Game Pitch: Oil Productions

Channel 4 have been aggressively commissioning UK games companies to create multi-platform games for their Education strand over the past year, and they've had some rather modest success, including a Bafta for their co-production with Brighton-based Little Loud on Bow Street Runner.

Most recently, they've completed a multi-month project in association with several talented UK games developers and The Wellcome Trust called Routes, which explores the challenging subject of genetics (it is Darwin's year, after all), but in an engaging and entertaining way. MIke Bennett, Creative Director and CEO of Oil Productions Ltd, one of the teams behind the game development, popped into the gamesblog's elevator to pitch their creation. It seems the future isn't indie, it's multi-platform. Read on for more on how they've had 1.5m eyeballs on their minigames.

Explain your game to my mum in 140 words.
It's like Emmerdale only with scientists, a comedian, a murder and lots of games. Okay it's an interactive, Genomic Thiller. Interactive - because you can play it online and via live events. Genomic - because its about genes and what it is that makes us human, and a Thriller - because someone dies and you have to find out why and how.

How do players control the game?
They can talk to the characters via blogs, email and even at live events. Players can follow up leads such as calling and harassing the editorial staff at a fictional Genetics Magazine or by helping to translate Spanish police footage to discover clues, and they can even help out in the Finale where we break into a corporate building, override the security systems and attempt to solve the mystery.

What is your background?

I have had 15 years digital experience running and building creative businesses, for example Sunbather, Empty Space and Digit, and three years running a digital comedy channel, Haha Bonk, and a lot of time arguing with advertising teams about the elephant in the room.

Name your competitors.
Its a fairly new space so there aren't that many of us doing this exclusively but, Six to Start and Holler both do great work in this space...there are more but not many, although lots claim they do...

How many players do you have now and what's your target in 12 months?
We have over 1.5 million plays on our minigames. 100k unique visitors to We have had over 20k views of the docu-drama and the Thriller [ran] on Channel 4 in the Three Minute Wonder slot for a week from March 2nd. We expect those numbers to double by the end of the eight-week run.

What's your biggest challenge?

Managing an entire digital experience from the Ad and banner campaign through to the Documentary, the mini games the Live events and the ARG. Our team are herculean in their ability

What's the weirdest development experience you've had thus far?
Dealing with a roomful of teens who had turned up to see the show launch and then having our Lead character "Rachel" melt down in front of them all at the news her "Uncle" had died. Blurring the boundaries between fiction and reality is amazing but means everybody has to act. Also spending a week writing as guests of The Wellcome Trust at the Sanger Institute with a group of world famous geneticists was a mind bending experience.

What's your distribution/publishing plan?
SNS widget installation, aggressive PR plan, banner ads throughout Channel 4, TV spot and a group of grass roots players called the "Routes Crew" from schools around the country who we've been working with.

Are indie games the latest killer app?
No multi-platform entertainment is.

Are you the next big thing?
If I keep eating the pies yes.

Routes is now finished, but you can check out all the assets at