York digital developer set to enter a virtual reality with £18k investment

New Moon Games, the digital developer based in York Science Park, can now enter the virtual reality gaming world, after securing funding from Creative England’s GamesLab Leeds programme.

New Moon Games is one of just 10 games companies based in the Leeds City Region to receive match-funding from Creative England, in the latest round of funding.

The £18,000 will enable the the company develop its new virtual reality game ‘One Man Tank’.

This project is the first of its kind for the company which, until now, developed virtual reality games solely for end clients.

Established in 2008 by managing director Andrew Nye, New Moon Games is a virtual reality, augmented reality, mobile apps and game development specialist.

Creative England’s support has allowed the company to employ three new team members to support the development of the game, with a view to creating at least one long-term developer position.

New Moon received the financial support via the GamesLab Leeds initiative, which is a three-year programme supporting studios and digital companies in the region, funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Andrew said: “Our new One Man Tank game was inspired by work we carried out for the National Army Museum, on its new Churchill tank simulator experience.

“We are developing the game purely for virtual reality play to optimise the player experience and plan to launch it before November this year. We have taken early versions of the game to events in the region to get as much player feedback from both seasoned gamers and first time players.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the positive comments and excitement it has generated. I’m looking forward to trialling it with other residents at the science park, too, as the feedback is extremely important to us.

“The game development industry in Yorkshire is predominantly made up of independent developers operating from home offices.

“We were ready to make the next step for the business last year when we took office space at York Science Park - we wanted to be part of something bigger and we succeeded as we are now one of the largest game developers in York, employing a full-time team, from dedicated offices.”

Tracey Smith, York Science Park CEO, added: “New Moon Games is carving out a name for itself in the gaming industry nationally as well as in Yorkshire. Its team is exceptionally creative and Andrew is a conscientious leader who is committed to supporting the talent within his team.”

Rob Crossley, head of games and digital at Create England, also commented: “Our mission for GamesLab Leeds is to support projects and companies with fantastic potential and talent. So when Andrew pitched One Man Tank for funding, it was a no-brainer. I just adore the game concept and hope our support can help it reach its fullest potential.

“Creative England has a remaining GamesLab Leeds budget of more than £140k to help developers and digital enterprises based in the Leeds City Region.”