Monumental Games Gets $0.5m In Government Funding

British middleware developer Monumental Games won almost £300,000 ($557,000) in funding from the UK Technology Strategy Board, which it intends to use to revamp its Monumental Technology Suite middleware technology. The middleware for massively multiplayer online games now has 40 licensees worldwide, and the company plans a £700,000 ($1.30m) project to improve the accessibility of its toolset and provide a browser-compatible development option. Work begins this month, and the project is intended to be finished within two years. The Technology Strategy Board is a public body, originally spun off from the old Department for Trade and Industry (DTI). In order to gain the funding, Monumental led a consortium that includes billing system provider Media and Game Technologies, PlayGen, Digital Native Academy (DNA) and academic partner Staffordshire University. The latter will launch the UK’s first dedicated multiplayer online game design and programming courses in the next academic year. "This is the first year that the Technology Strategy Board has invited applications from the creative industries, and it is encouraging to see recognition for the contribution made by such industries to the UK economy," says Monumental chief technology officer Rocco Loscalzo. "This award for Collaborative Research and Development has enabled us to kick-start a commercially viable but inherently high-risk project, and we can’t wait to get going with our partners."