Data Design Opens Dedicated Wii Budget Game Studio

UK developer and publisher Data Design Interactive has announced that the company has opened up a new studio dedicated to its Wii label, Popcorn Arcade, and has hired five new team members to help the studio become 'the biggest developer for the Wii console.' According to Data Design, the company already has 14 titles for the Wii that have already gone gold, and another 3 that have been sent to Nintendo for approval. With this new studio, managing director Stewart Green notes that “a brand new team can immediately start working on existing titles and start developing our planned 30 future titles over the next 12 months.” Green also emphasized the studio's push for casual gaming on the Wii, commenting that “with the incredible success of the Nintendo Wii’s casual gaming market, we want our Popcorn Arcade brand to be the must-have purchase for the casual gamer.” Describing the Popcorn Arcade label, the studio's website notes that “The Popcorn Arcade consists of a range of Wii mid-priced games that include both licensed and original titles. It provides a variety of gaming styles at pocket money prices.” While some of these titles remain unknown, the company has announced several Wii titles recently, including a port of Quotix's PC action RPG Call For Heroes: Pompolic Wars, as well as 3D platformer Ninjabread Man, one of nine titles resulting from a recent publishing and distribution agreement with U.S. developer Conspiracy. In addition, Data Design confirmed that it has hired five new employees for the newly announced Wii studio, including junior programmers Gerard Mulcahy, Lee Parke, and Samuel Hanke, as well as 3D artists David Wolsey and Marc Geahchan. The new studio is head up by Robert Dorney, who has been with Data Design for nine years.