Castlefield, Manchester-based Ocean Software Ltd, the UK developer of interactive entertainment games, is in the process of building up its in-house development resource. It currently has 100 staff based in the UK of which 60 are development staff. By the end of this year it expects that number to have reached 100 as it is now committed to developing for five different technology formats in house. These include CD-ROM, the 32-bit CD-based Sony PlayStation, the upcoming 32-bit Atari Jaguar and the Sega Saturn and Nintendo Ultra 64 that are yet to be released. Externally it is in development with Runcorn, Cheshire-based Digital Image Designs Ltd, a specialist in three-dimensional modelling in which Ocean has a 27% stake. The two have been tied together in development terms for the past 10 years and are currently working on a space simulation game called Inferno that will be out at the end of October. The two are also working on a follow-up version of the TFX tactical fighter game. The graphics of the game are being used by companies such as Farnborough, Hampshire-based Data Sciences Ltd in its Sigma personal computer-based cockpit trainer for the civil and military markets. Ocean has no plans to offer any technologies on the open market and believes firmly in sticking to games development, the area in which its skills lie. At the Autumn European Computer Trade Show in London, Ocean was demonstrating Inferno. In the past six months Ocean has signed distribution deals with Electronic Arts Ltd and Sony. It is also a Nintendo Co Ltd licensee and says it is the only firm outside Japan to have offered bundled game deals with the firm. Neon Team of Germany is tied to Ocean to develop console products and possibly a couple of CD-ROM games and Ocean has also signed a recent deal with a Moscow firm. Ocean had a turnover of $80m last year and expects turnover of $120m this time around.
