Who We Are
Innovate Create Entertain
At Blitz Games Studios we firmly believe that there is no compromise when it comes to quality, and so our people and our processes are amongst the best in the industry. We strive for creative excellence in everything we do, empowering our developers to deliver innovative and outstanding entertainment experiences.
It's this passion, this dedication to our craft that lies at the heart of our studio, and it's what sets us apart from the crowd. Respected and admired by our partners, and with a rich and diverse heritage spanning over 20 years, Blitz is an independent studio like no other.
- One of the world's largest independent video game developers
- Founded in 1990 by industry veterans Philip and Andrew Oliver
- Diverse portfolio covering motion control technology, F2P, console and serious games
- Extensive back catalogue of previous titles spanning multiple platforms and genres
- Industry-leading, award winning middleware BlitzTech
Executives
-
Philip Oliver
Chief Executive Officer
Philip Oliver co-founded Blitz Games Studios (formerly
Interactive Studios) in 1990 with his twin brother
Andrew Oliver, following nearly ten years of designing
and writing numerous Number 1 games, including the
hugely popular Dizzy series.
Responsible for the company's overall management and
direction he also ensures, along with his brother, that
the company maintains its ongoing reputation for
producing high quality games for a global market.
Philip's passion is for creating and maintaining a
vibrant and productive company culture, as well as
encouraging training and skills sharing, both internally
and externally.
Philip is also one of the founders of developers' trade
body TIGA and has served as an active board member since
its inception in 2001, helping to represent and serve
the interests of the UK games development industry.
Philip received an Honorary Doctorate in Business
Administration (DBA) in 2008 from Coventry University in
recognition of his leading contribution to the growth of
the electronic games industry both regionally and
internationally. In 2010 he was also appointed a Fellow
of the Royal Society for the Arts and in 2011 became a
Board Director of e-Skills UK.
In 2012 Philip became the first ever recipient of the
TIGA Games Industry 'Person of the Year' Award.
-
Andrew Oliver
Chief Technical Officer
Andrew Oliver is co-founder and co-owner of Blitz Games
Studios (formerly Interactive Studios) and took on the
role of CTO when he and his twin brother Philip started
the company in 1990, after ten years of writing many
popular games for the UK games market including the
hugely successful Dizzy series.
He is now responsible for all aspects of the company's
cutting edge technology and game development direction
as well as ensuring its reputation for high quality
standards and prompt delivery is maintained.
Andrew is passionate about new technology and its
potential for the future of games and is always striving
to research and integrate new platforms, software and
techniques into the Studio's workflow.
Andrew received an Honorary Doctorate of Technology
(DTech) in 2008 from Coventry University for his major
contribution in technical aspects of the electronic
games industry in the regional, national and
international forum. In 2010 he was also appointed as a
Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, he sits on the
Advisory Board of the Stereoscopic Games Summit at GDC
Online, and is the Midlands UK Chapter Leader of The
Independent Game Developers' Association.
-
Richard Smithies
Chief Operating Officer
Richard joined Blitz in 2004, but has known Philip and
Andrew since the inception of the business in 1990. He
is responsible for company operations, including
corporate and divisional strategy, business development,
finance, legal and IT. Separately, he also heads up
TruSim, the company's game-based training, visualisation
and learning division.
Richard has an engineering degree and is a chartered
banker. He has a strong financial and advisory
background and has worked in several countries. Previous
jobs include regional head of acquisitions and private
equity for a UK accountancy firm and over five years as
an investment banking director in the United States.
Philip and Andrew featured in the Times Online
Top 10 Brits that changed video games forever.
To learn more about The Oliver Twins' early (pre-Blitz) games,
visit www.OliverTwins.com
Made in Creative UK
Philip Oliver
Chief Executive Officer
Philip Oliver co-founded Blitz Games Studios (formerly Interactive Studios) in 1990 with his twin brother Andrew Oliver, following nearly ten years of designing and writing numerous Number 1 games, including the hugely popular Dizzy series.
Responsible for the company's overall management and direction he also ensures, along with his brother, that the company maintains its ongoing reputation for producing high quality games for a global market. Philip's passion is for creating and maintaining a vibrant and productive company culture, as well as encouraging training and skills sharing, both internally and externally.
Philip is also one of the founders of developers' trade body TIGA and has served as an active board member since its inception in 2001, helping to represent and serve the interests of the UK games development industry. Philip received an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) in 2008 from Coventry University in recognition of his leading contribution to the growth of the electronic games industry both regionally and internationally. In 2010 he was also appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts and in 2011 became a Board Director of e-Skills UK.
In 2012 Philip became the first ever recipient of the TIGA Games Industry 'Person of the Year' Award.
Andrew Oliver
Chief Technical Officer
Andrew Oliver is co-founder and co-owner of Blitz Games Studios (formerly Interactive Studios) and took on the role of CTO when he and his twin brother Philip started the company in 1990, after ten years of writing many popular games for the UK games market including the hugely successful Dizzy series.
He is now responsible for all aspects of the company's cutting edge technology and game development direction as well as ensuring its reputation for high quality standards and prompt delivery is maintained.
Andrew is passionate about new technology and its potential for the future of games and is always striving to research and integrate new platforms, software and techniques into the Studio's workflow.
Andrew received an Honorary Doctorate of Technology (DTech) in 2008 from Coventry University for his major contribution in technical aspects of the electronic games industry in the regional, national and international forum. In 2010 he was also appointed as a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, he sits on the Advisory Board of the Stereoscopic Games Summit at GDC Online, and is the Midlands UK Chapter Leader of The Independent Game Developers' Association.
Richard Smithies
Chief Operating Officer
Richard joined Blitz in 2004, but has known Philip and Andrew since the inception of the business in 1990. He is responsible for company operations, including corporate and divisional strategy, business development, finance, legal and IT. Separately, he also heads up TruSim, the company's game-based training, visualisation and learning division.
Richard has an engineering degree and is a chartered banker. He has a strong financial and advisory background and has worked in several countries. Previous jobs include regional head of acquisitions and private equity for a UK accountancy firm and over five years as an investment banking director in the United States.
Philip and Andrew featured in the Times Online
Top 10 Brits that changed video games forever.
To learn more about The Oliver Twins' early (pre-Blitz) games,
visit www.OliverTwins.com