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ATOMIC OPERATIONS SIGNS WITH SCEA Atomic Operations, the new Seattle-based studio of former Blizzard employee Chris Millar, has opened its doors and announced a deal with SCEA. The company is to prduce DLC for the PSNexclusive title Fat Princess, which Millar previously worked on developing. Millar will be working with Atomic Operations team members John Mundy and Chris Coster to create the content for the award-winning title. The young studio plans expansion across 2010 by producing new IP ‘inspired by film studio practices’, which they claim will be released across multiple media platforms. Millar said that he was thrilled about working with staff from many entertainment backgrounds, and was glad to be starting out with Sony. “Sony was a fantastic partner during the original development of Fat Princess. We are proud to be working with some of the strongest creative leaders in the gaming industry, dedicated to building award-winning games,” he said. “The upcoming content will be the icing on the cake for players of this amusing and irreverent multiplayer game.” atomicoperations.com
“Consoles already broadcast 3D interactive content in real-time and their interactivity – by nature – empowers game developers to make a more immersive experience than is possible in movies,” he added. www.darkworks.com UNITED KINDOM
MP WATSON SAYS GAMES ‘WILL RULE THE CENTURY’ Popular backbench MP Tom Watson told game development professionals that their industry will rule the entertainment space over the next century. Presenting an award at the GAME British Academy video game awards, the Labour MP told attendees that “you will be the dominant creative medium of the century, and you should be confident and proud of that.” Described by show host Dara O’Brian as “the anti-Keith Vaz”, Watson urged the industry to not let go of its campaigning history and spirit. “Start setting the agenda with the politicians, rather than letting the politicians set the agenda for you,” he said. www.tom-watson.co.uk JAPAN
SHINJI MIKAMI TO LAUNCH NEW STUDIO Decorated game designer Shinji Mikami is set to open a new Tokyo studio called Tango in a bid to tap into the city’s wealth of young industry talent. DEVELOP-ONLINE.NET
Mikami plans to see the Tango’s workforce reach 100 people within seven years. He will soon close down his current twenty-person outfit Straight Story. “One of the reasons I’m building a company is to raise the game makers of the future,” Mikami said in a Famitsu interview. “I really want to make Tango a company run from a creator’s perspective, one that expands upon new talent.” Mikami also revealed an interest in 3D gaming, claiming he would like to make “a true-3D horror game, something where you’d use glasses like in the Avatar film.” CHINA
PERFECT WORLD BUY C&C MEDIA Online studio Perfect World has purchased web games operator C&C Media from developer-publisher Atlus for an estimated $21 million. C&C Media was founded 2001 and operates Mk-Style, a games website. China-based Perfect World’s current online titles include MMO role playing games Perfect World, Legend of Martial Arts, Zhu Xian, Chi Bi, Battle of the Immortals; and an online casual game Hot Dance Party. International licenses have been acquired on many titles. The news of the purchase comes in the wake of Perfect World rival The9 investing $20 million in US-based Red 5 Studios. www.perfectworld.com
“This is a highly successful and growing industry, with half its sales coming from exports, and we need to keep British talent in this country.” Oh, Alistair Darling, you big flirt! It was a fantastic Budget for the industry. Let’s just hope the man is as good as his word...
“I don’t speak English! I have to learn about the language, then I’ll think about it.”
Goichi Suda may one day open up a studio in the Western hemisphere – he just wants to learn the lingo first.
“Eight- and nine-year-olds playing 3D is a little bit of a stretch.”
SCEA’s director of hardware and marketing John Koller has harsh words for Nintendo’s 3DS.
“I don’t care about the Citizen Kane of games. I want the Pride and Prejudice.”
Gamegirladvance.com’s Jane Pinkcard muses on the state of video game romance.
APRIL 2010 | 11