Games developer pockets investment under Recovery Loan Scheme
Didsbury-based games developer, Cherrypop Games, is gearing up for the launch of Pool Blitz, a new mobile phone game, assisted by funding from the Greater Manchester Export Fund, backed by the Recovery Loan Scheme and delivered by specialist lender GC Business Finance. Founded in 2012, Cherrypop Games has vast experience developing top selling games for all the major games consoles including VR. Pool Blitz marks its expansion into the mobile market.
Launching in late 2021, Pool Blitz is a unique, free-to-download, 3D mobile pool game with HD graphics, underpinned by accurate physics for complete realism. The game offers a unique, no wait, multiplayer Blitz mode, a fast paced action game where players battle it out on conjoined tables. Pool Blitz also has one of the worlds best 8-Ball Pool experiences for that classic pool fun. The game has a unique control method and is played with one hand, portrait style. Players can challenge their friends, enter pool tournaments, and go head-to-head against others in real-time. The game will also be developed for the major game consoles in addition to mobile.
CherryPop has worked with GC Business Finance over the course of six years to expand its activities in the console arena. Moreover it has allowed the team to develop and launch Pool Blitz independently, the loan will help Cherrypop safeguard jobs for its full-time staff and support the expansion of new roles over the next 12 months.
Peter Jones, managing director at Cherrypop Games, said: “Despite being a small team, Pool Blitz demonstrates our enormous capabilities. This is a pool game like no other on the market. Our unmatched graphics, paired with a realistic physics model, and genuine unique selling points over every other pool game makes for a seamless and thrilling user experience. We are so excited to fully launch Pool Blitz, so that more people can enjoy this cutting-edge game.”
Deborah Jones, managing director at Cherrypop Games, said: “We’ve worked with Andy and the GC Business Finance team since 2015, and there is a reason we keep coming back. Cherrypop is a complicated business, and it can be challenging to find people who fully understand it. Andy is exceptionally familiar with our work after six years, and he deeply appreciates the journey we have been on. We are so grateful for the support we have received, which has allowed us to get to this point, and I look forward to continuing our relationship.”
GC Business Finance is an accredited lender of the Recovery Loan Scheme, which provides financial support to businesses across the UK as they recover and grow following the coronavirus pandemic. Under the scheme, GC Business Finance delivers business term loans, and recipients can use the finance for any legitimate business purpose including cash flow management, investment and growth.
Andy Nichols, senior loan manager at GC Business Finance, said: “It’s hard to describe how forward-thinking Cherrypop is without actually playing one of its games. Pool Blitz is at the cutting-edge of mobile game technology, and we were delighted to support Pete, Deb and the team in getting it off the ground. Our long-term relationship with Cherrypop is evidence of our commitment to really getting to know our clients and understanding the core of what it needs to expand.”