Wales Interactive has released the sequel to their FMV title Five Dates, Ten Dates, onto multiple platforms today including mobile.
Wales Interactive, based in Penarth, are a studio well-known for their use of FMV (Full Motion Video) in their games. A technology previously introduced with the arrival of the CD-ROM format which allowed live-action footage to be utilised for games, FMV fell out of favour after a brief period of ubiquity. However, Wales Interactive’s catalogue has been built almost entirely on its use with bespoke footage shot for each of their games.
Their latest game expands on their previous title with more characters and options, crucially updating the concept with more elements of LGBTQ+ and disabled representation.
Director and writer of Ten Dates, Paul Raschid spoke in a blog post of Wales Interactive’s ambitions for making the game feel more authentic. “Attraction, dating and love are universal experiences we can all identify with. Our ambition for Ten Dates was to expand the world of Five Dates into a richer and more authentic range of dating options. The writing team included LGBTQ+ consultants who we worked with closely across the interactive storylines. We hope the result is a more inclusive experience which encourages people to try a variety of suitors. I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved and hope the audience will feel the same way.”
Full Mobile Video
Wales Interactive’s catalogue is a perfect example of how alternative formats and titles outside of the typically accepted genres can work well on mobile. It also demonstrates that outside of London there is still a thriving network of game development studios, and that companies are increasingly realising the need to create more diverse experiences within story-driven games in order to remain authentic.
Wales Interactive has remained a fixture in the industry with their unique games and been recognised for it with numerous awards including Digital Business of the Year at the Welsh Business Awards 2022. The company has also been recognised by their peers in the game industry, making the shortlist for the TIGA Industry awards last year for “Creativity in Games” with their title Bloodshore.