Ox Eye Media is excited to announce bright news for the board game industry: change for a publisher you’ve come to know and love, and the launch of something new.. As of October 1st, 2022, Deep Water Games will be an independently operated organization, spinning off from Ox Eye Media and becoming its own entity. As Deep Water Games begins this new journey, Ox Eye Media will be starting its own, brand new board game publisher: Source Point Games.
Since its founding in 2018, Deep Water Games has been an innovator in the tabletop industry. Starting as a localizer for games from Taiwan, France, and the Netherlands, Deep Water quickly pivoted after signing the English rights for Welcome To, which was widely considered the game of 2018. This change in direction led to the signing of hit games like Floor Plan, MonsDRAWsity, and Fantastic Factories as the original publisher.
This separation signals the next exciting phase of both Deep Water and Ox Eye Media. Leading Deep Water into the future will be an original founder, Jacob Way, who served in various roles including the Publisher of Ox Eye Media’s comic division (Source Point Press), President of Ox Eye Media, Chief Revenue Officer, and Head of Games. Deep Water Games will return to being its own private entity, and under the leadership and vision of Jacob, we’re sure the path he forges will be great.
When asked about the spinoff, Jacob Way, visibly excited for the future, said, “Ever since the founding of Deep Water, the focus has been on elevating and supporting our partners. Becoming an independent company will allow us to do this in an unprecedented way. We have raised over $1 million on Kickstarter, had a dozen games in Barnes & Noble, and placed a game on Target’s shelves, so when I tell you the best is yet to come it is a bold statement!”
The excitement was shared by Travis McIntire, CEO of Ox Eye Media, as he noted, “It is sad to see something we built leave the organization, but it has been our goal since day one to create brands that last the test of time. Now as our team tops 20 employees, it is exciting to see a division be able to support itself like Deep Water has demonstrated.”.
Deep Water Games is attending SHUX and Essen as the spinoff takes effect October 1st. Ox Eye Media will be attending NYCC while Deep Water Games is overseas for Essen, filling 1000 square feet of space with a booth brimming with comics, plushies, artwork, and hints at the future of Source Point Games. Both teams are eager to share the announcement and their plans with the rest of the world.
Jacob Way will be taking meetings for Deep Water Games at their shows and sharing with partners his highest priorities as CEO. “I want to create a brand whose innovative and quality games are reflected in everything we do. That means applying our top-notch design principles from the top down; this means a reimagining from our packaging to our customer service.”
Nolan Nasser, COO of Ox Eye Media, is brimming with confidence for the future of Deep Water. “Jacob has been an influential member of our team, which he co-founded with myself and Travis McIntire. When he started full-time, we had only two other employees, and we operated in the back of a comic shop. Exactly three years later, we have 20 full-time employees and a 40,000 square foot facility. I know that Jacob will take that same attitude and skill and grow Deep Water just as he did with Ox Eye Media.”.
Ox Eye Media is launching their own board game division, Source Point Games, led by Nolan Nasser. The new company will be coming out the gate running, with Rat Queens: To the Slaughter and Floor Plan: The Winchester Mystery House® as part of their early line-up, and other original tabletop products are on the horizon. Additionally, Nolan’s long time company, N3, will be rebranding to Source Point Studios. Establishing across-the-board recognition between industries is an important goal, amongst many, when it comes to the restructure, and Deep Water Games couldn’t be more excited for them.
Joshua Werner, the Editor-in-Chief and Chief Creative Officer of Ox Eye Media, can’t wait for everything Source Point Games has in store. “We’re very excited for both the future of Deep Water as well as the future of Source Point Games. Source Point Games will bring together all the fun and engaging gameplay you’ve come to know and love from Deep Water and all of the genre-driven storytelling and excitement from Source Point Press.”
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