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Former Rockstar ace Anthony Gowland founds mobile micro-studio Mainly About Games

Working on small titles with 'big budget polish'

Former Rockstar ace Anthony Gowland founds mobile micro-studio Mainly About Games
With 10 years' worth of experience under his belt, former Rockstar man Anthony Gowland has officially unveiled his new venture: Mainly About Games.

The Edinburgh based studio is to develop games for both mobile and web, though Gowland – who has worked on the likes of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and Red Dead Redemption – has said the firm's real talent will be to create small scale titles with big ambitions.

The outsider

"My passion is in creating small titles that have solid gameplay hooks and big budget polish," Gowland said of the move.

"With the varied distribution opportunities now available to developers, it felt like the perfect time to move away from AAA development. It's totally viable for a small team, or even a single dedicated guy, to create and market a successful game independently."

Mainly About Games won't be solely focused on its own releases, however, with Gowland confirming that the studio will also offer freelance game design consultancy services.

"Each year there are a lot of games that are very good, when they could have been great," added Gowland, who started out his career at Particle Systems (later part of Argonaut) in Sheffield.

"Playing through them you often get the impression that it’s the little details that are missing or have been overlooked. I think there’s a real benefit to having an outsider with a proven track record play through your game with a fresh pair of eyes."

More details on Mainly About Games can be found on the developer's website.

With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.