Jonathan Ross opens games studio

UK celebrity, chat show host and film critic Jonathan Ross has opened a new game development studio named Hotsauce Interactive.

Based in Candem, North London, the outfit is part of Ross’ TV production company Hotsauce, and has already released its debut game, Cacha Cacha Aliens for iOS.

"The reason I got into making games is because I really wanted to know what it was like making games," said Ross, speaking last night at a special Question Time event at UK arts academy BAFTA. "I enjoyed playing them so wanted to try the creative process."

Ross was joined on stage (pictured) at the event by Sport’s Interactive CEO Miles Jacobson, NaturalMotion boss Torsten Reil and Tom Stone, MD of TT Games.

There the TV star also revealed an interest in making console and handheld titles.

"We started discussing consoles, because when we started showing our game around some console people came to us as they really liked us," confirmed Ross. "But it was designed and created for iOS, and we want to keep it for that for now."

"Hopefully we will make games for other platforms, including console and some handhelds, perhaps," he added.

Ross also used his time on stage to champion diversity in games, arguing that models like free-to-play and premium can co-exist.

"There’s a biodiversity of models in television, and there’s biodiversity in cinema," he offered, later continuing: "Let’s have a bit of biodiversity [in games]."

It is understood that Hotsauce Interactive is staffed by a number of experienced developers.

Ross, who is famously enthusiastic about games, also confirmed his favourite releases of 2012 include Halo 4 and Temple Run.