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Despite the struggles of the UK industry in recent times, the Cambridge development sector seems to be booming. Craig Chapple asks the local studios what makes the area so resilient to the challenges it faces.


THE UK INDUSTRY has been through tough times over the last few years, with many studios going out of existence or packing up and leaving for better tax incentives aboard. The development and technology sector


in Cambridge however has, for the most part, bucked the nationa l trend, and has continued to grow whilst other regions have failed.


Jagex, one of the UK’s biggest


development outfits, has just moved into a larger building, to house its 400 plus strong work force, with plans to continue growing. Frontier Developments meanwhile also staffs 210 employees, making them two of the largest independent studios in the country.


A BOOMING INDUSTRY As well as a number of start-ups, big technology companies and game developers in the area such as Microsoft Research, Geomerics and Ninja Theory, Cambridge accounts for more than ten per cent of the country’s industry workforce. Mike Ball, co-founder of Devil May Cry


developer Ninja Theory, which has 101 employees, says: “The games industry in Cambridge has certainly broadened over the past few years as new devices and platforms have come to market. “The larger studios in the area have


continued to grow and explore those new opportunities, whilst a wealth of small indie developers have sprung up all over the place. While many areas of the country have seen independent developers struggling in the harsh financial climate, Cambridge developers have weathered the storm well.” The technology hub now also has a robust


and diverse mix of companies, and as well as different sized development studios, there are middleware providers such as Geomerics, QA specialists Universally Speaking, Microsoft Research Cambridge, which was responsible for the development of the Kinect, and Google acquired voice technology firm Phonetic Arts amongst many others.


Geomerics sales VP Rob Precious says:


“Cambridge has a very diverse mix of technology companies related to the game development space. “And as a direct consequence of the large, major developers and student communities located here, a vibrant indie community of new entrepreneurs has emerged, taking advantage of the new routes to market.”


UNDERLYING TROUBLES Despite such a plethora of companies, Universally Speaking’s localisation manager Loreto Sanz Fueyo believes that the region lacks a sense of community that many development hubs such as Dundee and those in Canada thrive on.


A lesson in resilience


“We need to develop more of a


community sense and leave aside individualistic approaches in order to present Cambridge as a more united games hub, rather than a collection of individual hi-tech companies,” says Fueyo.


As a consequence of the large, major


developers and student communities here, a vibrant indie community


has emerged. Rob Precious, Geomerics


The local industry has also had to deal with the same well documented troubles that the rest of the country and the world has suffered from over the last few years, with problems such as finding experienced talent and the UK’s distinct lack of development tax breaks and incentives offered by the government. Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard says that whilst the studio has just expanded, moved into a new office and is having huge success with


its RuneScape franchise, things definitely haven’t been easy. “The reality is the UK games industry is not in a good place, and that’s a shame. We would far prefer 20 equal sized competitors, as it raises our game, than simply be the UK’s largest indie developer and publisher. “This is a function of a number of things.


Some people lost touch with the platforms and where players were actually at. Others focused on the wrong stuff; whilst others achieved a scale that was unsustainable. He adds: “It has been a tough year for Jagex, probably our toughest in history, and you can look at that two ways. You can be fatalistic about it or you can say we’ve all got to step up and do double just to stand still.” Ball says that it is essential that the UK


government allow the development industry to continue to compete against other countries receiving support. He states that it needs to encourage more export trade in the current financial climate, as the games industry is one that generates export and is very beneficial to the UK economy. Gerhard explains that although


Cambridge is a fantastic area due to its open landscape and availability of talent, there have been pressures to move abroad, especially after such a difficult year.


FEBRUARY 2012 | 37


The new Jagex building (above) with CEO Mark Gerhard’s tank parked outside, reflects the strength and success of the studio and its contemporaries in Cambridge


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