Industry Veterans from Disney, Jagex, and Codemasters Launch New Publisher, The CoLab

Three seasoned professionals from the UK gaming scene have teamed up to launch a fresh indie publisher known as The CoLab. This exciting venture is the brainchild of Darren Newnham, Mark Faulkner, and John Lewis. Newnham’s past roles include stints at United Label, Fnatic, and Disney Interactive, while Faulkner has accumulated experience with Jagex, PlayFusion, and Bossa. Meanwhile, Lewis brings his expertise from Codemasters and Criterion into the mix.

Currently, The CoLab is nurturing three projects: a heartwarming game initially dubbed Campfire, the cyberpunk shooter DeadWire, and a strategic title called Counter Clash. They’ve also joined forces with the charity Safe in Our World, focusing on mental health support for those working in the gaming industry. The CoLab’s mission is to stand by indie developers during these challenging times in the gaming world.

As CEO Newnham puts it, “It’s time for a rebellion. We champion cooperation and collaboration in an industry that’s crying out for it.”

He went on to highlight, “Recent issues like widespread layoffs caused by ‘greedflation’ show the urgent need for change. Too often, publishers put shareholder profits above gamers’ interests, releasing unfinished games at steep prices. Developers often suffer from project cancellations, unpaid labor, and even losing their intellectual property.”

“The CoLab strives to drive change by ushering in a counter-revolution. We gather forward-thinking game creators, share resources, and enable developers to succeed in a fiercely competitive arena. Our objective is for every developer who joins The CoLab to become an essential part of our community, nurturing an environment that values long-term relationships and successful outcomes.”