Channel 4 Pumps Cash Into A.P.B. Dev's Home Town

vansau

Mortician of Love
May 25, 2010
6,107
0
0
Channel 4 Pumps Cash Into A.P.B. Dev's Home Town



Hot on the heels of Realtime World's financial problems, British television's Channel 4 has spent a tenth of its annual creative budget on the videogame industry in Dundee, Scotland.

The videogame industry in Dundee, Scotland, is currently facing a scary time, thanks in large part to Channel 4, which is putting some serious money into games and games-related television.

The channel's investment has been split amongst Tag Games and Dynamo Games, which will both be creating some yet-to-be-revealed games based on a couple of Channel 4 programs. Meanwhile, Headlight Scotland, a TV production group, has been hired to create a three-part documentary series about the videogame industry's presence in Dundee.

According to Ian Mackenzie, Media Project Manager for Creative Diversity at Channel 4, things aren't as dark for game developers in the city as many people are assuming, thanks in part due to his company's investment. "[The £1 million] is a very positive counter point to the bad news of Realtime Worlds," he said. "This investment is one example of people recognizing the talent that is in Dundee."

While things certainly seem grim right now, the future of Realtime Worlds still remains to be seen; there are a number of ways this could go right now, such as the developer being snatched up by a larger company or a number of smaller studios springing up if it does collapse. In the meantime, the investment from Channel 4 can't hurt things, since it'll likely lead to some new jobs that employees leaving Realtime Worlds might be able to snatch up.

Source: <a href=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/channel-4-s-1m-lifeline-for-dundee-games-industry-1.1049748>Herald Scotland via <a href=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2010-08-25-channel-4-investing-GBP1-million-in-dundee>GamesIndustry.biz


Permalink
 

Jack and Calumon

Digimon are cool.
Dec 29, 2008
4,190
0
41
Oh wow. The people who love controversy have decided to donate money to the gaming world, just when the Tax breaks are being talked and argued about, and Realtime Worlds is actually hot on the list of being affected by this? My god, this is juicy.

Calumon: Hey, they show TNETENNBA's to people!
 

El Poncho

Techno Hippy will eat your soul!
May 21, 2009
5,890
0
0
I done a review on that article from The Herald for English!;D

It may be crappy TV show games they are funding, but any funding is good funding right now.
 

rees263

The Lone Wanderer
Jun 4, 2009
517
0
0
Wait wait wait...

Dundee has electricity? [/badjoke]

OT: This puts me in two minds:

It's always good to see investment in the games industry.

On the other hand:

vansau said:
The channel's investment has been split amongst Tag Games and Dynamo Games, which will both be creating some yet-to-be-revealed games based on a couple of Channel 4 programs. Meanwhile, Headlight Scotland, a TV production group, has been hired to create a three-part documentary series about the videogame industry's presence in Dundee.
Not really sure where this is going. So what are we going to get: "The Sims - Big Brother"? "Cooking Mama: Come Dine With Me"? How about "Grand Theft Coach Trip", where you have to drive around in a coach and put up with a load of twats in the back?

The documentary might be pretty cool. I just hope to god they don't do one of those "100 Greatest" programmes about games - biggest flame bait ever.
 

vallorn

Tunnel Open, Communication Open.
Nov 18, 2009
2,309
1
43
FREE MARKET CAPITALISM SAVES THE DAY AGAIN!!!

unless they make a Big Brother game...
 

tomtom94

aka "Who?"
May 11, 2009
3,373
0
0
Anyone for Hollyoaks: The Game?
(Second guess: Deal or No Deal and Countdown)
 
Feb 13, 2008
19,430
0
0
People may scoff but Channel 4 has done some stirling work in incorporating games into the mainstream media. Actually Channel 4, in general, has done some stirling work in the media.

Yeah, there have been atrocities like Shoddyoaks, Network 7/The Word (look it up ;)) and, of course, BITS...


Yeah...well...you did know the Booth actually wrote this as well...
She's...enthusiastic about her work.
 

oktalist

New member
Feb 16, 2009
1,603
0
0
Wow, that is awesome. Way to go, Channel 4.

Who remembers Digitiser on Channel 4 Teletext? A truly brilliant gaming magazine. I would love to see Paul Rose reprise his role as Mr Biffo for a TV show (he's a BAFTA-nominated writer of TV shows now) as well as other regulars like Violet Berlin. Regardless, I hope it will not be some dreary "teen" thing like T4.
 

Lord George

New member
Aug 25, 2008
2,734
0
0
Hence once again proving channel 4 as being the coolest channel.

Outlaw Torn said:
Right, so the games will be based on Big Brother, Friends or Gok Won.
A friends game would be pretty awesome and so would a big brother one, well as long as it involves torturing the house-mates, there could be pointy sticks involved.
 

OceanRunner

New member
Mar 18, 2009
1,145
0
0
The_root_of_all_evil said:
People may scoff but Channel 4 has done some stirling work in incorporating games into the mainstream media. Actually Channel 4, in general, has done some stirling work in the media.

Yeah, there have been atrocities like Shoddyoaks, Network 7/The Word (look it up ;)) and, of course, BITS...


Yeah...well...you did know the Booth actually wrote this as well...
She's...enthusiastic about her work.
Bits was great. It showed that girl gamers are every bit as enthusiastic about gaming as guys.
 

Geo Da Sponge

New member
May 14, 2008
2,611
0
0
The channel's investment has been split amongst Tag Games and Dynamo Games, which will both be creating some yet-to-be-revealed games based on a couple of Channel 4 programs. Meanwhile, Headlight Scotland, a TV production group, has been hired to create a three-part documentary series about the videogame industry's presence in Dundee.
Huh, I've always wondered what it looks like when someone actually sells their soul to the devil. Seriously though, what Channel 4 programs can be turned into games? Misfits, maybe?

It's too much to hope for You Have Been Watching to become a game. Which would actually be really weird.