GT Interactive Software Corp. announced that in an effort to boost its Humongous Entertainment children's software division, it would fold the company's existing operations into the GT Interactive arm. The New York-based gaming company will adopt a unified corporate direction, similar to that of GT Interactive's majority owner Infogrames Entertainment. Infogrames hopes that the new arrangement will increase shareholder value and produce a re-energized company. GT Interactive also announced that Humongous Entertainment's current president and CEO Shelley Day and creative director Ron Gilbert will leave their management positions to pursue a new Internet venture. The company said it would release the specifics of the new venture at a later date. Day will continue on in her current role through June 2000 at which time the company's management transition is expected to be complete. "Humongous Entertainment is one of the preeminent brands in children's entertainment and has been ever since its inception in 1992. This is directly related to the business and creative decisions of the company's two dynamic founders," said Bruno Bonnell, chairman and CEO, GT Interactive and Infogrames Entertainment. "Our decision to more tightly integrate Humongous Entertainment into the GT Interactive family will continue to strengthen our position as a leading publisher of children's entertainment products both in the United States and abroad." The Humongous Entertainment library includes PUTT-PUTT, FREDDI FISH, PAJAMA SAM, SPY FOX and more. Other internal development studios which GT Interactive controls include SingleTrac, WizardWorks, Oddworld, Legend Entertainment and Reflections.
Look in the May issue of Animation World Magazine for a profile of Oddworld.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
