Outplay targeting social and mobile games, creating 150 jobs in Dundee – and backed by Scottish government
The Scottish brothers who helped form US super developer Foundation 9 have returned to the UK to form a new games publisher.
Douglas and Richard Hare (pictured here either side of Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond) have formed Outplay, which will offer social network and mobile games direct to consumers.
The publisher was given special announcement in Scottish Parliament today, and has been backed by Pentech Ventures, a leading venture fund in the digital media market, and the Scottish Investment Bank’s Co-investment Fund.
Outplay will create 150 jobs in Scotland, it was revealed.
Previously, the founded Californian studio The Collective, which was a founding company of giant work for hire studio network Foundation 9.
Advertisement
But speaking to Develop this morning, Douglas Hare said the focus was on a smaller operation that can reach a quicker range of people.
“Over the last few years there has been a huge change in the platforms for how games are distributed. Our aim is to create product of our own liking and then deliver them to market,” he said.
“In terms of budgets and schedules games development is much more achievable now in mobile and social games – on Xbox and PS3 the cost and timing can just get stratospheric, and then after two years work your game may not reach an audience.
“On mobile and Facebook it is entirely different – you come out with relatively small product and see how people respond, then invest further accordingly.”
Outplay is based in Dundee. The games development scene there has seen its fair share of turmoil in the last year, but Hare was optimistic.
“I think we’re actually at a very exciting point in games – it really harkens back to the earlier days of games development, in fact the barrier is even lower. Even when making games for the C64 or Spectrum the issues of manufacturing, pre-fabs and getting into retail was still an issue. Now, with no packaged goods – no atoms involved – the potential is vast.
“There is a wealth of talent in the Dundee and all across the UK,” said Hare. “We really are heading into a great era for games, despite all the gloom some people want to focus on.”
Outplay has a number of titles already signed, developed Hare said by new talented individuals not famed development firms – exact details are expected soon.
After the news last night concerning the Activision lay offs, this is absolutely fantastic news for the UK development and production of games and interactive entertainment. We need more of this investment and this shows that we have the talent. If the investment community see the light, that is a major step forward.
This is brilliant news for Dundee after the past horrible year its had....
All recruitment for Outplay Jobs can be found on Outplay’s dedicated jobsite - http://bit.ly/outplayjobs
If they wanted to dominate the gaming market, they should have chosen a name that is more controversal and attention getting than Outplay Entertainment, something like 4Play Entertainment would do.
So lets get this clear. The Scottish "government" are giving away 2.25 million to create 150 jobs. That is 15,000 per job, or about six months wages.
The only thing is that it is not their own money - it comes from regional transfers.
This is robbing Peter to pay Jock.
So I, as a competitor in England, am forced to pay sky high taxes which prevents me from hiring local peope and the tax money that I do pay goes to pay the salaries of my competition while my local services are cut to the bone? I lose out on profits because I am undercut by a business that does not need to pay wages out of the games that it sells.
The jobs will disappear once the money runs out. Anybody can create jobs if governments pay the wages - the problem comes when that money runs out and those jobs disappear as quickly as they arrived.
That is forcing English workers out of work to create temporary jobs for Scottish workers. How many English developers are going out of business because of high employment costs? Try asking Activisions English employees how they feel today.
No doubt the brothers will do well out of this deal. They will be back in six months asking for more money or, more likely, they will sell the business on for millions before the free handouts run out. That 2.25 million will end up in the pockets of the Hare brothers and the tax payer will receive nothing in return.
What Scotland and England need is to be able to compete in world markets on an even footing. To do that we need lower taxes, which means less government handouts.
I say let Scotland go free and let them see how they survive without being propped up by English tax payers. It would give them what they want and it would mean more jobs for hard working English developers.
Wow- what a lot of racist, patronising claptrap. Didn't expect to see proponents of the EDL posting on Develop.
A Government (no quotation marks- that's what they are) in the UK is supporting the games industry and you are complaining because its not in your backyard.
The SNP are pro-Independence: they will be rubbing their hands in glee at reactions like this.
They want to be set free from idiotic views like this and Tory goverments who'd rather pander to their Daily Mail gamer-hating voters than support a great British Industry.
At 'nonny mouse' : wow - i've see some bizarre comments on these articles, but have to confess, none that are so far off the mark.
Are you suggesting that this new company will only be employing Scottish people?
I'm a Scotsman currently working in the games industry in England.
Perhaps I should pack my bags?
@nonny mouse
Scotland should go it alone?
This is the UK government investing in one of the UK's longest-standing games hubs which has been hit hard recently, in the midst of further cuts elsewhere in the UK. UK games jobs are UK games jobs.
There are plenty of workers from all over the Uk working at Scottish companies; we're the UK remember. I'm a Scot who's had to move to England for games work in the past because of a previous collapse in Scotland. I don't mind really - I live in a part of the UK and I don't expect the games industry to support where I want to live. Most of us have to move around. Maybe you should move to Scotland?
Scotland is part of the UK, a part of the UK which has contributed significantly to the UK games industry. I assume you don't need me to reel off a list of development work that's taken place in Scotland, employing people from all over, while - in the case of GTA - actually boosting the popularity, success and scale of games as a whole.
My employer on the south coast of England has employed maybe about 10 Abertay University educated devs in the last few years.
