"Premier League" partner secures Codies future - Cousens
The publisher's CEO believes "leapfrog" deal will yield strong emerging market opportunities
Codemasters CEO Rod Cousens has told GamesIndustry.biz that the deal announced yesterday, which sees India-based Reliance ADA take a 50 per cent stake in the company, will propel it forward on the global stage and unlock key opportunities in emerging markets.
Talking shortly after the announcement was made, Cousens explained that the two companies would sit down at some point soon and look in detail at the strategic opportunities on offer, but that having a strong partner in the subcontinent - as well as a partner with significant mobile an online experience - would take Codemasters to the next level.
"I think it leapfrogs us forward," he said, "and where we've been this high-quality company in England, I think this really propels us on a global stage, and no one can doubt the financial resources behind this company now.
"Any report you read today on high-growth areas, it'll talk about India, China, et cetera - and we're better-placed than anyone in our segment to go and take advantage of that.
"If you look at our line-up too, we've developed a game like Cricket - well, the number one sport in India is cricket, so there's a great opportunity there. Formula One, as the second largest sport in the world, is intent on opening up those markets - and with a partner like Reliance, for whom F1 is a significant attraction for them, there's a lot we can do.
"Plus there's Dance Factory, and with the whole Bollywood angle and dance TV that exists in the country, that means that within our catalogue are a number of franchises that lend themselves to that market, and indeed the Asian market overall."
He went on to say that for the publisher's staff - which has had to endure ongoing rumours about the future of the company - the announcement of the "Premier League" partner was a big boost.
"For it to come right now, for the staff at Codemasters it's like Christmas has come early, rather than Easter," he said, noting that with the changing nature of the markets the additional resource and expertise meant that the business was "better-placed than most for the future - I think we're on our way," he added.
The full interview with Cousens is available on GamesIndustry.biz now.