Other Ocean Interactive

What is Other Ocean Interactive?
Other Ocean Interactive is a privately held Canadian game development studio founded in 2006 by Andrew Ayre in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The company is known for Project Winter, an 8-player survival and social deception game, and for work-for-hire development on major franchise titles including the MediEvil remake and Minecraft: New Nintendo 3DS Edition. The studio employs approximately 17 people and operates under the Other Ocean Group parent structure.

Is Other Ocean Interactive publicly traded?
No, Other Ocean Interactive is not publicly traded. The company is privately held and owned by its founder, Andrew Ayre, who serves as CEO. The company operates under the Other Ocean Group corporate structure. There is no publicly traded stock for Other Ocean Interactive or Other Ocean Group. No external investors or funding rounds have been disclosed.

Who founded Other Ocean Interactive?
Other Ocean Interactive was founded by Andrew Ayre in 2006. The studio was originally established as Backbone Charlottetown, an internal studio of Foundation 9 Entertainment, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. In May 2007, Ayre left Foundation 9, bought out the studio, and renamed it Other Ocean Interactive, establishing the Other Ocean Group as the parent company. Ayre remains CEO and owner.

Where is Other Ocean Interactive based?
Other Ocean Interactive is headquartered in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The company also maintains a studio in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and an office in Emeryville, California, in the United States. The company's workforce includes remote developers across North America. The St. John's location is notable for a game development studio, as Newfoundland and Labrador is not a traditional hub for the industry.

How many brands does Other Ocean Interactive own?
Other Ocean Interactive has been involved in the development of over 40 games, including both original IPs and work-for-hire titles. Its most notable original titles include Project Winter (2019), #IDARB (2015), and The Walking Dead: Betrayal (2023, discontinued). The company's work-for-hire portfolio includes the MediEvil remake, Minecraft: New Nintendo 3DS Edition, and multiple Yu-Gi-Oh! titles.

Who owns Other Ocean Interactive?
Other Ocean Interactive is owned by Andrew Ayre, who founded the company in 2006 and serves as CEO. Ayre originally co-founded the studio as part of Foundation 9 Entertainment before buying it out in 2007 and establishing it as an independent company under Other Ocean Group. There is no parent company above Other Ocean Group, no external investors, and no publisher relationship for the company's original IPs.

What happened to The Walking Dead: Betrayal?
The Walking Dead: Betrayal was a social deception game developed by Other Ocean Interactive and launched in early access in 2023. The game built on Project Winter's traitor mechanics but was based on The Walking Dead franchise. Development ceased and the game was discontinued on December 1, 2023. The discontinuation meant that players who purchased the early access title no longer had access to an actively developed game. The company's refund policy was not widely publicized.

Other Ocean Interactive was originally founded as Backbone Charlottetown on February 6, 2006, as an internal studio of Foundation 9 Entertainment, at the time the largest independent video game developer in North America. The studio was established in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Andrew Ayre, a co-founder of Foundation 9, oversaw the studio's establishment.

In May 2007, Ayre left Foundation 9 Entertainment and bought out the Backbone Charlottetown studio, spinning it off as an independent company. The studio was renamed Other Ocean Interactive at that time. Ayre established the Other Ocean Group as the parent company, bringing together other former Backbone Entertainment subsidiaries including Digital Eclipse Software. The company became Canadian-owned and controlled, though based in both Canada and California.

In September 2008, Other Ocean Interactive announced the establishment of a second studio in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, which would become the company's headquarters. The St. John's studio was established to expand the company's development capacity beyond the Charlottetown location. The company also opened Sculpin QA, a QA testing facility, in Charlottetown in December 2007, and established a specialized Apple iPhone development division in July 2008.

In its early years, Other Ocean Interactive focused primarily on work-for-hire development for publishers. The studio worked on titles across multiple platforms including Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iPhone, and iPad. Early projects included titles for franchises such as Yu-Gi-Oh!, Poptropica, and Spider-Man. The company also developed Iron Brigade for Windows (2012) and South Park: Tenorman's Revenge for Xbox 360 (2012).

