Real Business

Gateshead-based Eutechnyx started trading back in 1987, as Zeppelin Games. After selling out to Atari in 1996, the Jobling brothers (Brian is CEO; Darren's COO) bought the business back in 2000 and now produce some of the world's favourite video games, including Big Mutha Truckers, which has sold more than 1.3 million units around the world. In the terrific, open spirit of the industry, the brothers also 'fess up to their worst seller: "Fred on the Atari XL/XE – sold about 1.3 units."

Eutechnyx, primarily known for its driving games, has offices in China, Hong Kong, continental Europe and Canada. This year it's opening its first studio in the US.

Their first game - Zybex on the ZX Spectrum - won Budget Game of the Year in 1988 and cost about £5,00 to develop. Today, development of a new game will cost $10m-plus. Hence the recent fund-raising from Prime Technology Ventures and NorthStar Equity Investors, which have invested £6m from the Finance for Business North East Fund.

The company has a string of awards to its name, all outlined on its really informative website, and generates revenues of £5.5m. It's releasing new games later this year.

The big opportunity for games developers is selling direct to customers online, rather than via consoles. Brian Jobling: "The options that exist for an independent game development company at this stage are almost limitless.  There’s new access to finance, various distribution methods – if you wanted to you could take the games direct to the public at this point.  I think basically the market for content creators is going to go crazy.”