Outplay Entertainment to create 150 Dundee gaming jobs

Scottish games publisher Outplay Entertainment is to establish new offices and up to 150 high value jobs in Dundee, First Minister Alex Salmond announced today.

Established in 2010 by brothers Douglas and Richard Hare, Outplay Entertainment is a new business that specialises in publishing games for use on mobile devices, social networks and other e-distribution platforms.

Both brothers have over 25 years of experience in the videogames industry. Having started their professional careers in the mid 80s, they moved to Orange County, California in the 90s to work at Virgin Interactive. Along with colleague and friend Gary Priest, they left Virgin In 1997 to found their first independent development studio, The Collective. The Collective developed numerous high-profile titles including Star Wars: Episode III*, Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb*, and Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure*.

In 2005, The Collective merged with Backbone Entertainment, to form Foundation 9 Entertainment. With Douglas and Richard as key members of the senior management team, Foundation 9 went on to secure a significant investment from a large Private Equity company in 2006 and subsequently grew to become one of the largest independent developers in the world with over 800 personnel in 11 studios on three continents.

The brothers’ decision to return to Scotland to launch and grow Outplay Entertainment was based on Dundee’s competitiveness for games development and skilled workforce. The company plans to capitalise on the growth of new digital platforms and build on its existing portfolio of games currently in development.

Outplay Entertainment plans to establish offices in Dundee and create up to 150 full time equivalent, high value posts. The company will receive £2.25 million in Regional Selective Assistance support from Scottish Enterprise. Scottish Development International (SDI) has worked closely, providing non-financial support, to secure this inward investment.

First Minister Alex Salmond said: “Outplay Entertainment’s decision to establish a Dundee HQ reinforces Scotland’s reputation as an attractive and competitive location for the future of the videogames market. Over the last decade the games industry has evolved into one of the largest grossing entertainment industries in the world and Scotland has demonstrated that it has the talent, infrastructure and skills to deliver success in this fast growing sector.

“Scotland's creative industries have high potential for growth and are a key sector in the Government Economic Strategy. Once famed for jam, jute and journalism. Dundee is transforming into a hub for our creative industries and digital publishing. There are more than 50 games companies in Scotland investing over £30 million per annum in our economy. The growth of social media and mobile technology present enormous opportunities to our creative industries and Outplay aims to capitalise on this through their online products. Outplay Entertainment’s decision to create up to 150 new jobs is testament to the city’s reputation for excellence in games development Scottish Development International and Scottish Enterprise’s commitment to securing new jobs and investment to Scotland.”

Douglas Hare, the Chief Executive Officer of Outplay Entertainment agreed, saying: “With the unprecedented growth of social networks like Facebook and powerful, connected mobile devices like the iPhone, the market for interactive entertainment is evolving at a truly astonishing rate. There are more people now playing games on different devices and in different ways, than ever before, creating a huge new audience that can truly be considered global in nature. From the earliest days of the industry, Scotland has built a reputation for creativity, inspiration and innovation, with the right skills, the right people and the right support – all in the right place.”

Richard Hare, the President of Outplay Entertainment added: “There are significant advantages to creating and publishing on social network and mobile platforms. Shorter, more focused development cycles help constrain the upfront investment prior to getting each game into the players' hands. The ability to then rapidly update the games based on measurable consumer response and success helps us retain and attract players by enhancing and expanding upon the games' features. By investing in the right skills and focusing our publishing efforts on these platforms and opportunities, Outplay is poised to become a significant player in the global games market.”

Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise Lena Wilson said: “Outplay’s decision to invest in Scotland demonstrates the real capabilities we have within the digital media and games sector, particularly in Dundee, and is further proof that we can compete with the best at a global level. This investment has been secured as a result of Scottish Enterprise staff working with their colleagues within Scottish Development International to develop a compelling proposition based on Scotland’s unique strengths in the digital media and games sector.”

Chief Executive of Scottish Development International Anne MacColl commented: “This investment is the result of a strong collaboration between my colleagues at our SDI offices both here and in the US, and their SE counterparts, with whom they have worked tirelessly to bring this project to a successful conclusion. The result of all of this hard work is a terrific investment in Scotland's gaming sector, a great jobs boost for the Dundee, and another strong stamp of approval on Scotland as the ideal location for companies to invest. We look forward to working with the management team at Outplay to develop the company’s presence in Scotland.”