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Microsoft-owned Rare (Perfect Dark, Viva Pinata, Banjo-Kazooie, Killer Instinct) has announced it is to open a second facility in Fazeley Studios, Digbeth Birmingham in April. The new space will complement the developer’s headquarters in Twycross.
Fazeley’s main area of focus will be as a production, test and usability site to accommodate Rare’s “evolving methodology in game creation”. In time it is hoped that Fazeley will house a world class usability lab.
The move will see the studio follow a model more akin to film production, rather than the current trend of massive teams which have lead to a “boom and bust” cycle in staffing. Rare believes its new facility will provide a more “efficient way of creating triple A games going forward”.
The Fazeley studio will be home to some 90 staff working on new Rare games although number will fluctuate with the development cycle.
“The old way of making games just doesn’t work anymore, we need to be much more flexible in how we staff a team and setting up new facility in Digbeth will help us to do this,” said facility Studio Head Mark Betteridge. “Its central location and the nature of other businesses in the area make it a very appealing environment in which to work. While we are committed to keeping our headquarters in Twycross, we feel a second studio in a more urban location will be appealing to some staff.”
