Built Games Explained

Built Games, LLC
Type:Privately held company
Industry:Video games
Predecessors:-->
Successors:-->
Founder:Michael Pagano DoomKevin McKinney
Areas Served:-->
Key People:Michael Pagano Doom (CEO)Kevin McKinney (COO)Jay Guevarra (Partner, VP of Strategy)
Products:SpellfastTeletubbies Play Time Bill & Ted's Wyld StallynsBroad City: High Score
Owners:-->
Website:http://builtgames.com

Built Games, LLC is an independent video game developer and publisher founded in December 8, 2014 by Michael Pagano Doom, and is based in Los Angeles, California.

The company gained notoriety when their first mobile game, Little Dictator, was released in February, 2015. When it was initially submitted, Apple rejected it due to its controversial subject matter and the way the game poked fun at North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.[1]

History

Built Games was founded in late 2014 by Michael Pagano, who was a former producer and studio head at EA[2] and Zynga.[3] Pagano's former Warner Bros. colleagues Kevin McKinney and Jay Guevarra joined the company respectively as Co-Founder, COO and Partner, VP Strategy in late 2015. On November 12, 2015 Built Games published Super Nitro Chimp, which was developed by C2 Game Studio.[4]

In partnership with DHX Media, Teletubbies Play Time, an app for toddlers was released on June 22, 2017 in the U.S. and Philippines, and worldwide on December 10, 2017.[5]

On October 13, 2016 Wyld Stallyns, an RPG title based on the Bill and Ted universe was announced[6] and was released in November 2018. On 6/9/17, to celebrate the duo's favorite numeral combination, Built Games launched a 69 minutes of 69 promotion where a contest winner was selected to be included as a playable character.[7]

In partnership with Comedy Central, Broad City: High Score, a mobile game based on the show created by Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson was released worldwide on April 20, 2018.[8]

Games published

YearTitleGenre(s)Platform(s)
2015Little DictatorCasual
Super Nitro ChimpRacing
2017Teletubbies Play TimeEducationaliOSAndroid
SpellfastWordiOSAndroid
2018Broad City: High ScoreCasualiOSAndroid
Bill & Ted Wyld StallynsRPGiOSAndroid

Notes and References

  1. News: Apple approves Kim Jong-un spoof Little Dictator after initial rejection. Dredge. Stuart. 2015-02-12. The Guardian. 2017-12-14. en-GB. 0261-3077. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171215163733/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/12/apple-kim-jong-un-little-dictator-game. 2017-12-15.
  2. News: EA Mobile's Lessons Learned on iPhone: "Keep It Simple, Keep It Sexy". Glasser. AJ. Kotaku. 2017-12-19. en-US. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171222052604/https://kotaku.com/5181187/ea-mobiles-lessons-learned-on-iphone-keep-it-simple-keep-it-sexy. 2017-12-22.
  3. Web site: Zynga US Patents, Patent Applications and Patent Search - Justia Patents Search. patents.justia.com. en. 2017-12-19. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171222053055/https://patents.justia.com/company/zynga?page=2. 2017-12-22.
  4. Nitro Chimp is Back and Faster Than Ever in Super Nitro Chimp. www.businesswire.com. 21 September 2015 . en. 2017-12-18. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171222051218/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150921005044/en/Nitro-Chimp-Faster-Super-Nitro-Chimp. 2017-12-22.
  5. News: DHX Brands Introduces New Teletubbies App - TVKIDS. 2017-12-12. TVKIDS. 2017-12-14. en-US. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171215053416/http://worldscreen.com/tvkids/dhx-brands-introduces-new-teletubbies-app/. 2017-12-15.
  6. News: The excellent Bill & Ted Wyld Stallyns is hitting up mobile next year. Pocket Gamer. 2017-12-14. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171215053342/http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPad/Bill+%26+Ted+Wyld+Stallyns/news.asp?c=71747. 2017-12-15.
  7. News: 6/9 Is Bill and Ted Day, So You Should Probably Enter This Excellent Contest - Los Angeles Magazine. 2017-06-09. Los Angeles Magazine. 2017-12-18. en-US. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170923142430/http://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/69-bill-ted-day-probably-enter-excellent-contest/. 2017-09-23.
  8. Web site: MOBILE GAME BROAD CITY: HIGH SCORE AVAILABLE FOR.... Comedy Central Press. 27 April 2018. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20180421163259/http://press.cc.com/press-release/2018/04/20/press-mobile-game-broad-city-high-score-available-download. 21 April 2018.