Little Think Tank will make games in Picton

A mobile and social game development studio will relocate to Prince Edward County’s Innovation Centre from California.
Little Think Tank Studios makes games that can be played on mobile devices, tablets and computers. LTTS is currently developing its first game for phone platforms and Facebook. The company employs about 15 people.
Prince Edward Hastings MP Daryl Kramp was at the Bridge Street Picton Innovation Centre Monday to announce a Community Futures Program investment to support the gaming and animation company which is relocating from California.
“Exciting initiatives such as this not only help strengthen our local economy but also make Prince Edward County a destination for leading edge technology-related employment opportunities,” Kramp said.
Steve Chan, CEO of Little Think Tank said he was attracted to the County, which has similarities to north San Franciso and its wine country.
“What made this move a great investment for my company was the partnership with the PEC Innovation Centre entrepreneur Conrad Guziewicz, seed capital financing from PELA CFDC that is hard to find even in Silicon Valley, and access to a highly skilled labour market through Loyalist College’s animation department and Queen’s University’s Com Sci department which is a huge competitive advantage in our industry,” Chan said. “We have all the ingredients to make a truly great company.”
Chan is co-founder of Revenant, a hard core game studio, was an artist and actor at Naughty Dog for Way of the Warrior for 3DO, owner of Chanime, has consulted for Time Warner, nVidia, Apple and UCSF Medical School.
“The arrival of Little Think Tank Studios is representative of the creative talent that has chosen our community as a centre for their operations,” said Debra Marshall, chairman of PELA CFDCC. “The investment of private sector and government funding into these busineses is benefiting our communities through yet another avenue of economic growth. With the attraction of Little Think Tank Studios, our community has gained more employment opportunities for both the more experienced and younger generation in a creative and exciting industry.”
Joining Chan is chief products officer Matt Oursbourn who leads the gameplay and ensures quality of games. The 16-year veteran of the gaming industry has held lead creative and technical positions at Blizzard Entertainment, Ready at Dawn Studios and was co-founder lead artist at Revenant Studios. His previous company was acquired by Motorola and most recently Google.