Development
We continually aim to optimise our development techniques by using third party middleware wherever we find it gives us an edge. For example, we've trialled many 'game engines' including Unity, Neo Axis, Torque 2D and DX Studio, and more recently Playfirst which is a very lightweight game framework and was used to produced our earlier Casual Games. In the past, many of our PC games were developed using the Renderware and Gamebryo engines.
Our current game engine of choice is Marmalade. Some of the engines we trialled are more suited to full blown 3D games and as such come with a larger feature set, but involve a much greater overhead. Marmalade, enhanced by our own proprietary comprehensive library of routines gives us PC and Mac out of the box as well as Nintendo DS and 3DS, iOS, Android and Kindle with minimal intervention and further development.
We currently use Autodesk 3D Studio MAX, Adobe Photoshop, DAZ studio, Sound Forge and Sony Vegas for the art we create and music/sfx we use in our games.
Job Opportunities
We are a very approachable company and are based in Newcastle upon Tyne, the heart of the ‘Silicon Valley’ of North East England. We’re great fun to work for and we always welcome applications from Games Programmers, Computer Artists and Games Designers.
Games
We continue to develop original downloadable titles which we self publish and also publish with 3rd party partners such as EA, Rockstar / Take2, THQ, Avanquest, Rondomedia, Konami, Koch Media etc . Our titles are distributed through many major online portals, including Big Fish Games , Wild Tangent, Game House , iWIN and Viacom. Most portals give users the opportunity to have a free trial which has revolutionised the way games are bought, putting the gamer in control. No longer can developers pass off poor titles in fancy boxes. The consumer can now preview the title and if it grabs their attention only then will they purchase it. The surrounding support network supplied by the leading portals also provides gamers with forums to communicate with each other and the developer in an open manner. Gamers help each other, supplying tips on how to get past some of the more tricky parts of the games and also with any issues they've found. The forums are also a place where gamers review the game in an unbiased way. All of these things help to shape the games we produce, games designed to be played by you!
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