Saints Row publisher Koch Media now called Plaion after rebranding

Koch Media, Saints Row’s publisher, has rebranded. Plaion is the German-Austrian firm.

For the record, “Plaion” is pronounced “play-on,” which makes sense given its primary product (it has a small film business). “Koch” had been called/mentally read/pronounced variously as “Coke,” (like the right-wing political donor siblings); “Kotch” (as in Ed, mayor of New York from 1978-1989); “Cook” (like Jim Koch, co-founder of the Samuel Adams beer brewery); and, less politely, “Cock.”

Koch Media, acquired by Embracer Group in 2018, was named for co-founder Franz Koch, which is pronounced “cough,” a Plaion executive told VentureBeat in an interview Thursday morning. Co-founder Klemens Kundratitz told GamesIndustry.biz that the name change isn’t “window-dressing. The signal we’re sending is that we’re on a journey, and it’s good to give this journey a new name, new visual appearance.”

VentureBeat spoke with Kundratitz, who said that Plaion’s leadership took the decision. Embracer was not involved in this process. But, “if they had said they hated the name, we might have reconsidered it,” Kundratitz added.

The name change comes with a new logo, which Kundratitz said was meant to evoke the “play” symbol on the buttons of most electronic devices.

Plaion (also known as Koch Media) is most well-known for its Deep Silver publishing business. Deep Silver published GSC Game World’s STALKERClear Sky STALKER, Call of PripyatIt was in 2007-2010 that the company had its breakthrough hit. Dead Island2011: To consoles and the PC

Koch Media then picked up the Metro and Saints Row intellectual properties, as well Saints Row studio Volition, when the former THQ’s assets were liquidated in 2013. Nordic Games Licensing bought the THQ trademark and changed its name to THQ Nordic. Embracer Group eventually acquired THQ Nordic.

Embracer bought Koch Media on February 2018, The company also acquired Saber Interactive (August 2020), Borderlands maker Gearbox Entertainment (February 2021), and Dark Horse Comics (the end of 2021).