Outplay Entertainment, a new games publisher based in Dundee, Scotland, is to receive £2.25 million from the Scottish Government, creating 150 jobs and encouraging growth in the Scottish video games industry.
Outplay Entertainment, a new startup video games publisher based in Dundee, Scotland, is to receive £2.25 million from the Scottish Government, creating 150 jobs and encouraging growth in the Scottish video games industry. Founded by brothers Douglas and Richard Hare, both game industry veterans, the publisher will specialise in games for use on mobile devices, social networks and other e-distribution platforms. The Hare brothers originally founded independent development studio The Collective in 1997, before merging with BackBone Entertainment in 2005 to form Foundation 9 Entertainment. Their decision to form a games publisher in Dundee was based on "Dundee’s competitiveness for games development and skilled workforce", according to a statement. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond announced today that Outplay Entertainment will receive £2.25 million in Regional Selective Assistance support from Scottish Enterprise. The startup is also set to receive non-financial support from Scottish Development International. Salmond said of the new publisher: “Outplay Entertainment’s decision to establish a Dundee HQ reinforces Scotland’s reputation as an attractive and competitive location for the future of the videogames market. "Over the last decade the games industry has evolved into one of the largest grossing entertainment industries in the world and Scotland has demonstrated that it has the talent, infrastructure and skills to deliver success in this fast growing sector." He added "There are more than 50 games companies in Scotland investing over £30 million per annum in our economy. The growth of social media and mobile technology present enormous opportunities to our creative industries and Outplay aims to capitalise on this through their online products." Douglas Hare, the chief executive officer of Outplay Entertainment, noted that "There are more people now playing games on different devices and in different ways, than ever before, creating a huge new audience that can truly be considered global in nature. "From the earliest days of the industry, Scotland has built a reputation for creativity, inspiration and innovation, with the right skills, the right people and the right support – all in the right place." Richard Hare, the president for the company, concurred: "There are significant advantages to creating and publishing on social network and mobile platforms. Shorter, more focused development cycles help constrain the upfront investment prior to getting each game into the players' hands. "By investing in the right skills and focusing our publishing efforts on these platforms and opportunities, Outplay is poised to become a significant player in the global games market." Outplay Entertainment has now begun recruiting for the 150 "high value" jobs. Dundee's video game industry took a hit last year with the closure of Realtime Worlds, developer of multiplayer shooter All Points Bulletin. The Realtime Worlds staff in the Dundee and U.S. offices were laid off, and the APB servers were closed down.
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