Ashby's Major Damilola Ojuri has officially unveiled a new heritage blue plaque in Ashby Town Centre, celebrating the birthplace of the brothers that created internationally renowned games developers Rare. 

Marking the 40th anniversary of the company, the plaque is situated on The Green in Ashby.

The plaque celebrates the two brothers, Chris and Tim Stamper, who went on to create a global business. 

Ashby Town Council Blue Plaque (Photo: Ashby Town Council)

In 1982, Tim and Chris set up Ashby Computers and Graphics in Ashby, which they ran from the house next door to their family's corner shop. 

Tim and Chris's previous experience developing arcade games ignited their passion for gaming, with Rare evolving from the Stamper Brothers' earlier company Ultimate Play the Game. Ultimate Play the Game became one of the biggest UK-based video game development companies. 

Rare was founded in 1985 with the homes of reverse engineering existing games consoles to work out how they worked and then develop their own. Nintendo believed this was impossible and after seeing Rare's work, Nintendo invited them to Kyoto to work with them. 

The Stamper Brothers lived in Ashby-de-la-Zouch when they founded Rare (Photo: Nintendo 2015)

After returning from Kyoto, Rare moved from Ashby to Twycross, where headquarters remain to this day. 

They went on to work closely with Nintendo, working on popular games such as Donkey Kong, as well as Battletoads, Wizards and Warriors, Killer Instinct and Golden Eye.  

In 2002, Rare was bought by Microsoft and has since developed games exclusively for Xbox. 

The Blue Plaque celebrating the Stamper Brothers' accomplishments within the gaming industry is situated on front of Arusha Beauty at 10, The Green in Ashby.