Shot from Colin McRae: DiRT 2
Government venture firm Malaysia Ventures (MDV) has agreed to fund a locally-developed contemporary rally racing game to the tune of US$10 million (RM36 million).
MDV managing director and chief executive officer Md Zubir Ansori Yahaya said the agreement with software firm Codemasters Studios is part of MDV’s efforts to nurture and develop local talent.
“This funding of US$10 million is for the tenure of 16 months and will be used to develop Colin McRae: DiRT 2, which features a variety of rally racing styles that expose players in aggressive multi-car and intense solo races in environments such as canyon racing, jungle trails and city stadium based events,” said Zubir. “DiRT 2 is a sequel to the very successful DiRT, which sold 1.3 million units worldwide.”
MDV is a financier and development facilitator for the information and communications technology (ICT) and high-growth sectors in Malaysia, and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Ministry of Finance.
Developing local talents
MDV’s Zubir said the signing marks the second partnership between MDV and Codemasters Studios. “The first being the US$12.4 million (RM44 million) for the development of the first-ever Malaysian-made computer game entitled the GRID which was launched last year. GRID was the first new-generation console and triple-A rated game ever produced in Malaysia.”
“As a financier and development facilitator of information and communications technology, biotechnology and other high-growth sectors, MDV is proud to be able to finance and be an active contributor to Codemasters Studios’ advancements,” said Zubir. “We are not only looking at assisting the content industry but also the local market in terms of creating job opportunities, especially in the current time.”
“Having grown rapidly from a team of only 30 people in 2006 to 76 people currently, we plan to increase our staff strength to 100 in the next 12 months. DiRT 2 is one of our biggest projects after the success of GRID, which was Malaysia’s first locally designed computer game,” said Maxime Villandre, general manager of Codemasters Studios.
Villandre said: “The knowledge and technology transfer has developed local talent. From specialising in animation, Codemasters Studios has now expanded its expertise to include programming, a more advanced technique in game development.”
