Paul Wedgwood
Paul Wedgwood | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 1970 (age 55) |
| Occupation | Co-founder of Splash Damage |
Paul Wedgwood (born June 1970) is one of three founders of video game developer Splash Damage and was the CEO of the company until end of 2018.[1]
Career
[edit]Paul Wedgwood was born in June 1970. Wedgwood started his career in the early 1990s as a network engineer attending major clients such as the Home Office and 10 Downing Street.[2] However he first joined the games industry in 1999 when he became infrastructure manager for BarrysWorld a multiplayer gaming website and ISP. During this time he spent much of his time working as a presenter and commentator on a videogame TV show broadcasting to Australasia, called Lock 'n Load.[3]
Alongside Barrysworld, Wedgwood worked as part of an amateur development team under his online alias 'Locki' on a modification of the game Quake III Arena entitled Q3F. A number of these core members later went on to form the video game developer Splash Damage in May 2001.
Splash Damage
[edit]After founding Splash Damage, Wedgwood was credited on a number of games[4] including Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, Doom 3, Quake Wars and Brink.
In July 2016, the sale of Splash Damage to Leyou was announced, for up to $150 million by Wedgwood, its sole owner, co-founder and chief executive.[5]
By then end of 2018, he officially stepped down as CEO of Splash Damage. Richard Jolly was appointed as the new CEO.[1]
Supernova Capital
[edit]Later in 2018, Wedgwood and other former Splash Damage members formed Supernova Capital, an investment firm. Supernova made its first acquisition in March 2019 with the studio Flying Wild Hog.[6]
In November 2020, Supernova sold Flying Wild Hog to Swedish gaming holding company Embracer Group (through its subsidiary Koch Media GmbH) for $137million.[7]
In 2024, several subsidiaries of Supernova Capital, co-founded by Paul Wedgwood, collapsed. Among them, French game studio Mi‑Clos, which had been acquired by Supernova Capital in February 2023, announced its closure after 14 years in operation.[8] Similarly, indie developer Little Red Dog Games shut down operations.[9]
Supernova's events division, Player1 Events, which organized the long-running Insomnia Gaming Festival, also entered insolvency, reportedly accumulating debts of up to £8 million.[10] This led to the dismissal of all staff, cancellation of the 2024 RuneFest convention, and public complaints from content creators who claimed they were still owed money.[11]
In May 2025, the official Insomnia Gaming Festival social media channels posted updates announcing the event's planned return and attempting to distance the brand from Player1 Events.[12] The new messaging emphasized a “new team” and a “community-first” approach. Despite this, it is widely believed that Wedgwood continues to own the Insomnia Gaming Festival's parent company.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Co-Founder Richard Jolly appointed CEO of Splash Damage". Splash Damage. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
- ^ "Paul Wedgwood's profile on Linkedin". Linkedin. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
- ^ "Frags to Riches - An Interview with Splash Damage's Paul Wedgwood". GamaSutra. Archived from the original on December 5, 2007. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
- ^ "Paul Wedgwood's profile on MobyGames". MobyGames. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
- ^ Alex Hern (2016-07-12). "Chinese chicken supplier buys UK games developer Splash Damage | Technology". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
- ^ O'Conner, Alice (18 March 2019). "Splash cash: Shadow Warrior studio Flying Wild Hog bought up". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
- ^ Allen, Joseph (18 November 2020). "Embracer Group Acquires Flying Wild Hog And 12 Other Companies". Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- ^ "French developer Mi-Clos closes its doors". PCGamesInsider. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ "Mi-Clos and Little Red Dog Games shut down following Supernova Capital issues". PocketGamer.biz. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ "The Demise of Insomnia: Gaming festival organiser Player1 Events collapses with £8m in debts". Esports Insider. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ "Insomnia Gaming Festival organiser Player1 Events hit with layoffs, RuneFest 2024 cancelled". Hitmarker. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ "Insomnia Gaming Festival to return in Spring 2026 after mysterious teaser". EsportsRadar. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ "Insomnia Gaming Festival breaks silence for first time since its collapse". Esports News UK. Retrieved 3 July 2025.