It’s been a few months since Brian Corrigan left his executive role at video game giant Krafton. He already has a new video game studio in the Capital Region and is working on establishing a second office internationally — and a third somewhere else.
Rocket Science fulfills development contracts for other video game companies – an area where there’s plenty of work. The company plans to hire 100 people between three locations by year five. There are 10 people working for the company right now, including six in the Halfmoon office.
“Maybe we'll grow faster, I don't know, but that's the plan,” Corrigan said.
The company just moved into its office, and the founders are working on opening another in Cardiff, Wales.
“What we have decided to do is pick three places where we know we have world class talent, where we can have a hub,” Corrigan said.
Rocket Science gets involved about two years earlier in the development process than two similar Capital Region companies, Wolfjaw and Rushdown — whose founders Corrigan has worked with previously.
“Those other guys are also out there and doing similar work, which is part of the reason why we need multiple locations – because I don't want to be competing for talent with two of my best friends,” Corrigan said.
Rocket Science plans to set up a third office shortly, maybe on the west coast. Corrigan wants it to be another medium-sized city.
“Usually, the economic development teams are much more interested and willing to work with us,” he said. “They're just interested in growth and they're more dynamic, and it's easier to make decisions. And I don't have to pitch economic development projects against Google.”
Rocket Science was co-founded with Tom Daniel, a former head of business development for Unity Software, a publicly traded video game software development company (NYSE: U). For now, Daniel is leading dealmaking while Corrigan is leading operations.
While he works to grow Rocket Science, Corrigan also plans to build software to sell to other video game companies, similar to the model one of his former companies, MadGlory, used to sell the product Gamelocker.
“The product was so popular that we had five customers within nine months, and then PUBG offered to bring us on to do it full time,” he said.
Corrigan started his Capital Region video game career in 2008 as chief technology officer of Agora Games, which was later acquired by WB Games.
He left that role in 2012 and founded MadGlory in Saratoga Springs, which made a tech platform for other video game companies. That studio and its software platform were acquired by Krafton-owned PUBG Corporation in 2018, and Corrigan became the vice president and studio director of the company’s new Saratoga office.
Krafton later promoted him to vice president and head of Americas in March 2020, shortly after it reorganized and merged PUBG into its internal system of studios. The Krafton headquarters is in Seoul, which is 13 hours ahead of New York.
“It was probably the best professional experience in my life,” Corrigan said. “But with the pandemic and everything, it's just really tough running a remote office for a company based on the other side of the world.”
Rocket Science is spending its first year on the second floor of a new building in Halfmoon, at 1385 Crescent Vischer Ferry Road, before it moves into its permanent headquarters next year. The building owner is Bill Lussier, who also owns the adjacent Lussier's Autobody & Repairs.
For the permanent HQ, Corrigan purchased a 9,000-square-foot former firehouse in Glenville for $350,000 and is investing roughly $1.5 million for a full renovation. Adirondack Trust Co. is helping with financing.
He plans to split it into three sections: one for the Rocket Science headquarters, one for small video game companies and the other for gaming workforce development in partnership with Tech Valley Game Space. He has been working with Empire State Development and National Grid because of their interest in the incubator and workforce development programs.
Corrigan said having those other programs is a way to give back to the Capital Region. And with the state recently approving a $5 million tax incentive for video game companies, he thinks there’s a lot that could be gained by doing more work like that.
“I always say there's a lot going on here,” he said. “I think it's kind of on us at this point to prove that [the tax credit] was worth it – and I think the program will expand.”
