Co-founder of Mode 7, Paul Kilduff-Taylor features on the Fresh Business Thinking Shift 100 in association with KPMG Small Business Accounting. We spoke with Paul about the next big disruptor for the gaming tech industry.
Can you please introduce yourself?
I'm Paul Kilduff-Taylor, the co-founder of Mode 7. We're a very small company, so I wear a lot of hats: this means I often look ridiculous and my head gets extremely hot during the summer months.
The business side of my role incorporates business development, marketing, PR and some product management. On the creative side, I work on sound, music, writing, some elements of art direction, a bit of single player design, and a bit of UX as well.
Can you tell us a bit about your company?
Mode 7 is an indie game development studio and publisher. We've been going for over 10 years now and we've packed in quite a lot in that time, from contract work for companies like ITV to working on four of our own original games.
Our best-known title is 2011's Frozen Synapse which has sold almost a million units in various forms.
We're currently publishing an action title from SMAC Games by the name of Tokyo 42 which is coming out later this month. It's had a great critical reception so far and we're excited to get it out there.
What's most rewarding about being an entrepreneur?
I like the idea of almost unlimited upside. While it's extremely hard to make a small company consistently profitable, especially in games, there is always the sense that something you make could blow up in a big way, or bring you a huge benefit further down the line.
What do you think is the next big disruptor for the gaming industry?
Although it's a good few years away from being a serious force – longer than many are predicting - I think VR will start to have a lot more prominence as the hardware and ecosystem evolve.
If you had one piece of advice for an entrepreneur just starting up, what would it be?
Make sure you are planning for the long term, both financially and in terms of your own personal situation. It is so easy to get caught up with your next launch or product, but you should be looking to build a business as well..
To see the full Shift 100 gaming tech list click here.
