DMU graduates launch games development company


Not every student finishes their studies, graduates, and then instantly turns their attentions to setting up a new business, but that is exactly what two De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) graduates are doing.

DMU-innovation-awards-resized

Having been awarded First Class honours in BSc (Hons) Computer Games Programming, Derry Holt and James Heath are now putting in the work to launch a new games development company.

Stormburst Studios, set up by Derry and James at the beginning of their third year, will specialise in a concept known as gamification. This involves taking aspects of gaming, such as point-scoring and leader boards, into other contexts to encourage engagement with products, it can also be used for educational purposes.

Derry and James got to know each other as they shared classes together and before long, a business venture was firmly on the cards.
“Everyone on the course said ‘we’d love to go and work for Sony and the like’ but James and I agreed we’d like to go into developing games on our own,” Derry said.

“We both went on placements and thought with two years’ experience between us and no commitments holding us back it just seemed like there was no better time to do it.

“We’ll be specialising in mobile games and gamification – the application of design techniques and mechanics of games to non-gaming contexts – essentially making a game out of something that isn’t a game.”

Derry said he has been interested in computers for as long as he could remember and credits a day-trip to the headquarters of Rare Limited, a games development company, as the moment he chose his destined career path.

“Like most young kids I loved playing games and thought it’d be great to make them myself. It’s actually a lot harder than you’d think to create them.

“I’d always been into computers, playing with different kinds of software and that sort of thing, and that’s where the inspiration in applying for the course at DMU came from.

“Then there was the day at Rare and all I could think was ‘I’d love to work in a place like this’ – I fell in love with the industry there and then.”

Derry and James received a boost in getting Stormburst Studios off the ground when they were accepted onto DMU’s Crucible Project, a start-up initiative offering funding and tailored support for innovative graduates.

The pair will also be amongst those to benefit from personal workspace provided at DMU’s Innovation Centre, a professional environment for business start-ups and entrepreneurs on the university’s campus.

In the meantime, however, Derry and James are working on their first release, a project codenamed ‘Ripples’.

Posted on Monday 20 July 2015

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