MyWorld project saves 23 jobs at games firm

COMPUTER games firm Realtime Worlds, which went into administration earlier this week, has offered jobs back to 23 staff involved in one of the firm's most promising projects.

The Dundee-based firm, which employed 270 technicians and other staff, became a victim of the economic crisis despite being regarded as one of the biggest players in the global computer games market. It recently launched the high-profile title APB: All Points Bulletin.

It called in administrator Begbies Traynor just days after it said it was to lay off 60 workers.

Joint administrator Ken Pattullo yesterday said 23 of the 60-strong team working on the company's MyWorld 3D project had been re-employed. "As a smaller entity, MyWorld is attracting considerable interest from potential buyers and 23 members of the team who had been working on the project clearly add value to it as a standalone business. Hence we have been able to offer a limited number of those jobs back," Pattullo said.

Realtime, founded by Dave Jones - creator of gaming classics Crackdown, Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto - announced the MyWorld 3D "social gaming experience" last month. It is scheduled to launch in 2011.

Administrators have laid off 157 of the 210 staff remaining after the 60 redundancies announced before the business went under. Begbies Traynor has retained 53 staff, with those being re-employed taking staff numbers to 76.

Realtime's trade creditors in the UK are due 3 million.