NEWS // INDUSTRY | ALPHA litz
saddened to hear of Blitz’s closure,” stated Charles Cecil, head of Broken Sword studio Revolution Software, speaking with Develop. “Founded in 1990, the same year as ourselves, Blitz was one of the pillar development companies which appeared to always ride the troughs. Passionate about games and the industry itself, Andrew and Philip Oliver are always
Andrew and Philip were
always sincere, open and human.
Martin Hollis, Independent
positive, always pleased to offer advice to their fellow developers, and to contribute to the industry whether through government or Tiga. They will bounce back, of course, and we wish the very best of success to them, to their former employees, and the new developer start-ups.”
“[Blitz was] such a long time
stalwart member of the UK games development industry, and one that was unusually outward-facing, and I am very surprised and sad to learn it is closing,” independent developer Martin Hollis, famed for his roles as director and producer on the N64 hit GoldenEye 007, told Develop. “Andrew and Philip were always sincere, open and human, and I never knew any person to have a word against them. The business was business-like and I believe they managed
relationships and employees in the best possible way. It is sad to see such bad luck affecting so many in the UK.” Speaking with Develop, Tower Studios founder and former Sensible Software co-director Jon Hare expressed similar sentiments: “Blitz have traditionally adapted well to the transition of the games industry across the years, from small family company making original games to large company servicing many licences across a wide range of platforms. I will be sad to see them go.”
THE NEW GUARD Representing the Leamington Spa area’s newer teams, Andy Wafer, CEO of 2012-founded developer Pixel Toys said: “It’s disappointing, saddening and no doubt very stressful for those losing jobs. As such a large employer of talent the closure will impact the cluster in the short term. Blitz has been a positive force in the local gaming community, driving IGDA events, mentioning initiatives, indie support and knowledge sharing in and around Leamington. “However, through the transition into a new leaner company many jobs are likely to be saved,” he added. Cecil also asserted that Blitz’s
closure acts as ‘a warning bell’ for the whole development sector: “Once again, [it] raises the question of why the European Commission should have blocked the government’s tax credit proposal.” Visit the Developwebsite for a detailed history of Blitz, and more news on new studios forming from the closure.
Game Republic turns ten
UK dev sector’s largest regional body enters second decade
NORTHERN ENGLAND AND Yorkshire games industry network Game Republic is this month celebrating ten years supporting developers in the region. Established in 2003 by proven Yorkshire games makers including Martyn Brown of Insight For Hire, Revolution Software’s Charles Cecil and Bryan Reynolds of Rockstar Leeds, Game Republic strives to give its members a voice in the global games business, and encourages the sharing of information, resources and work. “Game Republic wouldn’t be here without the incredible support from our games companies, affiliates, guest speakers and universities, such as Sumo Digital, Rockstar Leeds, Platform Expos, Team17, Four Door Lemon and the University of Huddersfield,” said Game Republic managing director Jamie Sefton (above). “I’m enormously proud of the games development scene here, which I believe is one of the strongest, friendliest, most creative and passionate in the world. The proof is in the amazing games made in Yorkshire and the north such as Worms, Broken Sword, Call of Duty, Grand Theft
Auto, Oddworld and more that continue to raid the global charts.” Presently functioning as a private
company, Game Republic has over 60 members spanning Yorkshire, the North West and North East of England, which are granted access to monthly business meetings that serve to connect developers in the region with the likes of Microsoft, Sony and Amazon. “I attended the very first meeting for
the network in Bradford, before the name Game Republic even existed, so to have seen it change and grow over the years to what it is now, is a testament to those involved,” stated Stewart Gilray, CEO of Just Add Water. “The network has allowed the smaller of the dev teams in the area to get incredibly valuable access to some of the industry vanguards and knowledge. Here’s to the next ten years.” The Game Republic network is set to
celebrate its birthday on Thursday, October 17th in Leeds, with an invite-only event for current members, supporters, previous speakers and others from the industry.
www.gamerepublic.net
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