between members that appear to have helped Yorkshire’s game development community to thrive. “Whether it’s been a kind word or an encouraging word, it all adds up. I think that’s what makes the Yorkshire games industry really strong and powerful.” Revolution Software’s Noirin Carmody is equally
effusive, calling Sefton “The voice of Yorkshire within the UK and beyond.” Thanks to his ability to get Game Republic members talking, meeting and collaborating, and because he could and continues to attract the likes of Apple, Sony, Epic and Microsoft, “It has meant tens and tens of millions of pounds to Revolution Software.” Escape Technology account director Neil Parmar says
of Sefton that “It’s like having a dad in the industry” before delivering, in true Yorkshire fashion, a heartfelt compliment that is also a considerable understatement: “You’ve created a bit more than a meet-up.”
“Whether it’s been a kind word or an encouraging word, it all adds up. And I think that’s what makes the Yorkshire games industry
really strong and powerful” Simon Iwaniszak, founder and studio director of Red Kite Games
FAVOURABLE TERMS Since taking ownership of Game Republic a decade or so ago (subsequent to Screen Yorkshire withdrawing funding), Sefton has taken it upon himself to bring educational establishments into the Game Republic fold. It’s allowed colleges and universities to talk to one another, so that studios can influence course design and students can enjoy direct feedback, and ultimately find gainful employment after their studies are complete. It’s an element of Sefton’s work that he’s particularly
proud of, but we perhaps didn’t grasp its importance until hearing from those that have benefited from it, because, as Nigel Little of Distinctive Games points out – and this is as Yorkshire as it gets – Sefton treats every Game Republic member with equal enthusiasm, whether they happen to be part of Sumo or Rockstar,
July 2023 MCV/DEVELOP | 31
or a relatively tiny independent studio (like Distinctive) that’s behind a series of free-to-play mobile sports titles. Sefton recognised
early on that smaller studios were just as eager to engage with universities as the larger studios that could, but perhaps lacked the opportunity or resources to do so. The same was true of Yorkshire’s smaller educational establishments. With events like Game Republic’s Student Showcase, however, students from across the region can garner valuable feedback, while studios can gauge the breadth of talent that is breaking through. It’s very much a win-win situation, although Sefton readily admits there is still work to do.
THE SKILLS ISSUE “One of the things for us is keeping the students here, in the region,” says Parmar. Part of the solution there has been to equip universities with the same technology that’s being used commercially, to avoid the situation where graduates require more training or education that might unnecessarily drive them elsewhere. There are
Coopeative
Innovations CEO Simon Barratt and Noirin Carmody of Revolution Software
Neil Parmar of Escape Technology
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