollack. Known for his role as LAPD Detective Harry Bosch in the Amazon franchise, Welliver recently starred in the proposed Equalizer spinoff for CBS. He next will be seen in the indie film Ricky, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Welliver is repped by UTA and Leverage of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media Where To Watch All The 'John Wick' Movies: Streamers That Have All Four Films
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Titus Welliver to Play NYPD Officer in MGM+ Crime Drama The Westies, Opposite J.K. Simmons
Titus Welliver is returning to law enforcement — and this time, he's going after the mob. The former Bosch star is joining J.K. Simmons in MGM+'s The Westies, a crime drama centered around the real-life titular Irish-American crime gang in 1980s New York City, our sister site Deadline reports. More from TVLine Spider-Noir: Nicolas Cage Suits Up in Superhero Series for MGM+ and Prime Video - WATCH Jon Hamm to Star in MGM+ Drama American Hostage From EP Shawn Ryan The Equalizer Spinoff Not Moving Forward at CBS More specifically, 'The Westies is set in the early 1980s when the construction of the Jacob Javitz Convention Center on the Westies' home turf in Hell's Kitchen promises a financial windfall for the Irish-American organized crime gang,' per the show's official logline. 'Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, The Westies' legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente. But internal conflict between the brash younger generation and the old-school leadership threatens to set a match to this powder keg, which will sweep the Westies into the FBI's ever-deepening investigation into the Italian mafia.' Welliver is playing Glenn Keenan, described as a 'troubled NYPD officer who grew up with the Westies crew, torn between loyalty to the law and love for his wayward son.' He'll appear opposite J.K. Simmons as mob boss Eamon Sweeney. Chris Brancato serves as showrunner of The Westies, co-creating and executive-producing alongside Michael Panes. Production on the eight-episode season is set to begin in Toronto in July. Welliver is best known for his 10-season run as Harry Bosch, the titular detective in Bosch and its spinoff Bosch: Legacy. The Legacy series finale dropped April 17, ending Welliver's 10-season run as the police detective from the Michael Connelly novels. Best of TVLine Stars Who Almost Played Other TV Roles — on Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, Lost, Gilmore Girls, Friends and Other Shows TV Stars Almost Cast in Other Roles Fall TV Preview: Who's In? Who's Out? Your Guide to Every Casting Move!
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
J.K. Simmons lands major role in new MGM+ crime series
J.K. Simmons is to star in new MGM+ series 'The Westies'. The 70-year-old actor will lead the crime drama - co-created by Chris Brancato and Michael Panes - which is set in the early 1980s when the construction of the Jacob Javitz Convention Center on the Westies' home turf in Hell's Kitchen provides the Irish-American organised crime gang with a financial windfall. Despite being outnumbered 50-to-one by the Five Families of the Italian Mafia, the Westies' legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente. But internal conflict between the brash younger generation and the old-school leadership threatens to set a match to this powder keg, which will sweep the Westies into the FBI's ever-deepening investigation into the Italian Mafia. Announcing Simmons' casting, Head of MGM+, Michael Wright said: "J.K. Simmons is one of the finest actors working today. "His authenticity and intensity bring an invaluable quality to this complex and exhilarating story, and we can't wait to see him bring this unforgettable character to life." Simmons previously won the 2015 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of merciless jazz instructor Fletcher in Whiplash.' Hi filmography contains multiple acclaimed movies and TV shows, including HBO prison drama 'Oz', 'Spider-Man' and 'La La Land'. 'The Westies' is Brancato's third series with MGM+ following the success of his critically acclaimed show 'Godfather of Harlem', starring Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, and the crime thriller 'Hotel Cocaine'. 'The Westies' will go into production in Toronto, Canada, in July and will premiere exclusively on MGM+ in the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia. Amazon MGM Studios Distribution will distribute in all other international territories.
