By Emily Glass

[Originally posted on http://edinburghnapiernews.com/2011/03/21/online-game-relaunch-creates-new-jobs-in-edinburgh/ on 21st March 2011]

A US Gaming company have revived Dundee-based developer Real Time World (RTW) by buying shares in the business and plans to open a new studio in Edinburgh.

Set up in 2002 by Dave Jones, who was part of the firm responsible for creating Grand Theft Auto,  RTW went into administration last August with around 250 jobs being lost.

The company went bust just months after the release of their online game All Points Bulletin (APB), which had been five years in the making.

Reloaded Productions will create 22 jobs at their Edinburgh site in 3D Art, game engineering and game design leading up to the relaunch of the self-dedicated APB Reloaded.

With the help of Scottish Development International and £125,000 from Scottish Enterprise Real Time World’s computer game reputation is reinstated.

Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop praised the takeover by Reloaded production on the day that she launched The Scottish Government’s Creative Industries Strategy saying that: “I am delighted that Reloaded Productions will establish a studio in Edinburgh rather than creating jobs only in its existing locations in Irvine, California and Bangalore, India.”

Scotland’s Global Creative Industries reputation is strengthened by RTW’s revival and Hyslop described how she plans to push this even further: “Through our Creative Industries Strategy we intend to build on this reputation and on the talent that already exists here to strengthen economic growth and create opportunities for all of Scotland to prosper.”

Reloaded Productions chief executive Bjorn Book-Larsson is extremely positive about their new expansion in Edinburgh and says that there is the possibility of more jobs being created: “Through our Creative Industries Strategy we intend to build on this reputation and on the talent that already exists here to strengthen economic growth and create opportunities for all of Scotland to prosper.”.

With a turn-around regarding Scotland’s unemployment levels reported, this gaming opportunity will bring with it many welcome job prospects.