Orlando generally brings to mind family vacation memories, or dreams culminating somewhere around the Disney World and Universal Studios bubble that exists in Florida. But when the Mickey Mouse ears come off, there’s a growing tech and creative community. Companies like Iron Galaxy are expanding to the Orlando area for many reasons, not all of which have anything to do with the attractions.
“As far as cons go,” Derek Neal says of expanding the Chicago-based Iron Galaxy Studios to Orlando, “there is always the risk of being eaten by alligators.” Clearly, Orlando has a lot going for it, as there have been no fatalities due to alligator bites since 2008.
Florida offers many tax incentives to businesses that relocate or start there, making it an extremely attractive environment for new start-ups to get their feet wet and set some roots down. It also makes it lucrative for established companies to expand to the state. Orlando itself offers tax refund incentives, credits and grants for specific industries including clean tech, biotechnology, and optics and photonics.
Orlando proves to be a fertile ground for creative tech to flourish since the University of Central Florida is in town, and brings many to the area with their graduate school FIEA (Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy), where they educate aspiring video game professionals.
“As a budding technology hub with great incentives, the Orlando area is an excellent option for anyone who is interested in starting or expanding a game development business,” said Neal, the company’s director of production.
Iron Galaxy Studios is a diverse company that “boasts published titles on every major gaming console since the original Sony PlayStation,” according to the firm website. The company expanded to Orlando after having experiencing explosive growth since 2008, and Orlando was a natural choice when it came to needing outside creative.
“Things are going extremely well, and the studio is set to expand in the coming months,” Neal said. “We have several large projects, one of which is the recently announced Season 2 content for Killer Instinct in addition to several smaller project. I can’t wait until the fans can start getting their hands on them.”
It’s not just the benefits the state and city gives to companies who have chosen to relocate here. “In addition to the up and coming stars, the area also has a lot of industry veterans who have chosen to relocate here, in large part to take advantage of that rapid growth,” Neal said. “For example, I myself relocated here from Silicon Valley, and I’m not alone in doing so.”
Since the Dot Cloud Boom, the Valley has expanded to wherever the people are, instead of the unspoken exclusive boys club that used to exist there. Orlando is an attractive option for Iron Galaxy and others, and there are many exciting developments.
The Creative Village is one of these ventures, transforming the 68-acre former site of the Amway Arena in Downtown Orlando into a mixed-use, urban infill neighborhood that is transit-oriented.
The goal of the project, according to the vision statement, is that “it will be home to leading higher education providers; high-tech, digital media and creative companies; and a diverse mix of students, employees, and students.” The undertaking is massive, and job creation estimates for Orlando are projected at around 6,500 positions during the construction process, and 5,000 permanent jobs when it is up and running.
University of Central Florida’s FIEA graduate program targets students who have graduated with a bachelor’s degree in traditional computer science or digital media programs, and who wish to get into the video game industry. Students coming to the area who already have a degree have lots of skills to offer, and are often willing to get their feet wet in the gaming industry and creative tech ventures. The fresh talent – and raw creative – draw many from the gaming industry to work with these students.
The program is focused, and allows students to complete a master’s program to make themselves more competitive, while getting experience they can take to the pavement to grab industry-changing jobs.
The program has graduates who have accepted jobs at Google, Zynga, Bioware, Electronic Arts and many more. The combination of creative- and tech-minded individuals that come to the area looking for experience while in school creates a great and diverse pool of talent in the Orlando area.
With so much creative energy in Orlando, the city is poised to have an impressive impact on the tech community – despite the uncertainty that surrounds the political decisions on some tax incentives. Plus, there’s all that world-famous inspiration and fun nearby.
“Being close to Disney doesn’t have much direct effect on our work here,” Neal said. “ Let’s just say that when you’ve finished a big project and find yourself needing to unwind, it does provide a great distraction!”
