ALPHA | WORLDVIEW
WorldView Our digest of the past month’s global games news…
DEALS Google has launched the Chrome App Store with over 200 games already available in HTML5. The likes of Bigpoint, EA, Zynga and PopCap have signed up for the service. UK animation firm NaturalMotion has opened its own publishing division. Metal Gear Solid studio Kojima Productions is the latest firm to use Hansoft’s project management toolset. Game engine vendor Stonetrip has signed a new distribution partnership with Axis3D in a bid to make its Shiva3D tech a success in China and Taiwain. Game engine vendor Trinigy will fully integrate the FMOD Audio Suite within its Vision Engine 8, following a joint initiative between itself and FMOD owner Firelight. Social game firm Vostu has received an estimated $30 million investment from venture capitalist firms Accel Partners and Tiger Global Management. Tag Games has struck a deal with BBC Worldwide to produce a Doctor Who game on both iPhone and iPad.
EMERGENT-CY AS GAMEBRYO ENGINE IS PUT UP FOR SALE MIDDLEWARE FIRM Emergent is running out of cash and has appointed an agency to sell its technology and other assets. A leaked memo from US agency Gerbsman Partners said the Gamebro owner was fraught with “working capital constraints” and was operating with a “an overly leveraged balance sheet”. The firm has abandoned its tech and tool sharing partnership with Australian studio Krome, though that in itself was jeapordised when, weeks before, the developer underwent mass redundancies. Develop was told by the company that, at the time of going to press, it is operating “under the normal course of business”. Emergent has struggled of late. It announced a restructure in late 2009, and appointed a new CEO earlier this year. The effect of the Gamebryo sale, if reached, is unclear. Emergent will “use its best efforts to make its employees available to assist purchasers,” the leaked memo read. www.emergent.net
USA
IRELAND
TORQUE FOR SALE AS INSTANTACTION COLLAPSES
DEBT-RIDDEN IRELAND OFFERS €500K GAME FUND
InstantAction has closed operations just three months after the launch of its Facebook-meets-Guitar Hero game. The Oregon-based company has been emptied of nearly 30 staff. Its browser 3D engine, Torque, has been put up for sale – a move unfortunately timed as fellow engine vendor Emergent is also seeking a buyer for its Gamebryo engine. Director of operations Alex Reid admitted that the group found difficulty in returning a profit during recent times. Several workers had been chipped away from InstantAction in recent weeks as the firm began to buckle under the financial pressures, eventually leading to massredundancy with the remaining 24 staff handed their notice. All recieved their final week’s pay, according to local reports. The studio’s final title, InstantJam, was demonstrated at E3 as plastic guitar game that sought the sweet-spot between the virility of Facebook games and the popularity of music titles. “Today, InstantAction informed employees that it will be winding down operations,” manager Eric Preisz said in a statement. “While we are shutting down the InstantAction.com website and InstantJam game, Torquepowered.com will continue to operate,” he added. www.torquepowered.com
The Irish Government will still invest €500,000 in tech start-ups despite emergency measures that will transform its economic landscape. EU members will provide Ireland a €67 billion loan bailout to help weather a massive banking crisis. The Irish government will in turn initiate an extraordinary four-year plan of spending cuts and tax rises, intended to save the country €15 billion. Both initiatives have sparked debate, criticism and protests, yet the Irish government will still launch a €500,000 fund designed to assist technology-driven start up companies get off the ground. Known as ‘The Internet and Games Competitive Start Fund’, the scheme is said will provide “critical early stage funding” to various game and tech firms. Ten Irish companies in the internet and games business can apply for “an investment of €50,000 for a 10 per cent equity stake.” www.enterprise-ireland.com/igcsf
10 | DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011
SWEDEN/USA
ZENIMAX IN BUYOUT SPREE ZeniMax Media has acquired MachineGames, the Swedish outfit founded last year by the founding members of Starbreeze Studios. MachineGames CEO Jerk Gustafsson said working with fellow Zenimax subsidiary id
Software was a “tremendous opportunity. MachineGames has assembled a dedicated team that has extensive experience working together to produce quality games,” he said. “We are excited to create a new AAA title for gamers on id Tech 5 that will push the game development envelope.” The deal continues Zenimax’s fierce rush of studio buyouts, which this year included the purchase of Shinji Mikami’s Tokyo-based start-up Tango, and French unit Arkane Studios. Zenimax also owns Bethesda Softworks and Doom studio id Software. www.zenimax.com CANADA
OH BEHAVE, A2M IS WIPED The largest independent studio in Canada has rebranded itself with a new mission to break into the nascent digital markets – and rid itself of a somewhat cheeky name. Artificial Mind and Movement – formerly abbreviated with the (trust us) NSFW search term ‘A2M’ – has been rechristened as Behaviour Interactive. The Wet (stop giggling) and Naughty Bear firm will still take on contract work from publishers, yet is hunting for opportunities in the self-publishing online space. “Angry Birds is a good example of our objectives,” said CEO Remi Racine in a wideranging interview with Develop-Online.net. www.bhvr.com