Dundee games firm boss calls for EU certainty

Many EU nationals on staff concerned by status after Brexit

The co-founder of the UK’s biggest independent mobile games firm says his Dundee-based business is better off in the EU and would welcome Scottish independence if it meant staying in the bloc.

Douglas Hare, co-founder and chief executive of Outplay Entertainment, said Brexit uncertainty was already impacting talent acquisition and was weighing on the minds of EU nationals in his 200-strong team.

“It’s already had an impact,” Mr Hare told the Press Association, explaining that the majority of his 40 non-UK staff were from the EU.

“How people feel about living here has changed, especially while there’s uncertainty.

“No one likes that...it’s trickier, and probably adds a little bit of resistance to finding people from the EU to work in the UK.”

He added that Brexit had changed the context of Scottish independence, which may be the only option to keep his country in the EU.

Mr Hare said: “As a business, I think it’s better for us to be inside of the EU.”

Mr Hare, originally from Edinburgh, founded the business with his brother Richard in 2010 after a 16-year stint in California where they jump-started their video games careers.

Rising costs in California forced the brothers to consider alternative locations including Canada and Malaysia, but were finally lured to Dundee by lower costs, a growing talent pool and government support.

“When we looked at Scotland... we realised that there was support there,” he said.

Outplay – which is now best known for mobile games including Crafty Candy, Mystery Match and Angry Birds POP! – ended up receiving a total £2.25 million in grants from government enterprise agency Scottish Development International over five-and-a-half years.

That funding was partly linked to Outplay’s commitment to creating 150 high value jobs in the area, a number it has now surpassed.

Outplay, which boasts 60 million downloads to date, finally became profitable last year – pre-tax profit for the year to December 31 came in at £687,424 following a loss of £889,000 in 2015.

Mr Hare said: “I think the industry has an extraordinarily bright future and the UK just has a huge part to play in that.”

Games maker Outplay Entertainment’s Crafty Candy and company co-founder Douglas Hare.