{"id":1297,"date":"2013-12-27T18:42:20","date_gmt":"2013-12-27T08:42:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/brnz.org\/hbr\/?p=1297"},"modified":"2014-12-12T16:52:19","modified_gmt":"2014-12-12T06:52:19","slug":"studios-twenty-and-over-2014-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brnz.org\/hbr\/?p=1297","title":{"rendered":"Studios, twenty and over. 2014 Edition."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Earlier this year, I <a title=\"Studios, twenty and over.\" href=\"https:\/\/brnz.org\/hbr\/?p=1214\">compiled a list of game studios<\/a> that had maintained continuous operation for more than twenty years because &#8230; well because it interested me. Here&#8217;s an updated list for 2014 (a couple of days early).<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">Studio history fascinates me &#8212; how studios have developed over time, studios with long lists of popular games, or short lists of unpopular ones. Revealing names that have been influential to me as a young gamer and game developer, and places that friends and acquaintances have worked at. Seeing video game development as an industry with significant history (good and bad), and to learn about how we got to where we are. What has endured, and what has not.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s a lot that can be learned. Here are links to some of it.<\/p>\n<p>(These lists are assuredly incomplete &#8212; let me know what I&#8217;ve missed)<\/p>\n<h4>Studios, twenty and over in 2014 (60)<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/HAL_Laboratory\">HAL Laboratory (1980)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nihon_Falcom\">Falcom (1981)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jeff_Minter\">Llamasoft (1982)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/System_3_(software_company)\">System 3 (1983)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/EA_Canada\">EA Canada (1983)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"line-height: 1.5;\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nintendo_Entertainment_Analysis_and_Development\">Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development\u00a0(1983)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Naughty_Dog\">Naughty Dog (1984)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ubisoft_Reflections\">Ubisoft Reflections (1984)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rockstar_San_Diego\">Rockstar San Diego (1984)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rare_Ltd.\">Rare (1985)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ubisoft_Paris\">Ubisoft Paris (1986)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bethesda_Softworks\">Bethesda Softworks (1986)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Codemasters\">Codemasters (1986)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Atod\">Atod AB (1987)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bitmap_Brothers\">The Bitmap Brothers (1987)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Creative_Assembly\">Creative Assembly (1987)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eutechnyx\">Eutechnyx (1987)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Maxis\">Maxis (1987)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Egosoft\">Egosoft (1988)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dma_design\">Rockstar North (1988)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Blue_Byte\">Ubisoft Blue Byte (1988)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Climax_Group\">Climax Group (1988)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mobygames.com\/company\/visual-concepts-entertainment-inc\">Visual Concepts (1988)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ubisoft_Montpellier\">Ubisoft Montpellier (1989)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Toys_for_bob\">Toys For Bob (1989)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mobygames.com\/company\/guerrilla-cambridge\">Guerrilla Cambridge (1990)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Traveller's_Tales\">Traveller&#8217;s Tales (1990)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vicarious_Visions\">Vicarious Visions (1990)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Team_17\">Team 17 (1990)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"line-height: 1.5;\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Edge_Games\">Edge Games (1990)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Raven_Software\">Raven Software (1990)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/WayForward_Technologies\">WayForward Technologies (1990)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Blizzard_Entertainment\">Blizzard Entertainment (1991)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Epic_Games\">Epic Games (1991)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Id_software\">id Software (1991)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bungie\">Bungie (1991)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Radical_Entertainment\">Radical Entertainment (1991)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ubisoft_Bucharest\">Ubisoft Bucharest (1992)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/EA_Digital_Illusions_CE\">DICE (1992)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rebellion_Developments\">Rebellion (1992)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Crystal_Dynamics\">Crystal Dynamics (1992)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Treasure_(company)\">Treasure (1992)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Image_Space_Incorporated\">Image Space Incorporated (1992)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SCE_London_Studio\">SCE London Studio (1993)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Digital_Extremes\">Digital Extremes (1993)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Volition,_Inc.