Biography

Ian Bell is the Founder and CEO of Slightly Mad Studios (SMS Group). Having spent two decades as an innovator in both game-production, work from home (WFH) processes, and game-funding, Ian is now actively invested in developing state-of-the-art technologies for high-tech industries, autonomous vehicle production and research, and simulation and VR-focused products.

Ian pioneered the crowdfunding space, raising over 6 million Euro and being the first to successfully crowdfund a AAA title, way before crowdfunding was the norm. Ian also spearheaded the creation of SMS' renowned distributed development system (WFH) in the late 1990s, allowing his studio to minimize overhead, increase productivity, and work remotely out of five continents.

With a staff of 178 highly-skilled specialists, Slightly Mad Studios has merged the creation of chart-busting games with critically-acclaimed simulation and game-play beginning with the seminal racing games GTR, GTR 2, and GT Legends. EA's Need for Speed: SHIFT, Red Bull Air Race, Test Drive, and the multi-million selling Project CARS franchise have secured the studio's reputation as one of the UK's most pioneering developers.

Ian's leadership and vision are now applied to merging world-leading simulation-based expertise to industries and sectors that require rapid and exact validation of systems and processes. Ian's two decades of spearheading and championing WFH systems has seen him become a much sought-after mentor for large- and medium-scale businesses keen to tap into his wealth of knowledge on both the ethos and the conceptual and psychological complexities of effective and profitable WFH models.

Ian Bell remains one of the world's most notable game auteurs.
- IMDb mini biography by: Alex Martini