Surrey Research Park is marking 35 years as a community for games innovation and development.
The launch of park-based studio 22cans’ new game Masters of Albion means that games have been developed continuously at the University of Surrey-owned Research Park since the late 1980s.
As a result, Surrey Research Park is one of only a small number of sites in the UK where innovative, world‑class games studios have operated continuously for almost four decades.
From Populous to DeepMind: A Legacy of Gaming Royalty
One of the earliest games studios to establish at the Park was Bullfrog Productions, which released its breakthrough title Populous in 1989. The game became a global sensation, selling more than 4 million copies.
Its groundbreaking gameplay enabled players to navigate worlds governed by interacting rules, where player decisions directly shaped outcomes. The pioneering design and technology behind Populous are widely recognised as influencing the simulation‑driven design approaches seen in similarly iconic later titles such as SimCity, The Sims, and Civilization.
- Peter Molyneux and Lionhead Studios: In the 1990s, Lionhead Studios, whose origins can be traced back to Bullfrog Productions via its founder Peter Molyneux, released one of its most influential titles, Black & White. The game featured cutting-edge early adaptive artificial intelligence, where in‑game creatures learned and evolved based on player behaviour.
- Sir Demis Hassabis and Google DeepMind: Among the Park-based development team working on Black & White was a young Demis Hassabis (now Sir Demis), who went on to found and become CEO of Google DeepMind. Sir Demis conducted some of his earliest practical AI work while working for Lionhead Studios at the Park.
- Seven League Software (7LS): Alongside these headline developers, the Park is also the base for specialists Seven League Software (7LS), who contribute high‑end game engineering to a range of widely recognised AAA titles.
Next level industry and academic collaboration
As part of the University of Surrey, the Park, at the heart of the Surrey Innovation District, enables collaboration between academic and industry partners, while spearheading initiatives to strengthen Guildford’s legacy as the UK’s Hollywood of Games and create unique opportunities for students. Earlier this year, 11 Games Design students from the University supported 22cans by playtesting ‘Masters of Albion’ ahead of release.
Reflecting on the Park’s game milestone, Caroline Fleming, Director of the Surrey Innovation District and Innovation lead at the Park, said: “We are all incredibly excited to see the release of the new game developed at the Park.
“While the technology to play games has transformed significantly over the past 30 years, the Park’s founding ethos of creating a space where innovative businesses grow and creative teams thrive, experienced by Bullfrog Productions in the 1980s, is as strong as ever.
“We look forward to many more years of supporting games studios at the Park, and welcoming a new generation of CreaTech pioneers, who will maintain the Park’s legacy and Guildford’s prestigious status for game innovation.”
