Bellevue firm's 3-D game-making tools for the masses

What: Blade Games World (formerly Digini), Bellevue

Who: Frank Savage, 43, chief technology officer

Mission: Make sophisticated 3-D game-development tools available to the masses.

At your fingertips: The idea is to give nontechnical people access to professional level content-creation tools. "If you have a creative vision," Savage said, "we give you the ability to translate it from your head into a game."

People skills: While the new environment automates and democratizes the games-creation process, there are still a few places that require human interaction. Game creators must themselves determine whether they have violated copyright. And sales and marketing are out of the realm of the Blade Games World.

Employees: 150 (six local)

Financials: The venture-funded company makes money through monthly subscription fees, from $15 for individuals to $100 for large developers who need technical and programming support. The company will also sell "elements," royalty-free objects used to fine-tune a game's atmosphere.

Aging backward: Savage, who has worked in game development for 20 years, is still amazed that there are more ideas worth exploring. "This has kept me young," he said of the industry. "There is tremendous passion on game development, and playing them still gives you an enormous amount of fun. And when we start taking full advantage of voice recognition, where the player can get the game to respond by yelling at it, it will be a whole new ballgame."

Value addicted: "The game industry will survive the economic downturn," Savage said. "A game can cost the same as dinner out, but gives you hundreds of hours of enjoyment. And if you create your own game it will keep you entertained for weeks."

— Charles Bermant