Ex-CDV UK duo become Digital Jesters
Terry Malham and Leo Zullo, the two people behind the success of CDV UK, have launched their own start-up publisher under the label of Digital Jesters, with the first titles due to launch at the end of November.
Terry Malham and Leo Zullo, the two people behind the success of CDV UK, have launched their own start-up publisher under the label of Digital Jesters, with the first titles due to launch at the end of November.
The new publisher, which is actively seeking titles to add to its portfolio, will offer the best possible terms to its development partners, according to its founders, in an effort to establish strong long-term relationships with them.
The first games from the stable will be high-octane PC racing title TrackMania and nautical simulation Virtual Skipper 3, which is endorsed by graphics giant NVIDIA as part of the "The Way It's Meant To Be Played" campaign. Both games are due on November 28th.
They will be followed in Q1 2004 by Rift Runner, described as the sister title to popular RPG Divine Divinity, which was released by CDV UK, and an unnamed sports management title. The company's titles will be distributed to retail by Gauntlet.
According to co-founder Terry Malham, the decision to launch a new publisher stems from a desire not only for creative freedom, but to take on the challenge of starting a new company once again - something which the founders of Digital Jesters did successfully at CDV UK, which built from a standing start in mid-2000 to generating revenues of £2.5 million in its first year and launching PC franchises including Cossacks and Sudden Strike.
"The early days of CDV were certainly my happiest," mused Malham. "The excitement of breaking into the market from a standing start is difficult to beat — which is why we are so keen to do it all over again, although this time on our own terms."
"Being the master of your own destiny is impossible to beat," agrees co-founder Leo Zullo, who served as marketing manager at CDV UK. "Weâve craved the freedom to do creatively what we have wanted to for a long, long time. Weâve always liked thinking out of the box and coming up with creative solutions to traditional marketing issues. Now weâre able to do just that."
Developers interested in working with the new publisher should get in contact with Digital Jesters direct. "We're not interested in signing one-product deals," commented Malham. "We believe strongly that the creatives within our industry deserve a bigger slice of the pie. We may only be small at the moment, but we intend to grow through loyal partnerships with our developers. We want to establish long-term relationships with an ever-growing pool of talent."