Blitz Games Studios Explained
Blitz Games Studios Limited was a British video game developer based in Leamington Spa. Founded in 1990 by the Oliver Twins, who ran the company until its closure in 2013, it is best known for producing games such as The Fairly OddParents, Bratz, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Biggest Loser, and Karaoke Revolution.[2]
Divisions
Blitz Games
Blitz Games created the games that the company first became well known for: family titles, often licensed on popular characters and existing intellectual property.
Blitz Arcade
Blitz Arcade was founded in 2006 with a team of 35 people. It was focused on developing downloadable titles of a small scope.[3] Its first release was an advergame series created for the US Burger King chain. After that, Blitz Arcade turned its focus to downloadable titles and had success with its first game of this type: . They also developed shooter PowerUp Forever, puzzler Droplitz and the 3DTV-compatible beat 'em up .[4]
Volatile Games
Volatile Games was responsible for the company's mature games. The division dates from 2006.[5] The company and the division ended in 2013.[6]
Video games created by this division include Reservoir Dogs, runner-up in the 2006 BAFTA awards for Best Soundtrack.[7] Despite allowing the player to complete the game without firing a single shot, the game was considered so realistic in its depictions of violence that it was banned in Australia.[8] They released on 27 April 2010.
A proposed game, Possession, was cancelled.
TruSim
TruSim was the serious games division. The idea was to bring commitment to training through video games.[9] It is best known for its work on medical-related training programs including the award-winning Interactive Trauma Trainer.[10]
BlitzTech
BlitzTech created and licensed the game development engine and toolchain.
Earlier divisions
Virtual Experience Company
Past projects include the Tintern Abbey virtual tour.[11] The company was acquired by Blitz Games at the end of 2006 but was sold back to former owner Mike Gogan in May 2008.[12]
Blitz 1UP
In 2008 Blitz Games Studios launched the Blitz1UP programme to help independent developers bring their games to market.The programme provided free help and advice on all aspects of game production as well as crowd sourced QA.The programme was closed in 2011 and was replaced by IndieCity, an online indie game marketplace.
Games
Games created or published by Interactive Studios/Blitz Games Studios include:
| Year | Title | Platforms |
|---|
| 1996 | Firo & Klawd | PlayStation, Windows, MS-DOS |
| 1998 | | |
| Glover | |
| 1999 | Action Man Mission Xtreme
| PlayStation |
| 2000 | Action Man Destruction X
| |
| The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea | PlayStation |
| PlayStation, Dreamcast, Windows |
| Chicken Run | PlayStation, Dreamcast, Windows, Game Boy Color |
| 2001 | The Mummy Returns | PlayStation 2 |
| PlayStation, Game Boy Color |
| Fuzion Frenzy | Xbox |
| 2002 | Cubix - Robots for Everyone: Clash 'N Bash | Game Boy Advance |
| PlayStation, Windows |
| PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Windows |
| PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Windows |
| 2003 | | PlayStation 2, GameCube |
| PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube |
| Barbie Horse Adventures: Wild Horse Rescue | |
| 2004 | | PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Windows |
| PlayStation 2, GameCube |
| 2005 | Bratz: Rock Angelz | PlayStation 2, GameCube |
| Pac-Man World 3 | PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Windows, PlayStation Portable |
| 2006 | Reservoir Dogs | |
| Bratz: Forever Diamondz | PlayStation 2, GameCube |
| |
| Sneak King | Xbox, Xbox 360 |
| PocketBike Racer | |
| Big Bumpin' | Xbox, Xbox 360 |
| 2007 | Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol | PlayStation 2 |
| Bratz: The Movie | PlayStation 2, Wii |
| SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis | PlayStation 2, Wii |
| Xbox 360 |
| 2008 | Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore | PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii |
| Project Aftermath | Windows |
| Tak and the Guardians of Gross | PlayStation 2, Wii |
| Bratz: Girlz Really Rock | PlayStation 2, Wii |
| Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Make the Grade | Xbox 360 |
| Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore 2 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii |
| Windows |
| PowerUp Forever | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 |
| 2009 | Droplitz | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, iOS |
| PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 |
| KrissX | Xbox 360, Windows, Mac |
| iCarly | Wii, Nintendo DS |
| Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Game Time | Xbox 360 |
| Karaoke Revolution | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii |
| The Biggest Loser | Wii |
| 2010 | Fluttabyes | Windows |
| Clover: A Curious Tale | Xbox 360, Windows |
| Mole Control | Windows |
| All Star Karate | Wii |
| |
| The Biggest Loser Challenge | Wii |
| |
| SFG Soccer: Football Fever | Windows |
| Droplitz Delight | iOS, Android |
| 2011 | Your Doodles Are Bugged! | |
| Yoostar 2 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, Mac |
| Fantastic Pets | Xbox 360 |
| SpongeBob's Surf & Skate Roadtrip | Xbox 360 |
| Michael Phelps: Push the Limit | Xbox 360 |
| Puss in Boots | |
| 2012 | Kumo Lumo | iOS |
| |
| 2013 | Paper Titans | iOS |
| Shrek Alarm | iOS |
| 2015 | Valedo Home | iOS, Android |
| Raceline CC | iOS, Android | |
Awards
2007
- Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2007 - Favourite Videogame – SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab
- Edge award for Training and Development of young people
- ICT Excellence in Skills
- Blitz Games wins Develop Industry Excellence Award for Business Development
- Cannes Titanium Grand Prix Award for the Burger King games
- Golden Clio Award for Burger King games
2006
Closure
On 12 September 2013, the company announced that it was closing after 23 years of business.[13] The closure came as a result of the company struggling to raise money to support future development projects, with the demise of THQ, a major client, said by Philip Oliver to have hit the company particularly hard.[14] The company is reported to have owed £2.2 million to staff and creditors.[15]
The Oliver brothers along with the former company's COO Richard Smithies almost immediately formed a new company, Radiant Worlds, in the same town, and were reported to have recruited up to 50 former Blitz staff.[16] [17]
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Droplitz Drops in to PSN – PlayStation.Blog . Blog.us.playstation.com . 2013-09-13.
- Web site: Warr . Philippa . Blitz Games Studios announces closure after 23 years . Wired.co.uk . 2013-09-13 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130915073849/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-09/12/blitz-games-studio-closes . 15 September 2013.
- Web site: Stuart. Keith. Blitz Games Studios: altruism, recession and the arcade business . . 12 March 2009 . 13 November 2019.
- Web site: C3 Exclusive Interview | Seeing Double: The Oliver Twins (Blitz Games Studios) #1 at Nintendo Cubed3 . Cubed3.com . 2013-09-13.
- Web site: Volatile Games . . 13 May 2018.
- Web site: U.K. Blitz Game Studios Closes After 23 Years . Volatile Games . 13 May 2018.
- Web site: BAFTA Awards . Bafta.org . 2013-09-13.
- Web site: 5:42PM PDT . Reservoir Dogs game banned in Australia - GameSpot.com . Uk.gamespot.com . 2006-08-25 . 2013-09-13 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070930161148/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6153207.html?sid=6153207 . 30 September 2007.
- Web site: Playtime at work . . 7 March 2008. 13 November 2019.
- Web site: School of Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering - University of Birmingham . Iecs.bham.ac.uk . 2013-09-13.
- News: Ancient abbey's virtual world. 3 June 2003. BBC News. 29 July 2009.
- Web site: The Virtual Experience Company Parts From Blitz Games Studios. 7 May 2008. Serious Games. 29 July 2009.
- Web site: Lee . Dave . UK games developer Blitz Games Studios shuts down . bbc.co.uk . 2013-09-12 . 2013-09-15.
- News: Yin-Poole. Wesley. There have been a lot of men crying, including me. 8 August 2017. Eurogamer. 12 September 2013.
- News: Creditors owed £2.2m after games firm collapse. 8 August 2017. Birmingham Post. 24 October 2013.
- News: David . Crookes . UK-based Blitz Games Studios to close after 23 years - News - Gadgets & Tech . The Independent . 2013-07-29 . 2013-09-15.
- Web site: Defunct Blitz Games Studios returns as Radiant Worlds. Rose. Mike. 27 November 2013. Gamasutra. Think Services. 27 November 2013.
