Dublin animation studio War Ducks booked a net loss of €242,000 in 2015 after developing and launching a hidden object game, Global Agents, for Facebook (pictured). Cumulative losses in December 2015 since startup in 2014 amounted to €377,000.
Company founder Nicola Lannen worked for Facebook as part of the games team for four and a half years before starting her own venture.
Lannen told the Dublin Globe blog last year: “I think both Facebook and Google throw you out of your comfort zone, and give people here the experience and confidence they need to go out and set up their own businesses. I would have never had gotten into gaming unless I had worked for Facebook. It’s a massive market, one where people can soar and become very successful quickly.”
According to Lannen, the main gamers on Facebook are older women. “Our stats are positive, retention is strong, monetization is strong, we have about 50,000 monthly active users, and engagement is through the roof. Right now, our game is being played around 1.2 million times a month. Next, we’re bringing the game to mobile. We want to build a multi-platform game studio here.”
Turnover at War Ducks Ltd through 2015 was €26,000, with cost of sales amounting to €14,500, for a gross profit of €11,400. The company staff and other overheads in 2015 came to €253,000.
In Association with
Directors Nicolas Lannen and Mary Lannen invested €158,000 in the venture through 2014 and 2015. Taxpayers pitched in €200,000 through Enterprise Ireland in 2015.
In the Dublin Globe blog, Nicola Lannen added: “Dublin’s a great place to build a business from, there’s a really good community here, especially on South William Street, where we’re based. We call it South Williamsburg Street. It’s a bit hip. Everyone’s pretty close-knit in the tech community, and wants to help each other. We couldn’t be in a better place.
“There are so many people starting businesses and going for it right now, it’s great. It feels like everyone’s taking risks, and doing well.
“I’ve learned that things don’t always go your way. Stay calm, and start again. Be strategic, and be patient. It’s been a really steep learning curve, but I love it. The thing I miss about Facebook is the food.
