MOBILE AND web-based games developer 2PaperDolls is relocating from Paris to Dublin next month, according to chief executive Louis Ravenet. The company is about to acquire space in the Irish capital and is hiring staff to complement those moving here to run the operation.

About nine people will travel to Ireland to work in the office with three Dublin-based jobs listed on the company’s website.

“The technology and gaming sector in Dublin is an amazingly exciting one,” Mr Ravenet said. “The talent of the people that are here and the openness and co- operative spirit means it is the right place for us to be.”

Mr Ravenet specifically singled out Havok co-founder Steve Collins as an example of Ireland’s ability to produce notable technology players. He said the investment and support provided by the likes of Enterprise Ireland made it extremely practical for start-ups.

“The sector here is at the end run of a long investment from the Irish Government so the talent and infrastructure is here. It reminds me of what Google found when they first arrived here; there’s a youthful, rebel confidence that appeals to us.”

Mr Ravenet said the cost base was also attractive, especially when compared to locations in Los Angeles and Paris. Property in the city was a “bargain” and people were looking to do deals.

2PaperDolls will focus on developing games for the web as well as the iOS and Android platforms. Mr Ravenet said HTML5 was the future of this kind of development and Dublin was at an advantage in that regard.

“When you start trying to understand where people are placing their bets, Dublin has been HTML5 early on in the game.”

The company’s first product, Mind of Man, will be released within two to three months of the Dublin office opening and is described as the “surreal meets Twitter”.

Mr Ravenet said the business plan of 2PaperDolls was to build a community, iterate games rapidly and develop franchises based on what is successful. Developing social media gaming tools for small firms was also planned, while different revenue models would be tested.

However, Mr Ravenet, who has founded a number of successful technology companies, including iCommunicate, which was acquired by Microsoft, was keen not to have too rigid a plan. “We like ambiguity, we know we want to do something that’s fun, fast, easy, interesting and universal.”