Where big games players thrive

Jan 16 2008 by Karen Dent, The Journal

Talent finder in global top three

GATESHEAD company Eutechnyx is a world leader in the design and development of games based on driving and racing, developing games such as The Fast and the Furious and Pimp My Ride. The business – originally called Zeppelin Games – was started by Brian Jobling when he was 14. This year, it is celebrating its 21st anniversary.

One of its first successes was the Kenny Dalglish Soccer Manager game, which hit the top of the gaming charts. In 1990, Brian’s older brother Darren joined the business with a promise to sell the game around the world.

Darren, now 42 and chairman of GamesHorizon, said: "The company is fiercely independent and is in the top three companies in the world at what they do. Our games regularly top the charts and consistently make a profit for their publishers."

The business employs more than 80 people at its offices near the MetroCentre and 28 in Hong Kong. Darren said: "Game development is all about the talent you have working for you: our most important asset is our staff.

"From this perspective, we couldn’t ask for a better workforce than that found in the North-East – they’re creative, resourceful, imaginative and loyal. There’s also a pool of skilled individuals from outside of the area, attracted by the great universities we have here." But he admits staff retention can be a problem, because people from outside the region tend to stay for around three years before leaving to continue their careers in London.

"Our approach is to find talent, train it, give them a break into the games industry – which can be tough to get – treat them well and they will reward you with loyalty," he said. "Having discovered this, we tend to concentrate on people who have ties to the North-East, or have studied here and enjoyed it."

Darren, who won the overall Export Achievement Award at the 2007 RBS Export Awards, says the biggest problem games companies in the region face is one of perception. It is easier, he says, "to sell to a Californian than a Cockney".

"People from outside of the UK have no preconceived ideas and are very open to working with a company based here, but London-based companies are less likely to want to deal with you, as you’re outside their sphere."

Eutechnyx is developing Ferrari Challenge for Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Wii. It is also working on what Darren calls two top secret projects, one of which he says is a "massively multiplayer online driving game".

See www.eutechnyx.com