Wales Interactive
![]() | |
Company type | Private limited company |
---|---|
Industry | Video game industry |
Founded | 2012 |
Headquarters | Bridgend, Wales, United Kingdom |
Key people | David Banner, Co-Founder & Managing Director Richard Pring, Co-Founder & Technical Director |
Products | Video games The Bunker Soul Axiom Coffin Dodgers Infinity Runner Master Reboot Gravity Badgers |
Number of employees | ~10[1] |
Website | WalesInteractive.com |
Wales Interactive Ltd is a British independent video game publisher and video game developer based in Wales, United Kingdom.[2] The studio have published over 20 titles across 9 gaming platforms and have won a total of 53 accolades including a BAFTA Cymru Games Award. The studio supports PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U and Microsoft Windows as well as all the latest virtual reality devies including HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR. As well as their own, Wales Interactive develop and publish third-party titles on all platforms.
History
In 2010, David Banner and Richard Pring co-managed GamesLab Wales under University of Glamorgan (now University of South Wales), which was launched to boost Welsh game developers and establish a significant sustainable video games industry presence in South Wales.[3] It was during this time David Banner, a former employee of Pivotal Games, founded the Wales Games Development Show.[4] In 2012, Richard Pring and David Banner co-founded Wales Interactive with an aim to create original games that entertain the world as well as put Wales on the video games map.[5] The studio began and remains as a tenant of the Sony UK Technology Centre in Pencoed, Bridgend and primarily employs graduates and young professionals from South Wales.[6][7]
Most of Wales Interactive's early work consisted of mobile apps and games as well as a series of Welsh e-books which were supported by S4C's digital fund.[8] In 2013, they shifted development to focus on PC and consoles with their title, Gravity Badgers, and the psychological horror, Master Reboot.[9][10][11] The development team then released Infinity Runner with Oculus Rift DK1 and DK2 support, a first for the company. Infinity Runner went on to being the first ever PlayStation 4 and Xbox One game to be made entirely in Wales.[12][13]
The studio gained its first major publication feature in a studio profile for Edge (magazine) which coincided with the Early access development stages of their recent title, Soul Axiom.[14][15]
In 2015, Wales Interactive established their publishing arm. They partnered with UK independent developers, Milky Tea, to bring their title, Coffin Dodgers, to Xbox One and PlayStation 4.[16] Since then, the studio continues to develop their label with a console publishing deal with Splendy Games on the FMV horror video game, The Bunker.[17][18]
Wales Interactive remains an independent developer and publisher, with no more than 10 staff members.
Games
Published Games
Title | Year | Developers | Platform(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Jack Vs Ninjas | 2012 | Wales Interactive | Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, |
Stride Files: The Square Murder | 2012 | Wales Interactive | Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, PC, Mac OS, Linux |
Gravity Badgers | 2012 | Wales Interactive | Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, PlayStation Vita, PC, Mac OS, Linux, PlayStation 3 |
Master Reboot | 2013 | Wales Interactive | PC, Mac OS, Linux, PlayStation 3, Wii U |
Infinity Runner | 2014 | Wales Interactive | PC, Mac OS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U |
Soul Axiom | 2016 | Wales Interactive | PC, Mac OS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U |
Coffin Dodgers | 2016 | Milky Tea | PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
The Bunker | 2016 | Splendy Games, Wales Interactive | PC, Mac OS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, IOS, Android |
Knee Deep (Announced) | 2017 | Prologue Games | PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
Don't Knock Twice (Announced) | 2017 | Wales Interactive | PC, Mac OS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
Published Games
Title | Year | Developers | Platform(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Jack Vs Ninjas | 2012 | Wales Interactive | Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, |
Stride Files: The Square Murder | 2012 | Wales Interactive | Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, PC, Mac OS, Linux |
Gravity Badgers | 2012 | Wales Interactive | Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, PlayStation Vita, PC, Mac OS, Linux, PlayStation 3 |
Master Reboot | 2013 | Wales Interactive | PC, Mac OS, Linux, PlayStation 3, Wii U |
Infinity Runner | 2014 | Wales Interactive | PC, Mac OS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U |
Soul Axiom | 2016 | Wales Interactive | PC, Mac OS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U |
Coffin Dodgers | 2016 | Milky Tea | PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
The Bunker | 2016 | Splendy Games, Wales Interactive | PC, Mac OS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, IOS, Android |
Knee Deep (Announced) | 2017 | Prologue Games | PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
Don't Knock Twice (Announced) | 2017 | Wales Interactive | PC, Mac OS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
References
- ^ "Wales Interactive About Us". Wales Interactive. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
- ^ "Companies | GamesWales". gameswales.org. Retrieved 2016-06-24.
- ^ "Gameslab Wales launched to boost computer games design". 2011-07-05. Retrieved 2016-06-24.
- ^ "CEMAS : 2014 edition of the Wales Games Development Show at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff". www.cemas.mobi. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
- ^ Smith, Mark (2013-08-07). "It's game on for Bridgend firm as PlayStation goes Welsh". Retrieved 2016-06-24.
- ^ "Wales' First PlayStation 4 Game Launched | Sony UK TEC". www.sonypencoed.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-06-24.
- ^ Ltd, Insider Media. "First PS4 game developed in Wales released". Retrieved 2016-06-24.
- ^ "S4C Press release". www.s4c.cymru. Retrieved 2016-06-24.
- ^ Wichtowski, Leo. "A Freakishly Cool Game Where You Invade The Memories Of Dead People". Retrieved 2016-06-24.
- ^ Johnson, By Leif. "Master Reboot Review". IGN. Retrieved 2016-06-24.
- ^ "Video games guru to launch first Welsh PlayStation 3 game". Wales. 2013-08-12. Retrieved 2016-06-24.
- ^ Barry, Sion (2015-04-21). "First Welsh designed game". Retrieved 2016-06-24.
- ^ "Infinity Runner review: Become a space werewolf and run for your life on Xbox One and Windows". Retrieved 2016-06-24.
- ^ "Edge 280: In the studio with Guitar Hero Live, the next generation of music games". Retrieved 2016-06-24.
- ^ "Wales Interactive Video Games Developer & Publisher". Wales Interactive Video Games Developer & Publisher. Retrieved 2016-06-24.
- ^ Porter, By Matt. "Kart Racer Coffin Dodgers Coming to Console". IGN. Retrieved 2016-06-24.
- ^ "'Completely live action' horror game The Bunker coming this year". Retrieved 2016-06-24.
- ^ "Play Through a Film Set in an Underground Bunker at the End of the World". Kotaku UK. Retrieved 2016-06-24.