Mike Hayes helps launch Serious Games studio

A new UK corporate games studio has emerged, and is being launched with the help of former Sega West boss Mike Hayes.

Serious Games International is a new UK-based firm that wants to produce game-like applications for corporate firms, such as training programmes. The idea being that games is a better way of engaging, teaching and training staff.

It is being set up by Tim Luft – a former director of the Centre for Urban Intelligence and the Serious Games Institute at Coventry University – and Hayes has signed up as executive chairman.

According to the firm this part of the games industry – dubbed the ‘serious games industry’ – will be worth $2.5bn by 2015. Serious Games International told MCV it wants to dominate this sector of the games market.

Serious Games is headquartered at the Coventry University Technology Park, but also has offices in Singapore and the USA.

The games industry is skilled in capturing and retaining the player’s attention, and encouraging them to explore, learn and develop within a game environment,” said Hayes. Bringing this experience to immersive environments and corporate programmes will give Serious Games International a significant competitive edge in this market.”

Luft added: There is clearly massive commercial potential in this market, with global revenues predicted to double over the next three years. Uniting experts from the games industry and academia under one roof gives us a unique platform to develop creative applications that will redefine success within this market.”