Martin Kenwright: Difference between revisions
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== Personal life == |
== Personal life == |
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Kenwright appeared in [[The Times]] [[Tech Track 100]] in 2005 and 2006,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/evolution-studios-scoops-prestigious-microsoft-tech-track-100-placing|title=Evolution Studios Scoops Prestigious Microsoft Tech Track 100 Placing|website=GamesIndustry.biz}}</ref> and in [[IGN]]'s Next Generation Hot 100 Developers in 2007.<ref>[http://m.edge-online.com/features/hot-100-game-developers-2007 The Hot 100 Game Developers of 2007 | Edge<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307141824/http://m.edge-online.com/features/hot-100-game-developers-2007|date=2014-03-07}}</ref> |
Kenwright appeared in [[The Times]] [[Tech Track 100]] in 2005 and 2006,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/evolution-studios-scoops-prestigious-microsoft-tech-track-100-placing|title=Evolution Studios Scoops Prestigious Microsoft Tech Track 100 Placing|website=GamesIndustry.biz}}</ref> and in [[IGN]]'s Next Generation Hot 100 Developers in 2007.<ref>[http://m.edge-online.com/features/hot-100-game-developers-2007 The Hot 100 Game Developers of 2007 | Edge<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307141824/http://m.edge-online.com/features/hot-100-game-developers-2007|date=2014-03-07}}</ref> |
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Kenwright has remained anonymous and has avoided any media, social or public presence for many years. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 22:28, 16 August 2023
Martin Kenwright | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Liverpool, England, UK |
| Years active | 1987–present |
Martin Kenwright is a British video game designed and the founder of British-based virtual and augmented reality innovation company vTime Limited, digital media, entertainment and technology company Starship, and video game development studios Digital Image Design (DID) and Evolution Studios and cofounder of BigBig Studios. He created seminal computer games such as F29 Retaliator, Robocop 3D, TFX,EF2000, F22 ADF, F22 TAW. He is also responsible for the World Rally Championship franchise and PlayStation 3 launch title, MotorStorm, along with its respective franchise.
Early life
Kenwright began life in the video game industry as a 2D And 3D graphics artist and game designer in 1986, working at Rowan Software on Mirrorsoft games such as Strike Force, Harrier, Spitfire 40, Fleet Street Editor, Flight of the intruder,as Falcon[1] and Tetris[2] and on Microdeal games Turbo Trax, Jug, Goldrunner 3 straight after leaving Widnes Sixth Form College in Cheshire.
Digital Image Design
Kenwright founded Digital Image Design (DID) in 1989 with Philip Allsopp in Runcorn, Cheshire. The studio specialised in flight simulation titles, the first being F29 Retaliator, Epic, Inferno and Robocop 3D, Phil Allsopp left the company in 1993, Martin continued to develop TFX flight sim which attracted attention from the RAF with the military using the technology from TFX and EF2000 as a training tool and was AIAS nominated for best Simulation. Did later spun out a new military division called Didmil which went on disrupt the Military procurement market with low cost PC training tools and equipped most of NATOs front line squadrons, the Royal Armoured Core, and USAF with training tools. His original IP, F-22, won the "Milia D'Or"[3] for 'Best Game' and 'Best Flight Simulator' in 1997.[4] Wargasm won the "Milia D’Or" for Best Action Game in 1998.[5] PCgamer described F22 as the worlds best flight simulation and was nominated for AIAS award of best Simulation
The studio broke new ground with the world's first online Multiplayer with BT wire play, the first 3D accelerated game in EF2000 and the world's first Pentium accelerated game with Wargasm, F22 Total Air War is being used in USAF Officer Training School to train Modern Air War Doctrine
The studio was acquired by Ocean Software in 1999, who became Infogrames in 1999.[6],Martin Kenwright went on to form a new development studio called Evolution Studios.
Evolution Studios
Kenwright went on to form Evolution Studios with Psygnosis founder, Ian Hetherington as chairman. The fledgling company was immediately enlisted as Sony Computer Entertainment's first European external development team. Evolution were subsequently handed the World Rally Championship video game licence, the first official FIA licensed World Rally Championship game in the series for the PlayStation 2 using official drivers, cars and tracks from the 2001 season.[7]
The franchise earned two BAFTA nominations for WRC 2 Extreme[8] in 2003 and one BAFTA nomination in 2004 for WRC 4.[9]
The success of the WRC franchise gave Kenwright the freedom to work on original IP and he conceived Drive Club as the first community driven, cloud based driving game which went on to become a PlayStation 4 launch title years later and also devised developed the first original PS3 title In the form of MotorStorm, a PS3 exclusive launch title. The title was a global number one[10] and earned two British Academy of Arts (BAFTA) nominations.[11] and won the AIAS award for best driving game. The MotorStorm franchise spawned four more titles, including the BAFTA nominated MotorStorm: Pacific Rift.[12]
Both Evolution and Bigbig Studios were acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment in September 2007. Kenwright left the company, embarking on a five-year sabbatical.[13]
BigBigStudios
Kenwright was also a major shareholder in Evolution's satellite studio, BigBig Studios, based in Warwickshire. BigBig developed titles such as the critically acclaimed Pursuit Force series and Motorstorm: Arctic Edge.
