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Sumo Digital has finally revealed the location of its new UK studio – and it’s looking for “experienced staff and bright graduates” to join the team.
Word of a new studio first broke last year, with the Crackdown 3 and LittleBigPlanet 3 dev teasing a significant expansion that would result in a brand new office adding to its development capabilities.
Now the firm has announced it will open this studio – the company’s third – in Nottingham in March.
“There were two main drivers behind the decision to open a second studio,” Sumo COO Paul Porter tells Develop. “Firstly, we wanted to augment our core competencies with new skillsets and new business models. Secondly, we want to increase our reach to more potential employees.
“It’s a busy time at Sumo and we can only grow in Sheffield at a certain rate. Opening a studio in Nottingham gives us access to a larger talent pool, accelerating our growth to meet the demands of a growing industry.
“It’s a bit chicken and egg, as the team we put together will help us form the best option around the new opportunities.”
We’re looking for a mix of experienced staff and the brightest graduates who are self-motivated, team players with a strong passion to work in game development.
The decision to move to Nottingham came after a long process of location scouting, searching for a new base of operations that would fit with the firm’s Sheffield HQ.
“We started looking for a second UK studio location early in 2015, and evaluated a number of locations including Manchester and Leeds as well as Nottingham,” Porter explains.
“We wanted a location that was fairly close, with great transport links to Sheffield for collaboration between the sites when needed. But also far enough away that it could develop its own identity. Good local universities and a gaming community are also important so Nottingham fits the bill perfectly.”
The new team in Nottingham will contribute to some of the projects that are already in development at Sumo’s main Sheffield studio, as well as starting its own.
And, as with Sheffield, the Nottingham studio will work closely with the company’s art and engineering teams based in Pune, India.
WANTED: FRESH TALENT
A new studio requires a new team, and Sumo has said it is aiming to build a workforce of up to 50 people working on at least one title by the end of 2016. Initially, this will be a mix of recent hires and veteran staff from Sheffield, but Porter says that the developer is also recruiting for a wide range of talent to accomplish this.
“We’re looking for a mix of experienced staff and the brightest graduates who are self-motivated, team players with a strong passion to work in game development,” he says. “We’re recruiting in many areas including production, programming, art and design.
“We’re looking for people who want to join an exciting business with lots of potential. We’ve been around for 13 years now and a huge reason behind this is the great teams we’ve assembled in Sheffield and Pune. We want to ensure that the team we bring together for the Nottingham studio experiences the same culture and shares the same values. Of course we want the best technical and creative skills but crucially we want those who want to contribute and collaborate – the bar has been set high by our existing team.”
Given the diversity and prestige of the projects we are working on, and the culture of the studio I genuinely believe it’s a fantastic place to work, develop talents and thrive.
Porter adds that Sumo values its staff very highly and prides itself on aiding personal development – not just for the benefit of the studio but also the individual. He also promises “an excellent overall package of staff benefits”.
“Given the diversity and prestige of the projects we are working on, and the culture of the studio I genuinely believe it’s a fantastic place to work, develop talents and thrive,” he says.
“But we’re not going to rest on our laurels – we’re continually looking to at way to support staff in many different ways, whether it’s through flexi-time, art classes or great social occasions.
“This is a really exciting time for Sumo and the growth of our business. Spreading our wings to another location and creating another studio with the great culture we’ve fostered in Sheffield and Pune is something we’re completely committed to. We’ve taken a long lease and the building re-fit, which is underway, is a significant six-figure investment so it’s going to be a great working environment too.”
You can find out more about the company and its current vacancies at www.sumo-digital.com.
