The UK is still the place to be for video game studios

Even with the lack of tax breaks for UK video game industry preventing the country from solidifying its dominance alongside Japan and North America, there is still something that Games Developers and Publishers see in Britain that makes them want to set up shop here.

Perhaps it’s the wealth of talent that the UK tends to produce, with many talented Games Developers, Games Designers and Games Artists having originated from here and going on find success in major developing and publishing companies (either at home or overseas) or have had their studios purchased by a bigger studio who sees potential in them.

This is why it’s not so surprising for 4mm Games to have set their sights on the UK, as MCV explained: “Early in May the group expanded its business to Europe by launching a sales and marketing office in London, under the leadership of newly-appointed advisory board member Geoff Heath.”

4mm Games is a new studio formed by Gary Foreman and Jamie King, who if you aren’t familiar with are the founding members of Rockstar, the juggernaut developers behind Grand Theft Auto, one of the most influential gaming series in history.

If the two founders of one of the most successful studios see it as good business sense to expand in the UK, then Train2Game students who are thinking of setting up their own studios should see it as a sign that there’s still a huge amount of potential to be found in the UK video game industry.

The main project that 4mm Games is working on is Def Jam Rapstar, which is a hip-hop version to SingStar (which was designed by Paulina Bozek, who incidentally has gone on to start her own studio). If 4mm can get the presentation and gameplay as tight as SingStar managed to achieve, then it will have a hit on its hands.

If anything DJ Hero showed that Hip-hop has its place in video games. In fact, many of the games that have bore the “Def Jam” name on the PlayStation 2 have been entertaining. I for one am anticipating Def Jam Rapstar.

I wonder if any of the Train2Game students have any future plans to create a rhythm or lyric based game in the future or if they are any titles that they enjoy playing. If so I would like to hear your thoughts.

What do you think about this? Send me your comments below.

You can read the full story on 4mm Games and Def Jam Rapster here: http://www.develop-online.net/news/34882/4mm-Games-in-bid-to-open-UK-studio