Gremlin Interactive
| Gremlin Interactive | |
|---|---|
| legal form | Limited |
| founding | 1984 (as Gremling Graphics Software) |
| resolution | 2003 |
| Reason for dissolution | Closure by the parent company |
| Seat |
Sheffield , England , UK
|
| management | Ian Stewart |
| Branch | Software development |
Gremlin Interactive , until 1994 Gremlin Graphics Software , was a British development studio for computer games in Sheffield . In 1999, the French game publisher Infogrames took over the studio. Until it was closed in 2003, the company therefore operated under the name Infogrames Sheffield House .
Company history
The company was founded in 1984 by the British Ian Stewart and Kevin Norburn as Gremlin Graphics Software . At the beginning, the focus was on developing games for 8-bit home computers such as ZX Spectrum , Amstrad CPC , MSX , Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 . Early successes were the titles Wanted: Monty Mole (ZX Spectrum) and Thing on a Spring (Commodore 64). In 1988, several Gremlin employees, including founder Kevin Norburn, founded the independent development studio Core Design in Derby (Derbyshire) .
In the early 1990s, Gremlin celebrated success with the Zool , Premier Manager and Lotus series . In 1994 the company was renamed Gremlin Interactive. 1995 appeared with Actua Soccer (in Germany Ran Soccer ) the first part of the Actua Sports series and the first soccer simulation in 3D graphics. In addition to two successors, the series was expanded to include golf, tennis, ice hockey and pool . The company was able to celebrate further successes with the futuristic racing game Motorhead , the action racing game Fatal Racing , the flight simulation hardware and the point-and-click adventure Realms of the Haunting .
In 1997, Gremlin acquired DMA Design ( Lemmings ) development studio for £ 4.2 million , which was then working on Grand Theft Auto and Body Harvest . However, the publication rights were already with Take 2 .
Buggy was released in North America on August 30, 1998 . It was the biggest success so far for Gremlin. In December 1998 the company had to issue a profit warning. As a result, the value of the company's shares fell dramatically. The company therefore announced in January 1999 that it was ready for takeover talks. In March the company was finally acquired by Infogrames for £ 23 million, or the equivalent of $ 40 million. Founder Ian Stewart then left the company and founded the developer studio Zoo Digital . Infogrames renamed Gremlin Infogrames Sheffield House. DMA Design was sold to Take 2 for $ 11 million and renamed Rockstar North by the new owner. After numerous employees of Infogrames Sheffield House were laid off in June 2002, the studio was closed by Infogrames in 2003. Some employees then founded the Sumo Digital studio . Stewart acquired 33 Gremlin brands in October 2003, for which he published new titles through Zoo Digital.
Web links
- Gremlin Interactive at MobyGames (English)
- Gremlin Graphics Software at World of Spectrum
Individual evidence
- ↑ Develop: IP profile: Grand Theft Auto ( Memento of the original from February 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . March 5, 2008.
- ↑ Infogrames: Infogrames Buys UK Games Company Gremlin ( English ) In: Computergram International . The Free Library. March 25, 1999. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
- ↑ GameSpot : Take-Two Acquires DMA Design . September 29, 1999.
- ^ Business Wire: Take-Two Interactive Software Announces the Acquisition of DMA Design, Ltd. . September 29, 1999.
- ↑ Eurogamer: Infogrames cuts back at Sheffield House . June 13, 2002.
- ↑ http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/business/group-buys-up-games-in-deal-1-317374