The studio's first significant original IP was #IDARB, a multiplayer action game released in 2015 for Xbox One and Windows. #IDARB was developed with community input and received positive reception for its chaotic multiplayer gameplay. The game demonstrated Other Ocean's capacity to develop original titles alongside its work-for-hire business.

In 2019, Other Ocean Interactive released two significant titles. Project Winter launched on Steam Early Access on February 7, 2019, with a full release on May 23, 2019. The game was an 8-player multiplayer survival and social deception game that combined resource gathering and environmental survival with hidden traitor mechanics. Also in 2019, the studio released the MediEvil remake for PlayStation 4, a work-for-hire project that was a remake of the 1998 PlayStation title. The MediEvil remake demonstrated the studio's capability to handle high-profile contract work for major publishers.

Project Winter was ported to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2021, expanding the game's platform reach. The console versions supported cross-platform multiplayer with PC. In 2023, Other Ocean released Project Winter 2.0: Cabin Fever, a major update that streamlined the gameplay experience for faster matches and easier onboarding.

Also in 2023, Other Ocean Interactive launched The Walking Dead: Betrayal, a social deception game that built on Project Winter's traitor mechanics. The game was based on The Walking Dead franchise and launched in early access on Windows. However, The Walking Dead: Betrayal was discontinued on December 1, 2023, after development ceased. The discontinuation demonstrated the challenges of developing social deception games with smaller player bases.

As of 2026, Other Ocean Interactive continues to operate from its studios in St. John's, Charlottetown, and Emeryville. The company's recent projects include Diebrary and the announced title Underlab for Windows. The studio maintains its dual business model of original IP development and work-for-hire contracts.

Other Ocean Interactive has not published a sustainability report or third-party environmental certification. As a digital game studio, the company does not have the physical manufacturing footprint associated with physical products. The company operates from offices in St. John's, Charlottetown, and Emeryville, with a partially remote workforce across North America.

In terms of ethical practices, the company's original IPs use player-friendly monetization. Project Winter is sold as a one-time purchase with no microtransactions, loot boxes, or in-game purchases. All content updates have been free to existing owners. This approach avoids the regulatory scrutiny associated with loot box mechanics and randomized reward systems.

The Walking Dead: Betrayal's discontinuation in December 2023 raised questions about the company's handling of early access purchasers. The game was discontinued after less than a year in early access, meaning players who purchased the title lost access to an actively developed product. The company's refund policy for the discontinued title was not widely publicized, and the financial impact on purchasers was not independently assessed.

The company has not been involved in documented labor disputes, environmental violations, or major regulatory actions. Other Ocean Interactive has not sought B Corporation certification and does not publish ESG or corporate responsibility reports.

The Walking Dead: Betrayal Discontinuation (2023): Other Ocean Interactive launched The Walking Dead: Betrayal, a social deception game based on The Walking Dead franchise, in early access in 2023. The game was discontinued on December 1, 2023, after development ceased. The discontinuation meant that players who purchased the early access title no longer had access to an actively developed game. The company's communication about the discontinuation and any refund policies was limited. The failure raised questions about the studio's capacity to maintain multiple live multiplayer games simultaneously and about the viability of social deception games with smaller player bases.

Workforce Contraction (2024 to 2026): Other Ocean Interactive's workforce has contracted by approximately 17% year-over-year, from approximately 26 to 17 employees. The company has not publicly commented on the workforce reduction. The contraction may reflect the completion of work-for-hire contracts, the discontinuation of The Walking Dead: Betrayal, or a strategic downsizing. Workforce reductions at small studios can affect development capacity and the ability to maintain live game operations.

Project Winter Player Base and Matchmaking (Ongoing): Project Winter's declining concurrent player count, currently at approximately 32 on Steam, has created matchmaking difficulties for new players. Finding full 8-player lobbies can require extended wait times, particularly outside peak hours. This creates a barrier to entry for new players who purchase the game, as the core experience depends on full multiplayer sessions. Other Ocean Interactive has not implemented bot fillers or single-player modes to address this issue, though the Project Winter 2.0 update did streamline some mechanics.