Starship Team
A Liverpool-based digital entertainment studio has launched today for talent from the games, media, and marketing sectors.
Based in the Baltic Triangle, the umbrella company called Starship is home to several smaller studios. With a founding team of industry experts already in place, Starship will also use an outsourcing model which will utilise the talents of many companies and organisations across the city.
The studio also aims to recruit a considerable number of staff over the next few years. The city’s Martin Kenwright, known for global gaming number one and PlayStation 3 launch title MotorStorm, unveiled Starship and his return to the industry as CEO following the sale of Evolution Studios to Sony Computer Entertainment in 2007.
“The name Starship hints at the height of our ambitions” explains Kenwright, “Evolution and D.I.D paved the way for what we’re doing now, we’re aiming to disrupt the market with revolutionary products that fulfil a genuine use and need for consumers.”
Kenwright’s work has been recognised by the British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) five times. He founded his third studio in 2013, drawing together senior industry talent to begin work on IP that aims to change the landscape of gaming and entertainment.
“I was never going to return to the industry to do something that people expected. I had five years away from making games, during which I came to the conclusion that gaming investment is broken, and because of that real innovation seems to have taken a backseat. The concept for Starship takes our AAA softology and wraps it around the antidote. The content that we’re working on now breaks new ground in a multitude of ways; in concept, in our approach to its creation, in how it’s funded, right through to how it’s marketed.”
Led by senior veterans from renowned game development studios Evolution and Studio Liverpool, Starship’s core team of developers were hand-picked from the North-West by Kenwright.
The team has collectively devised or delivered more than 69 games, including launch titles and AAA franchises such as MotorStorm, WipEout, Formula 1 and World Rally Championship.
The flight and driving simulation experts now aim to lead the market in areas which extend beyond the sphere of traditional gaming, breathing new life into currently unloved sectors.
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson welcomed the move: “Martin Kenwright’s decision to set up in Liverpool is a major coup for us, and testament to how our business-friendly approach is helping attract the brightest talents. He brings with him real pedigree, expertise and a huge amount of respect within the games industry, internationally. Best of all, Starship’s launch in Liverpool creates new jobs and opportunities for local people. I wish the company every success for the future, and look forward to them writing more successful chapters in Liverpool’s gaming history.”
Further announcements on the company’s endeavours are expected at the Los Angeles gaming convention, E3, which takes place on June 10th to the 13th.
