A startup video game studio owned by toy giant Hasbro Inc. (Nasdaq: HAS) is setting up shop in the Triangle. Its focus is on G.I. Joe.
In an interview, Ames Kirshen, executive producer and creative director for the new Atomic Arcade, said he’s looking for Triangle talent and hoping to create a Triple A franchise in the region.
Kirshen has a long history in the industry. Up until last year, he was executive producer at Hasbro’s video game subsidiary, Wizards of the Coast. Prior to that he spent time at DC Comics, WB Games, Brash Entertainment and Marvel Studios, with the majority of his career being based in the Los Angeles region of California.
Kirshen, originally from New Jersey, wanted a change after a career overseeing the development of blockbuster game franchises, such as "Injustice" and "Batman: Arkham."
Taking on a studio startup was a “natural” next step, he said. And he wanted to get out of California.
Initially, Kirshen considered moving to Seattle where Wizards is based. But when Kirshen realized he would be crafting a studio around a new video game, he cast a wider net.
“There’s a lot of competition in the Seattle area,” he said. Kirshen wanted an opportunity to “make a name for ourselves in an emerging area.”
Raleigh, which has a reputation as just such an emerging market, rose to the top of the list. Kirshen said the presence of Cary-based Epic Games, Ubisoft and Insomniac prove that the talent pool exists.
Right now, the studio has about six people. But as it moves from concept to pre-production this fall, it will need to staff up to about 20. Kirshen said he’ll be looking for “passionate,” experienced hires who are excited about the industry.
The firm is also looking for studio space, somewhere “central” in the region – though it will also support remote staff.
The company is working on a new G.I. Joe Snake Eyes game, to be published by Wizards. Kirshen said it’s a story he pitched up the chain that got approval last summer.
“We’re not giving away too many details,” he said, adding that there were several “layers” to the main character, and several directions the story could go. When asked what would happen after the Snake Eyes title, he said hopefully “Snake Eyes 2.”
Atomic Arcade is a completely new division of Wizards of the Coast, the Hasbro-owned studio behind Magic The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons.
