Kuju: "Plenty of areas for new growth in 2010"

Kuju's newly appointed CTO and board of executive directors member Adrian Hawkins has said that he sees plenty of opportunities for new growth for the company in 2010, particularly in the areas of digital delivery and social gaming platforms.

"It's true that 2009 was a tough year for the industry, and we've certainly noticed some impact. So it's not a time to be over ambitious or for us to go on an acquisition spree, but all that being said there are plenty of areas for new growth in 2010. We will prioritise consolidating our strong position, and ensure our customers continue to be happy with the quality of our delivery," Hawkins told GamesIndustry.biz.

Hawkins was recently promoted to his new role from his previous position of technical director for the studio group.

His CTO role will incorporate a mixture of production, technical and strategic responsibilities, he said, and would also include an active role in the company's future operations in Asia.

The studio confirmed last month that it had closed its Manila branch - previously Matahari Studios, which it purchased in October 2008 - following a "weakness in demand" in the market. It now plans to build a new co-operative art resource somewhere in the Asia-Pacific region.

Still, Hawkins said that despite the period being a challenging one for the industry, there were still a lot of opportunities for innovation out there, including fledgling digital systems, social gaming platforms and new portable devices.

"There's a huge console base that's not going away either, the challenge for established and new developers alike is considering if they place their bets on one thing, or spread their risk," he added.

"I'm particularly looking forward to implementing further skills improvement opportunities for our employees, initiatives to share new development practices around our studios, and more coordinated relationships with outsourcing partners."

The Kuju Entertainment group incorporates studios including Doublesix, Zoë Mode, Vatra and Headstrong.

Source: gameindustry.biz