Five indies win six month IGN office space

Five independent game studios have been granted office space, technology and consultant assistance in a new IGN initiative.

IGN subsidiary GameSpy Technology selected the five studios as part of its Indie Open House initiative, a plan to help game studios execute on their dream projects.

Studios Cryptic Sea, Team Ethereal, Evanatiks, Runt Interabang Entertainment will each move in to IGN Entertainment’s offices in San Francisco this week.

They will stay there for six months while building their game designs, backed by the global media might of IGN.

“Our view at GameSpy is that the future of video games and interactive entertainment is being shaped by independent developers working to create new and unique experiences,” said GameSpy Technology vice president Todd Northcutt.

“We see this program as a great way for all involved to do one thing – make great games while helping further evolve video games as a whole.”

The five studios were selected after consideration from key members of the IGN.com editorial and executive teams. Eddy Boxerman, winner of the first D2D Vision Award at the 2009 Independent Games Festival, also helped in vetting the entrants.

Tobias Batton, CEO of finalist studio Runt, said the Indie Open House initiative “is going to increase [our project’s] potential exponentially.”

Team Ethereal lead designer said the opportunity “has given our team a real fighting chance in pursuing what we hold as a dream job.”

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