Kuju opens new studio to make kids’ games

Busy times for UK independent Kuju – just days after it’s Godalming team moved into a new studio and rebranded, the firm has opened another studio in Surrey, called NiK NaK.

Focusing purely on developing games for children to be released on a variety of formats, the studio is to be headed by Kevin Holloway.

NiK NaK will be based in the Surrey University Research Park, on the outskirts of Guildford – close to the recently rebranded Kuju Godalming team, which moved into a new base in Guildford and changed its name to Double Six last week.

Holloway said that the firm is taking its ‘kids games’ remit very seriously: it will only make games for the six to 12 year old audience which have a PEGI rating of 7+ games or below (or ESRB ‘E for everyone’ 10+ or below titles).

NiK NaK is already hard at work on a series of games based on a high profile IP due to be announced in early 2008.

Explained Holloway: “I am very excited to be heading up NiK NaK, we have big ambitions for the studio to become a world leader in the huge kids’ games genre. The new studio ethos is all about passion and creativity.”

Kuju now owns six studios in the UK. NiK NaK aside, the rest are Brighton-based lifestyle/social game team Zoe Mode, Unreal Engine 3-exclusive Sheffield-based Chemistry, Nintendo format-focused Kuju London, the aforementioned Double Six and the Godalming, Surrey-based Rail Simulator team.