Veterans from Disney, Jagex, and Codemasters Launch New Publishing Venture: The CoLab

Three seasoned professionals from the UK gaming industry have come together to launch a new indie publisher, aptly named The CoLab.

This exciting venture is the brainchild of Darren Newnham, Mark Faulkner, and John Lewis. Darren Newnham brings experience from his time at United Label, Fnatic, and Disney Interactive. Mark Faulkner has honed his skills with Jagex, PlayFusion, and Bossa throughout his career, while John Lewis has lent his expertise to Codemasters and Criterion.

Already, The CoLab has three intriguing projects lined up. There’s a comforting game with the working title Campfire, a cyberpunk shooter called DeadWire, and a strategic offering named Counter Clash. In an inspiring move, they’ve teamed up with the charity Safe in Our World to spotlight mental health support for workers in the gaming industry. Their mission is to assist indie developers through the industry’s challenging times.

“It’s time to shake things up. We stand for collaboration in an industry that truly needs it,” declared CEO Newnham.

He reflected on current issues: “Many recent challenges, particularly those linked to widespread layoffs caused by ‘greedflation’, highlight that a change in approach is overdue. Publishers often focus more on shareholder returns than on gamers’ needs. This practice results in unfinished games launched at high prices, with developers contending with project cancellations, unpaid work, and occasionally, the loss of their intellectual property.”

Newnham emphasized that, “The CoLab’s mission is to drive a positive change through a visionary counter-revolution. We’re here to bring together innovative game creators, pooling resources and empowering developers to thrive in a fiercely competitive market. Our ambition is to ensure that every developer who collaborates with us becomes an essential part of our community, nurturing a supportive environment for long-lasting relationships and rewarding returns.”