Tim bidding for a byte of games market

7:00pm Sunday 22nd April 2007

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A SOFTWARE developer from Poole has created a website he hopes will become the computer game equivalent of video sharing network YouTube.

Tim Fisher runs a one-man business, Indiepath Ltd, from the back bedroom of his home in Warburton Road - but it hasn't stopped him thinking big.

"I want to allow everyone to upload their games and let the community decide, through their comments and ratings, what is good."

Tim Fisher

He has created a website, pjio.com, where video gamers and creators from around the world can meet, share and play games.

The 36-year-old, who lives with his wife and seven-year-old step-daughter, was inspired by his own experiences trying to enter the competitive computer game market.

He said: "I started my business two years ago with the intention of writing computer games and making my fortune. The reality is not that easy. The easy part is writing the game - getting it to market is the difficult bit. That's really what set me on this course."

Mr Fisher said he wanted to offer an alternative to game developers who didn't have the financial clout to market their own games, and couldn't find backing from a big distribution company.

"This is a platform for independent gamers to show their games to the world," he added.

The website offers developers a chance to sell their products on line and gain a share of advertising revenue generated on and around their game pages.

For game-players there is a chance to play a variety of games for free, including brand-new creations, as well as make contact with a wider gaming community.

The site, which has only been fully operational for a few weeks, has 32 "casual" games ranging from simple card games to simulator games, and gets 2,000 hits a day. Mr Fisher says he hopes to push that up to 200,000.

"I like to think I've that I've created the YouTube of games." he added. "I want to allow everyone to upload their games and let the community decide, through their comments and ratings, what is good."