Playdemic founders Paul Gouge and Alex Rigby have announced the launch of their new mobile free-to-play game studio ForthStar, which has already secured $10m (£8m) in funding from Griffin Gaming Partners. ForthStar is set to unveil its first game next year. The Manchester-based studio has recruited many key figures from Playdemic, who helped produce the hit game Golf Clash, which reached more than 150 million installs and was subsequently sold to Electronic Arts for $1.4bn. ForthStar is searching for creative and technical talent as they look to expand their team.
“Our mission is clear; to make great games that millions of people love to play, every day for years,” said Gouge. ForthStar co-founder and creative director Alex Rigby added that creating the right culture is critical in the mobile space. The studio is trialling a four-day working week as part of its hybrid and flexible approach to working. ForthStar is actively looking for talented individuals to join its highly collaborative and skilled team.
Since founding their first mobile studio BattleMail in 2001, Rigby and Gouge have established a track record of creating successful studios. In 2002, their debut enterprise sold to (M)Forma, which was followed by the creation and sale of Rockpool Games to Eidos/Square Enix in 2007. The sale of their third studio Playdemic to Electronic Arts in 2018 achieved an industry-breaking cash price of $1.4bn. Prospective candidates can contact forthstar directly to enquire about job openings.
Griffin Gaming Partners is one of the largest venture capital firms with over $1bn in assets under management and a focus on the global gaming market. The firm invests in seed through growth stages across software infrastructure, content and platforms in gaming.
