NEW ORLEANS’ TECH LANDSCAPE THRIVES

Matt Findley, President, inXile Entertainment: Matt Findley knew exactly why he wanted to expand inXile Entertainment to New Orleans.

He knew his game development studio would fit in well with the city’s innovative digital media landscape, and so inXile Entertainment’s first-ever satellite location opened in New Orleans in 2015.

“The combination of the creative atmosphere and the developing technology movement in the region made it the perfect place for game development,” Findley says.
“I was drawn to the creative energy of New Orleans from my first visit – that and the welcoming attitude of everyone I met.”

After several months of discussions, Findley and founder Brian Fargo opened the video game developer’s first satellite office in October 2015 – on Oak Street in New Orleans. The event marked a major breakthrough for the city’s technology and digital media market, and the job creation immediately showed.

Findley says their hiring in the New Orleans studio moved ahead of schedule. He adds that inXile Entertainment established more valuable contacts in New Orleans in one year than it did through decades in Newport Beach, California.

“My goal was to get to 20 people in our office by the end of our first year, and we were able to do it in less than four months,” Findley says.  “We now have 25 people. All of these hires are actual game developer positions from engineers to 3D artists.

“One of the best traits of the city is the combination of the qualities of a big city with the feel of a smaller city. Every single one of our employees has a commute that is the shortest of their lives.  The impact to people’s quality of life that comes with this is amazing, and I can see it on their smiling faces every time they get to work.”