Former Human Head boss sets up new studio

Timothy Gerritsen, former big cheese at Prey developer Human Head, has teamed up with other gaming veterans to create a new development studio in Madison, Wisconsin, GamesIndustry.biz is reporting.

It's called Big Rooster and it will focus on both original and licenced games. The first of these is gong to be a fantasy board game for up to four-players called Talisman - based on the Games Workshop series of the same name - which is due for release on Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and PC this winter in association with Capcom. The developer has also registered to make Wii and DS titles.

The studio is being founded by Gerritsen together with Jeff Dewitt and Rowan Atalla, who were previously animation director and art director at Human Head, plus former Midway technical director Jason Blochowiak.

"The opportunities for independent developers are better than they've been at any time in the industry. New markets and new technologies mean new leaders need to emerge," said Gerritsen.

"It's time for the next evolution in development, where fun, innovation and creativity can and should meld with a real world business approach that also allows the best quality of life for our employees. We believe that we can combine good design and stunning imagery to create games players will come back to again and again without burning out our staff to do so."

Blochowiak commented. "The marketplace is changing. Digital distribution and worldwide sales now are significant parts of the equation and finding new and exciting ways to interact with our fans will be an ongoing and rewarding challenge."