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Firm boost for Sony console [Newcastle Journal (England)](Newcastle Journal (England) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) GAMES company Double Eleven could help to turn around the fortunes of Sony's struggling Playstation (PS) Vita console, following the launch of its first venture. The Middlesbrough firm only recently launched LittleBigPlanet and the game already looks set to turn the tide in favour of gaming giant Sony's stalling hand-held device. It received the highest rating of any game released on the console so far and looks to get even bigger following its critical acclaim by website Metacritic which aggregates reviews to form an industry accepted standard of quality. Lee Hutchinson, chief executive and founder of Double Eleven, said: "We are delighted with the feedback we've received. LBP is a fantastic franchise to be a part of and we wanted to ensure that we got it just right, both for ourselves and for the dedicated fans it has. "The PS Vita faces stiff competition from smart phones, such as the iPhone and android devices so high profile games like LittleBigPlanet are vital to Sony's success in selling its video game systems. "Forbes, one of the world's leading business magazines, said, enthusiasm over the Vita has been held in check, but thinks that LittleBigPlanet may be a tipping point for the system." Double Eleven has grown rapidly since it was founded in January 2010, expanding from two to more than 40 staff. Mark South, operations director of the company, said: "Although we have some of the most experienced game developers in the UK at Double Eleven this was our first title as a company and we've really grown as a business throughout its development. "This growth is represented not only in the number of people, but also by how firmly rooted Double Eleven has become as a multi- million pound business." Double Eleven is now working on its next projects but is remaining tight-lipped as to what they might be. The company hopes its newfound reputation from the success of LittleBigPlanet will help motivate more game makers to the region." (c) 2012 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |