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Bozek, Former Head Of Atari London, Talks Social Studio Start-Up
by Simon Parkin [PC, Console/PC]
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September 9, 2010
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Paulina Bozek, former head of Atari's London-based online and casual gaming studio, has launched a start-up company focusing on social games. Based in Shoreditch, London, the developer, Inensu, wants to build "social and innovative games for the connected generation.”
Bozek left Atari in April this year following the resignation of Phil Harrison, alongside whom she joined Atari less than two years ago. Previous to that role, she had worked with Harrison at Sony, where she was executive producer and director of the SingStar franchise of karaoke games.
Speaking to Gamasutra, Bozek said: "We have two projects in progress. We’re going back to our roots and working on a new music game / platform, although this time it’s not about performing or singing specifically."
"We’re not ready to release the details yet, but our inspiration is very broad and we’re combining games, social networks and music in new and engaging ways."
"We’re also working on a super cool fashion-based project with a major UK broadcaster with a known passion for games," she added, "which we will announce a bit later."
The SingStar franchise sold some 15 million units worldwide and garnered about $500 million in revenues, and Bozek earned a BAFTA award for her work. Her decision to join Atari together with Harrison was viewed as a vote of confidence in the company's re-branding and turnaround efforts.
Led by Bozek, Atari's London studio had been pursuing social gaming on Facebook, a focus that the company saw as key to its digital transition. However, the studio released just one project under her stewardship, Atari Photo Sauce, a simple photo manipulation tool designed for play on social platforms.
Another ex-SCEE employee, art director Alex Townsend, now forms part of the Inensu core team.
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I'm not into social games myself, but I am interested to see how Inensu's fashion based game will fair considering how I have already seen highly successful fashion based casual games in the European and Japanese market, but not so much in the American market. I've seen many American causal gamers playing web based Japanese fashion games, like Pupee Gril. Although British based, I wonder if Inensu would consider an American release of that fashion based game if it hits big success in Europe.