Computer game is Wales Creative IP Fund's first new media
investment
19/12/06
As the Christmas rush for computer consoles and games reaches
its annual peak, a North Wales company is planning further success
in the competitive market with the development of a sequel to one
of its award-winning games.
Jester Interactive Publishing Ltd, a St Asaph-based computer and
video games software developer and publisher is the latest Welsh
company to benefit from an investment by the Welsh Assembly
Government’s Wales Creative IP Fund.
Managed by Finance Wales on behalf of the Welsh Assembly
Government, the IP Fund investment will assist Jester to produce a
sequel to its already successful TT Superbikes game and is the
Fund’s first new media investment. Previous investments have been
in film and TV.
The £7m Wales Creative IP Fund provides equity investment for
feature films, TV productions, new media and music projects.
Jester is an expanding business operating in the development and
publication of software to the computer, video and mobile telephone
games market.
The market, which includes the market leading Sony PlayStation®
along with the Microsoft and Nintendo games consoles, is estimated
to be worth £12billion globally and is set to grow further in the
next decade with the launch of new consoles and the expansion of on
line internet gaming. Jester is unique in being the only Wales
based company officially licensed to publish products for video
game consoles.
Clark Evans, director of Jester, said: “The Wales Creative IP
Fund’s investment is a valuable contribution in assisting Jester to
produce a sequel of the TT Superbikes game and in the future growth
of the company in Wales. The sequel will appeal to racing game
fans, casual gamers and the existing TT Superbikes players who will
be able to experience a fresh challenge with new tracks, bikes and
features.”
Finance Wales is a wholly owned subsidiary company of the Welsh
Assembly Government which it created to provide commercial funding
to Welsh SMEs.
Andrew Davies, Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks,
said this was the latest in a series of investments made by the
Wales Creative IP Fund and he was pleased to see the first
investment made into new media.
He said: “Since April the IP Fund has investment more than
£3million into the creative industries and this latest investment
is our first in new media, opening up a whole host of opportunities
for Jester. The creative industries are worth more than £750million
and companies such as Jester are excellent examples of what we are
achieving in Wales within what is an extremely competitive global
industry.”
Linda James, Wales Creative IP Fund Manager, said: “This is the
Fund’s first new media investment and it will help Jester build on
its success in the rapidly expanding games software market.
“The TT Superbikes game has been a real success for Jester and I am
convinced the Fund’s investment will help Jester produce the TT
Superbikes sequel so that it too will appeal to the original buyers
of TT Superbikes as well as new buyers”.
Since its European launch in April 2005, the TT Superbikes game for
PlayStation®2 has been an outstanding success. The game entered the
games chart at number five and held a top ten position with
industry leaders for four consecutive weeks with current sales in
excess of one million copies worldwide.
TT Superbikes is a 3D action packed racing game, capturing the
thrilling high speed and adrenalin rush of motorcycle road racing.
The next version of TT Superbikes, which is in production, will
have a host of new features along with five new racing circuits,
recreating the fastest and most challenging events on today’s road
racing calendar, including the exciting Aberdare Park Road Races
which take place annually in South Wales.