Codemasters press ‘play’ for 100 new staff

The BAFTA-award winning company, which currently employs more than 500 staff at its Southam headquarters plus 120 in Birmingham, is about to launch its latest series of interactive Formula One and other racing games.

Altogether more than 100 extra jobs will be created - at least 70 of them in Southam with another 25 recruits joing the smaller team at the Codemasters’ studio in Birmingham.

Most of those required will be designers, artists, producers and technicians.

Company spokesman Simon Miles, who is in charge of recruiting the new creative staff, said: “The success of our recent games and our plans for the future mean that Codemasters will continue to see growth as we expand our teams here in the Midlands.”

He added: “The skilled talent pool in Birmingham along with the support available for developers in the area, and across the Midlands generally, has created a dynamic and creative local business community.

“We are looking to recruit staff from the region as well as enticing some new employees into the city as well.”

Codemasters dates back to 1986 when teenage brothers David and Richard Darling, with the support of their father Jim, first moved in to premises in Banbury and within two years were big enough to expand their operation at Lower Farm House, just outside Southam.

In 2007 the brothers, who were made Companions of the British Empire for their services to the computer games industry, sold their interest in the business for an estimated £80 million.

David Darling has since set up smartphone application firm Kwalee in Leamington while Codemasters is now run by chief exective Rod Cousens.

Amazingly, the West Midlands is now said to employ a quarter of all the UK’s games workforce.

The region has become home to more than 12,500 digital and technology firms from innovative, small to medium sized enterprises, to global brands like Codemasters.

Last October the £25 million Birmingham Ormiston Academy was opened while ‘Gamer Camp’ - a finishing school for game developers which partners the industry’s experts - was set up by Birmingham City University.