$20m motion control R&D project established

As many as 200 engineers are set to research innovative motion control technologies in a new $20 million initiative.

The Interactive Digital Media (IDM) lab, based in Singapore, will be overseen by Chris Taylor, games industry veteran of two decades and CEO of Gas Powered Games.

“There has been an explosion of new interface devices and technologies on all the major gaming platforms,” said Taylor, “making this one of the most exciting new areas of interactive entertainment research.’

Taylor said that that post-pad interfaces are a “largely undiscovered frontier in our business.”

The IDM lab is a joint venture between peripheral group Razer and the Media Development Authority of Singapore. The research initiative will “fuel Singapore’s growth as a global gaming hub”, read a statement.

"Singapore has been a choice location for Razer to base one of our global innovation centers; the high level of innovation and global connectivity in Singapore has been a boon to Razer’s growth," said Razer president Robert Krakoff.

"I am pleased and excited to be invited by Razer to join as an honorary advisor to the IDM Lab,” replid Taylor. “I see many areas of synergy and potential for us to get connected and explore ideas.”

The IDM lab will have a 100-strong workforce developing these technologies, though that number is set to rise to 200. The centre will also provide assistance to local video gaming start-ups through mentorship activities.

“[The IDM lab] seeks to be an epicentre for gaming by bringing together hardware and software creators, independent software vendors and publishers to Singapore to help local gaming talents and startups to get connected and exchange ideas with the world’s leading gaming companies,” read the statement.

Image: Gamespy