Ninja hurtles towards global glory

Source: businessweekly
A Cambridge-based computer games designer is undergoing huge growth as it goes all out to launch a blockbuster into the multi-billion pound Playstation 3 (PS3) games market that opens next Spring with the launch of the new games console.

Ninja Theory Ltd, has moved into new premises on Hills Road in Cambridge to accommodate the 200 per cent staff growth it will need over the next six months to develop its Heavenly Sword title.

Funded by money from its deal with PS3 makers, Sony, Heavenly Sword (HS) is the only game under development at Ninja Theory in an almost all or nothing scenario.

Using the very latest technology the firm – headed by three 30-somethings – hopes to hit the big time, replicating the success of games such as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

Nina Kristensen, co-founder and chief development officer, said: “It is all about establishing the HS franchise and controlling a really powerful IP. A very successful title has the potential to generate tens of millions of pounds for the company.

“Heavenly Sword is the most anticipated original game for PS3 according to GameStats.com and we are gunning for it to become one of the first great exclusive games for that platform.”

Ninja Theory’s current staff of 34 will reach just shy of 100 at the end of the expansion. Their long-term future will depend on the HS’s popularity. A successful first release can lead to HS2, HS3 and beyond as well as all the associated merchandising from old-fashioned lunch boxes to polyphonic mobile phone ring tones.

Development on Heav-enly Sword started early in 2003, a full year or two before most developers started experimenting with next-generation technology.

Tameem Antoniades, chief design officer and co-founder, said: “We made a strategic decision to start very early and craft a gaming experience worthy of the ‘next-gen’ moniker.”

Mike Ball, chief technology officer and co-founder, added: “Industry insiders still tell us that there is still nothing out there that compares to the playable prototype we first showed them last May.

“I hope it’s true as it shows that a small, determined team can still achieve big things.”

The advanced nature of the technology makes it possible to create battle scenes comparable to the kind seen in the Lord of the Rings trilogy according to Kristensen and camera men and women are being sought.

Kristensen said: “Getting close to movie-quality visuals means we also have positions suitable for artists from the CGI industry.”

Ninja Theory formed in Cambridge in November 2004 when Kristensen, Ball, Anto-niades and Jez San OBE – the former directors – bought Just Add Monsters Ltd (JAM) out of the administration forced on it by the collapse of parent company, Argonaut Games.

The team remains the same and was behind Kung Fu Chaos, a game published in 2003 by Microsoft Games Studios exclusively for the Xbox.

Source: businessweekly
A Cambridge-based computer games designer is undergoing huge growth as it goes all out to launch a blockbuster into the multi-billion pound Playstation 3 (PS3) games market that opens next Spring with the launch of the new games console.

Ninja Theory Ltd, has moved into new premises on Hills Road in Cambridge to accommodate the 200 per cent staff growth it will need over the next six months to develop its Heavenly Sword title.

Funded by money from its deal with PS3 makers, Sony, Heavenly Sword (HS) is the only game under development at Ninja Theory in an almost all or nothing scenario.

Using the very latest technology the firm – headed by three 30-somethings – hopes to hit the big time, replicating the success of games such as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

Nina Kristensen, co-founder and chief development officer, said: “It is all about establishing the HS franchise and controlling a really powerful IP. A very successful title has the potential to generate tens of millions of pounds for the company.

“Heavenly Sword is the most anticipated original game for PS3 according to GameStats.com and we are gunning for it to become one of the first great exclusive games for that platform.”

Ninja Theory’s current staff of 34 will reach just shy of 100 at the end of the expansion. Their long-term future will depend on the HS’s popularity. A successful first release can lead to HS2, HS3 and beyond as well as all the associated merchandising from old-fashioned lunch boxes to polyphonic mobile phone ring tones.

Development on Heav-enly Sword started early in 2003, a full year or two before most developers started experimenting with next-generation technology.

Tameem Antoniades, chief design officer and co-founder, said: “We made a strategic decision to start very early and craft a gaming experience worthy of the ‘next-gen’ moniker.”

Mike Ball, chief technology officer and co-founder, added: “Industry insiders still tell us that there is still nothing out there that compares to the playable prototype we first showed them last May.

“I hope it’s true as it shows that a small, determined team can still achieve big things.”

The advanced nature of the technology makes it possible to create battle scenes comparable to the kind seen in the Lord of the Rings trilogy according to Kristensen and camera men and women are being sought.

Kristensen said: “Getting close to movie-quality visuals means we also have positions suitable for artists from the CGI industry.”

Ninja Theory formed in Cambridge in November 2004 when Kristensen, Ball, Anto-niades and Jez San OBE – the former directors – bought Just Add Monsters Ltd (JAM) out of the administration forced on it by the collapse of parent company, Argonaut Games.

The team remains the same and was behind Kung Fu Chaos, a game published in 2003 by Microsoft Games Studios exclusively for the Xbox.