\">Volition (1993)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Funcom\">Funcom (1993)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stainless_Games\">Stainless Games (1993)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Criterion_Games\">Criterion Games (1993)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/High_Voltage_Software\">High Voltage Software (1993)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Frontier_Developments\">Frontier Developments (1994)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SCE_Bend_Studio\">SCE Bend Studio (1994)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Phantagram\">Phantagram (1994)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Insomniac_Games\">Insomniac Games (1994)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spiderweb_Software\">Spiderweb Software (1994)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Neversoft\">Neversoft (1994)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/EA_Tiburon\">EA Tiburon (1994)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Torus_Games\">Torus Games (1994)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Matrix_Software\">Matrix Software (1994)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/N-Space\">n-Space (1994)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Closed studios, twenty and over<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lucasarts\">LucasArts (1982 &#8212; 2013)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Blitz_Games_Studios\">Blitz Game Studios (1990 &#8212; 2013)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>(I&#8217;ve not made any effort to fill out the above list &#8212; contributions welcome)<\/p>\n<h4>Other long-running studios closed during 2013<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Terminal_Reality\">Terminal Reality (1994 &#8212; 2013)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/EA_Los_Angeles\">Danger Close Games (1995 &#8212; 2013)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Phenomic\">EA Phenomic<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vg247.com\/2013\/07\/12\/ea-phenomic-closed-as-part-of-firms-continued-realignment\/\">(1997 &#8212; 2013)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Other game companies (including publishers) like\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Square_enix\">Square Enix (2003)<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ubisoft\">Ubisoft (1986)<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Capcom\">Capcom (1983)<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ea\">EA (1982)<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Activision\">Activision (1979)<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Taito_Corporation\">Taito (1973)<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Konami\">Konami (1969)<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Namco\">NAMCO (1955)<\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nintendo\">Nintendo (1889)<\/a>\u00a0have been around for more than twenty years, but I don\u2019t know if they have [other] studios that have been running that long.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SN_Systems\">SN Systems<\/a>\u00a0has been making tools for game development since 1988.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/RAD_Game_Tools\">RAD Game Tools<\/a>\u00a0has also been around since 1988.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Updates:<br \/>\n<\/strong>Added Egosoft thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RonPieket\/status\/417123439967608833\">@RonPieket<\/a><br \/>\nAdded Guerrilla Cambridge, SCE Bend Studio, and SCE London Studio thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TobiasBerghoff\/status\/416991981530013696\">@TobiasBerghoff<\/a><br \/>\nAdded Ubisoft Paris thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wsmind\/status\/416956528361762817\">@wsmind<\/a><br \/>\nAdded Atod AB thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/martinlindell\/status\/416873462540427264\">@martinlindell<\/a><br \/>\nAdded EA Phenomic (closed 2013) thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JanDavidHassel\/status\/416871715147243520\">@JanDavidHassel<\/a><br \/>\nAdded Ubisoft Bucharest thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kitzkar\/status\/416828938795880448\">@kitzkar<\/a><br \/>\nAdded Traveller&#8217;s Tales thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DanOppenheim\/status\/416827253260316672\">@DanOppenheim<br \/>\n<\/a>Added Llamasoft thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RonPieket\/status\/416765966467354626\">@RonPieket<br \/>\n<\/a><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">Added Frontier Developments thanks to <\/span><a style=\"line-height: 1.5;\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tom_forsyth\/status\/416758136792297472\">@tom_forsyth<\/a><br \/>\nAdded Visual Concepts thanks to <span class=\"gD\">Lisa Buechele<br \/>\nAdded Image Space Incorporated thanks to Gjon Camaj<br \/>\nAdded WayForward Technologies after meeting the CEO John Beck at the USC Fall Demo Day :)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Earlier this year, I compiled a list of game studios that had maintained continuous operation for more than twenty years because &#8230; well because it interested me. Here&#8217;s an updated list for 2014 (a couple of days early). Studio history fascinates me &#8212; how studios have developed over time, studios with long lists of popular &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/brnz.org\/hbr\/?p=1297\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Studios, twenty and over. 2014 Edition.&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brnz.org\/hbr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1297"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brnz.org\/hbr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brnz.org\/hbr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brnz.org\/hbr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brnz.org\/hbr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1297"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/brnz.org\/hbr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1354,"href":"https:\/\/brnz.org\/hbr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1297\/revisions\/1354"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brnz.org\/hbr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brnz.org\/hbr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brnz.org\/hbr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}