Gaming studio plans to double workforce

Andrew A. Duffy
Times Colonist
aduffy@timescolonist.com

Not to be outdone by Microsoft moving into town to set up a gaming studio in the new year, GameHouse Canada intends to double its ranks and nearly triple its footprint in Victoria in 2012 as the gaming firm eyes serious expansion.

GameHouse, a division of Seattlebased RealNetworks, will announce today it intends to double its staff to at least 45 people by the end of next year and will move into 6,000 square feet of office space on the top floor of 712 Yates St. in January.

"Doubling in size is obviously extremely exciting in terms of us being able to tackle new projects, and we expect we will be able to do some very high-quality products in the new year," said Alex Mendelev, general manager of GameHouse Canada.

To that end, Mendelev said the company will be scouring the city and looking further afield to build a team of producers, game designers, flash developers and support staff.

"We'll be looking for people with game experience, but ultimately what I think GameHouse offers is the chance to work in small teams where you can affect the vision of the product quite effectively," he said, adding because the games are enjoyed by millions every day, there's a chance to do something that has meaning to a large group.

Mendelev doesn't expect to have trouble luring talent to the company, despite the fact Microsoft is looking to establish its studio with 60 people and other firms are always on the lookout for talented people.

"We have seen a very high calibre of people that want to work at GameHouse, and there is an availability of resources here that is extraordinary," he said.

"There is also a will in people to want to move to Victoria because they recognize what a great environment it is to live in - it's an attractive area of expansion for us because of the city's high calibre of talent combined with great quality of life."

Dan Gunn, executive director of the Victoria Advanced Technology Council, said the mix of desirable location and a strong talent pool has served Victoria well and allowed the tech industry to grow.

"Companies are finding they have the talent they require, and it's top quality, and they are finding this is the type of place they can grow and build great products," he said.

Gunn said GameHouse, which established its foothold in the city when it bought Victoriabornandbred Backstage Technologies last fall, is a perfect example of the kind of company that has grown by acquisition and stayed because it found the right people in the right place.

"And when you have the brand power of a RealNetworks, a GameHouse or Microsoft, you can gain attention and bring people to your city, and that's great for the tech community in general," said Gunn.

"That infusion of new talent from new areas brings new skillsets, ideas and expands the talent base."

GameHouse's expansion reflects the growth of the gaming industry as a whole, and particularly the social-media gaming industry, which the Victoria studio has been focused on from its early days as Backstage.

Mendelev estimates gaming on social networks like Facebook has grown into a $3-billion to $4-billion industry. The company's gaming arm reported revenue in excess of $111 million in 2010.

And in 2011, GameHouse invested $10 million in social-gaming initiatives.

"Social game development is the No. 1 priority for GameHouse in 2012," he said, noting the Victoria studio will focus its efforts there, though it will "dabble" in mobile gaming as well.

Mendelev said the expectation is the gaming industry will continue to draw in new players.

"Think of all the gamers who used to play on traditional formats - they are now playing on social networks, where a whole new demographic of people have found games for the first time," he said.

"They have discovered games for the first time on Facebook and they love them."

According to Mendelev, GameHouse's most popular game is the recently launched Bayou Blast, which boasts 580,000 monthly users on Facebook, while its most popular game developed in Victoria is based on the TV show Let's Make a Deal.

According to the company, Bayou Blast and Collapse Blast - two games launched in the second half of 2011 - have attracted nearly 400,000 daily players to date, while 3.7 million users play all of the company's social games each month.

GameHouse has 270 employees worldwide, with studios in Seattle; Victoria; San Jose, California; Holland and Brazil.