Big Fish sets sights on cloud gaming

There are at least 300 vacant jobs in the gaming industry in Ireland.

Fri, 10 Feb, 2012 - 00:00

Vincent Ryan

That is according to the managing director of internet gaming company Big Fish, Stephen Hegarty, who announced the business was recruiting 30 software engineers to develop a cloud gaming service.

He said the jobs were an example of the growth and deepening of the industry in Ireland.

“What is interesting about this announcement is that it represents an increase in the depth of what is being done here.

“There is an increase in engineering and games development in Ireland. I’m not sure if Ireland is becoming a gaming hub but gaming industry is definitely growing and deepening.”

He also welcomed the inclusion of tax breaks to attract key staff to Ireland in the Finance Bill. He said his industry would benefit from the ability to attract more talent to work here and that the sector had continued to grow despite the recession.

He praised the work of the IDA, which he described as a progressive organisation which recognised the gaming industry’s potential for growth.

The IDA is supporting Big Fish’s research into moving its gaming platform to the cloud.

The project is a joint research project between Big Fish’s head office in Seattle, USA, and its Cork site. The service will allow users to access Big Fish’s 2,500 titles, including Drawn and Mr Casefile, across a number of platforms through interactive video streaming.

Jobs Minister Richard Bruton welcomed the Big Fish jobs news, which he said would help address the employment crisis.

“As part of the Government’s plan to address the employment crisis, we are determined to build on the sectors of strength we have built up over recent years, as well as selecting new sectors where Ireland can become a world leader.

“Over the past 20 years we have build up a base of multinational companies in the IT sector which is the envy of many other countries; however now we must target those areas where the growth of the future is going to spring, such as cloud computing and digital gaming.”