Over the past couple of years I have been working hard with
a team of 6 incredibly talented game developers to establish our very own game
development studio (White Paper Games)
as well as develop our very own IP (Ether
One) into a fully functioning and exciting PC game.
After I finished my Masters I really wanted to do something
that allowed me to have a certain amount of creative control over a project and
I felt that if I had gone to work in a larger studio this wouldn’t have
happened for a long time. This may all sound impatient (and I may very well have
been) but I had all these burning ideas inside of me that I desperately needed
to get out. At the time I squashed these crazy ideas down and focused on
finding a job within the industry so I could pay my bills and rent and actually
live a comfortable life. That was until one night I was having a conversation
with my friend Pete (who had been a peer during my MA) who was having the same
thoughts as I. Two plus two equalled four and we realised that this was an
opportunity to actually create something that we could call our own.
It was then that White Paper Games was born.
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| Pictures from our Prototype Fund final meeting in London |
Two years later we are in the thick of it developing our
first title Ether One, we have gained substantial funding through the Prototype
Fund to aid the project, I have spoken at Develop and been in its 30 under 30
for 2012 and our game has been in the press on several occasions gaining some much
needed love and support. We employ an additional 4 developers making us a team
of 6 and we all share the single goal and vision for our first game and the
studio. We have studio space in the centre of Manchester in a great and
creative location (sharing the office area with some potters and some
architects) making it great for truly creative work.
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| The White Paper Games Team |
If I was to say that things have worked out alright then I
don’t think I would be lying. Yes, I don’t have much money and yes, I do have
to do up to 60 hours a week and extra work teaching at degree level to pay the
bills but at least I have this opportunity.
When I am old I can tell people that I took that risk.
That I and my friends dared to follow that dream and we had
a damn blast whilst doing it. With that said I don’t think I could have gone
down this route without the support of the guys over at the studio as well as
my family (and everyone else’s families).
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| Me speaking at Develop Conference 2012 in Brighton |
We are hoping that Ether One will be released sometime this
year before the summer is out through a variety of digital distributors and I
hope even more that people out there like the work that 6 guys poured their
hearts into making.
I hope that comes
through in our work.
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| Ether One Beta Screenshot |
If you are interested in the work that we have been doing
you should check out
ether-game.com and
whitepapergames.com for loads more info
on what we have been up to.
You never know, it all may just work out fine and only time
will tell.
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| NJ (Our Sound Designer) is excited about our new chairs! |