Starship Group
After selling Evolution and Bigbig studios to Sony in 2007 and reaching a prestigious ranking of number 23 in Next Gen magazines Worlds top 100 in the games industry. Martin took a several year sabbatical, feeling he had accomplished all he wanted in the gaming world. However, his passion for innovation led him to form a technology incubator called Starship, where he explored the evolving relationship between people and technology. Locating the company in a deprived part of Liverpool with the aim of helping with the regeneration of the local area and kickstarting the technology sector in Liverpool. He then delved into the world of virtual reality, creating the first-ever realistic VR cooking simulator and then achieving breakout success with VTime, the first of a kind mobile VR social network in 2015. This success was followed by VTime XR, the first XR social network, and VTag, a pioneering AR messaging app. VTime limited was the first company spun out fromStarship in March 2014.[14] [15] in May 2014.[16][17]
With Kenwright as CEO, Starship unveiled Playworld Superheroes in January 2015[18] and released VR demo CyberCook Taster on the Gear VR in February, 2015.[19]
According to the company website Starship Group is now in ‘stealth mode’ and is pioneering some unannounced new technology.
vTime Limited
Kenwright announced new product vTime in August 2015, before launching the first ever mobile virtual reality social network on Samsung Gear VR on 22 December 2015. vTime Limited was established as a standalone venture in April 2016 with Kenwright as CEO, having been housed previously under the umbrella of parent company Starship Group.[20]
In April 2018, Kenwright announced that vTime Limited had raised $7.6 million (£5.4 million) in a series A funding round[21] and announced plans for the studio to release a social augmented reality experience later in 2018.[22]
In 2017 the company released VTime XR the first ever XR social network
Martin is reportedly worked on an unannounced ‘Groundbreaking’ project for the next generation of formats which is due to debut in 2024
And in 2023 Martin Kenwright returned to the gaming industry, founding VTime Games division to continue his legacy of innovation and creativity in the world of interactive entertainment.
Personal life
Kenwright appeared in The Times Tech Track 100 in 2005 and 2006,[23] and in IGN's Next Generation Hot 100 Developers in 2007.[24]
Kenwright has remained anonymous and has avoided any media, social or public presence for many years.
References
- ^ "Martin Kenwright Video Game Credits and Biography". MobyGames.
- ^ Amiga Game: Tetris
- ^ "F22 ADF Index (www.combatsim.com)". www.combatsim.com.
- ^ "Media:". www.migman.com.
- ^ "Milia media mart". The Guardian. 18 February 1999.
- ^ "Digital Image Design Ltd. (Company)". Giant Bomb.
- ^ "WRC World Rally Championship (Game)". Giant Bomb.
- ^ BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards
- ^ 2nd British Academy Video Games Awards
- ^ Purchese, Robert (5 April 2007). "MotorStorm completes hat-trick".
- ^ "Search Results - The BAFTA site".
- ^ 5th British Academy Video Games Awards
- ^ International, GamesIndustry (20 September 2007). "TGS: Sony buys MotorStorm dev".
- ^ All Games Beta: Motorstorm Creator and Evolution Founder Opens New Studio
- ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (27 May 2014). "MotorStorm creator's next game is… CyberCook".
- ^ Gleeson, Bill (27 March 2014). "Martin Kenwright looks to shake up the video games sector in Merseyside". Liverpool Echo.
- ^ "Motorstorm Creator and Evolution Founder Opens New Studio - IGN" – via www.ign.com.
- ^ Article on The Guardian
- ^ "Samsung Gear VR launches CyberCook Taster". The Drum.
- ^ Gleeson, Bill (26 August 2015). "Liverpool computer games developer Starship move into social networking". Liverpool Echo.
- ^ "UK-based vTime raises $7.6 million to get people to create memories inside VR".
- ^ Hayden, Scott (11 April 2018). "Social VR App 'vTime' Closes $7.6M Series A Investment, AR Experience to Come in 2018".
- ^ "Evolution Studios Scoops Prestigious Microsoft Tech Track 100 Placing". GamesIndustry.biz.
- ^ The Hot 100 Game Developers of 2007 | Edge Archived 2014-03-07 at the Wayback Machine