Today recent speculation was finally confirmed as  Rare officially announced their plans to open a new second studio facility in  Birmingham at Digbeth’s Fazeley Studios.

Rare believes that the current model of massive teams has lead to a boom and bust cycle in staffing terms and sees a film production model as a far better and more efficient way of creating triple A games going forward . The Fazeley studio will be home to some 90 staff working on new Rare games although number will fluctuate with the development cycle.

In announcing the new Rare facility Studio Head Mark Betteridge said:
“ The old way of making games just doesn’t work anymore , we need to be much more flexible in how we staff a team and setting up new facility in Digbeth will help us to do this . Its central location and the nature of other businesses in the area make it a very appealing environment in which to work. While we are committed to keeping our headquarters in Twycross, we feel a second studio in a more urban location will be appealing to some staff.”

Rare worked closely with a number of regional development bodies including Advantage West Midlands to find the perfect premises and feels that Fazeley will be a great adjunct to the company’s main operation.

Jane Holmes, International Investment Manager at Advantage West Midlands, said:
“Rare’s move is fantastic news for the West Midlands, not least because it will bring 90 high technology jobs to the region, along with a major, globally successful company.

The West Midlands has a long-established video games industry, accounting for one quarter of the UK games workforce. Rare’s arrival will further strengthen the region’s reputation around the world for excellence in computer games.”