Blitz Games Studios anniversary

31 MARCH 2010 LEAMINGTON SPA, UK Blitz Games Studios is celebrating 20 years since it was formed (as Interactive Studios) in 1990. From humble beginnings creating the Dizzy franchise in the mid 80s, the Oliver Twins have transformed Blitz into one of the most stable and respected independent development studios in the world.

Blitz is now poised to jump into the next 20 years of success with the signing of a major new title for 2011 just a few weeks before its biggest ever game release - Dead to Rights: Retribution.

Blitz today is well known for its family games ( Blitz Games) including the SpongeBob, Karaoke Revolution and The Biggest Loser franchises. Its other divisions encompass mature AAA titles (Volatile Games), Serious Games ( TruSim) and internal training and external development of the next generation of game developers ( Blitz Academy).

A slew of new indie-developed titles through the Studios’ Blitz 1UP label (within the Blitz Arcade short-session division) will also be released throughout 2010. The Studio’s devotion to technological innovation means its licensable middleware engine, BlitzTech is on the cutting edge of new console capabilities and has provided the bedrock for the company’s wide range of games, including titles released across all console generations and the world’s first Stereoscopic 3D console title – Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao.

Blitz and particularly CEO and co-founder Dr Philip Oliver (a founder member and director of TIGA) have also been integral to recent government lobbying for the long-term benefit of the UK games development industry, resulting in the recent tax break announcement.

“When we started out 20 years ago we could not have dreamt of having such a talented and dedicated bunch of people working with us to make fantastic games for a worldwide audience,” says Philip. “We’re immensely proud of the people that work here. During this time we have worked with many wonderful people and companies – I cannot imagine what our lives would have been without video games!”

Adds Dr Andrew Oliver, Blitz Games Studios’ CTO and co-founder: “We’ve stayed true to the mission statement we set up at the beginning: to create critically and commercially successful games within a stable, friendly and professional environment.

“We’ve also created some amazing technological firsts with BlitzTech, and we’re now in the position where we’re trusted by major companies to work on their most important intellectual properties. What’s more, it’s still an exciting experience to keep up with and lead the latest technological advances, which is what makes the games industry such an amazing place to work.”

Blitz’s business strategy has been highly influenced by Richard Smithies, a former investment banker and corporate finance advisor, since he joined the company as CFO more than five years ago. He says: “Philip and Andrew are two of the most creative and innovative people in the games industry. I’ve known them since before the company was formed and we share similar ethical business values. During this period I’ve seen Blitz go from strength to strength – here’s to the next 20 years!”

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To follow Blitz Games Studios on Twitter, go here: www.Twitter.com/_BGS_

Media contacts:

For all enquiries outside of the US, contact Natalie Griffith, Blitz Games Studios’ Head of PR and Marketing at ngriffith@BlitzGamesStudios.com.

For US enquiries only, contact Doug Mealy, Online Marketing and Public Relations, at dmealy@om-pr.com.

About Blitz Games Studios:

Blitz Games Studios is based in Leamington Spa and was founded in 1990 by industry veterans Drs Philip and Andrew Oliver and now has more than 200 staff. Its six divisions encompass mature titles (Volatile Games), Serious Games (TruSim), family titles (Blitz Games), licensable middleware (BlitzTech), downloadable games (Blitz Arcade) and its education division (Blitz Academy). www.BlitzGamesStudios.com