Panic Inc. Explained

Panic Inc.
Type:Private
Founders:Steven Frank
Cabel Sasser
Location:Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Key People:Steven Frank
Cabel Sasser
Products:Transmit, Coda, Playdate

Panic Inc. is an American software and video game company based in Portland, Oregon. The company specializes in macOS and iOS applications and began publishing video games in 2016.

Panic was founded by Steven Frank[1] and Cabel Sasser.[2]

Products

Software

Panic is known for their flagship app Transmit,[3] as well as their Audion media player, Unison usenet client, and Nova code editor (a successor to their web development app Coda). The company has won multiple Apple Design Awards for their products.

In 1999, Audion was introduced as a skinnable MP3 media player. One of its competitors, SoundJam MP, was acquired by Apple in 2000 and was further developed into iTunes 1.0, which became available in 2001.[4] Panic retired Audion in 2004 and began distributing it free of charge.[5]

After Audion, Panic focused development on two other software applications. In 2004, they released Unison, a Usenet reader,[6] and Stattoo, a tool that shows "digital statistics" overlayed on the Mac OS X desktop wallpaper.[7] In 2007, the web development application Coda was introduced.[8] In 2019, Panic announced a successor to Coda named Nova.[9]

AppPlatformTypeRef.
Active development
TransmitmacOSFTP client
NovamacOSWeb development
PromptiOSCommand line
Panic PalsiOSiMessage stickers
Playdate Sticker PackiOSiMessage stickers
Discontinued
“Code Editor”iOSWeb development
AudionmacOSMusic player
CandyBarmacOSIcon customization[10]
CodamacOSWeb development
DesktasticmacOSDesktop annotation
StattoomacOSComputer statistics
Status BoardiOSInformation display[11]
TransmitiOSFTP client[12]
UnisonmacOSUsenet client[13]

Video games

The company published their first video game, Firewatch, on February 9, 2016.[14] Panic published their second game, Untitled Goose Game, on September 20, 2019.[15]

TitlePlatform(s)DeveloperRelease dateRef.
FirewatchPC (Windows, macOS, Linux), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo SwitchCampo Santo
Untitled Goose GamePC (Windows, macOS), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo SwitchHouse House[16]
PC (Windows, macOS), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5Terrifying Jellyfish[17]
Thank Goodness You're Here!PC (Windows and macOS), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo SwitchCoal Supper[18]
ArcoPC (Windows), Nintendo SwitchFranek Nowotniak, Max Cahill, José Ramón “Bibiki” García, Antonio “Fáyer” Uribe[19]
DespelotePC (Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/SJulián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena2025[20]
Time FliesPC (Windows), PlayStation 5, Nintendo SwitchPlayables2024[21]
Big WalkPC (Windows, macOS)House House2025[22]

Playdate

See main article: Playdate (console). On May 22, 2019, Panic unveiled Playdate, a handheld gaming device, designed by Panic in collaboration with the Swedish firm Teenage Engineering. The device features a 400x240 pixel 1-bit screen, a directional pad on the left, two buttons on the right, and a mechanical crank on the right edge of the device.[23]

Games will be released in "seasons", at a rate of two games per week for twelve weeks.[24] Games will automatically download to the device when available. While some video games for Playdate are being produced at Panic, most games are created by indie game developers such as Keita Takahashi, Zach Gage, Bennett Foddy, and Shaun Inman.[25]

Awards

YearAppAwardCategoryResultRef.
2003Transmit 2Apple Design AwardsBest Mac OS X User ExperienceRunner-up
2004Unison 1.0.2aApple Design AwardsBest Mac OS X ProductRunner-up
2004Unison 1.0.2aApple Design AwardsBest Mac OS X User Experience
2005Transmit 3MacWorldMacWorld Best of Show[26]
2005Transmit 3.2Apple Design AwardsBest Mac OS X Tiger Technology Adoption[27]
2007Coda 1Apple Design AwardsBest Mac OS X User Experience[28]
2013Coda 2Apple Design AwardsMac OS X[29]
2021NovaApple Design AwardsInteraction[30]

Notes and References

  1. News: Developers To Jobs: Give Me My iPhone!. Rachel. Rosmarin. June 8, 2007. Forbes. July 18, 2010.
  2. Web site: How Panic got into video games with Campo Santo. Tach. Dave. 2013-10-02. Polygon. 2019-03-03.
  3. Video: iPad Loading Software onto Apple [e|last=Sorrel|first=Charlie|date=May 13, 2010|magazine=Wired|access-date=July 18, 2010].
  4. Web site: The Song Is Over for SoundJam. 2001-05-01. Macworld. en. 2019-03-03.
  5. News: Panic "Retires" Audion; Reveals Inside Story. Gibson. Brad. November 11, 2004. The Mac Observer. July 18, 2010.
  6. Web site: Panic unveils Unison, Usenet reader for Mac OS X. 2004-01-28. Macworld. en. 2019-03-03.
  7. Web site: Cohen . Peter . April 28, 2004 . Panic's Stattoo 'tattoos' info on your desktop . 2023-02-05 . Macworld . en.
  8. News: Panic Releases Coda 1.0. Martellaro. John. April 24, 2007. July 18, 2010.
  9. Web site: Panic Blog » Nova. Our next big thing.. en-US. 2019-11-14.
  10. Web site: Panic's Candy Bar is now free, goes to Iconfactory. Engadget. en. 2019-03-03.
  11. Web site: Panic discontinuing Status Board stats app following final iOS 10 support update. Miller. Chance. 2016-11-29. 9to5Mac. en-US. 2019-03-03.
  12. News: Panic Stops Development of Transmit for iOS & Removes it from Sale • Beautiful Pixels. 2018-01-06. Beautiful Pixels. 2018-01-25. en-US.
  13. Web site: Panic discontinues Unison gracefully – Marco.org. marco.org. 2019-03-03.
  14. News: Firewatch: hope and heartbreak in the American wilderness. February 1, 2016. February 6, 2016. The Guardian. firewatch1.
  15. Web site: Mischief-filled Untitled Goose Game is coming to Nintendo Switch. Radulovic. Petrana. 2018-08-28. Polygon. 2019-03-03.
  16. Web site: Mischief-filled Untitled Goose Game is coming to Nintendo Switch. Radulovic. Petrana. August 28, 2018. Polygon. June 1, 2019.
  17. Web site: Upcoming Indie Game Nour: Play With Your Food Wants To Make You Hungry. 2020-09-27. Kotaku. September 2, 2020 . en-us.
  18. Web site: Thank Goodness You're Here! - Reveal Trailer . YouTube . 22 August 2023.
  19. Web site: Arco - Reveal Trailer . YouTube . 29 August 2023.
  20. Web site: First-person soccer adventure game despelote announced for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC. 2023-05-11. Gematsu. May 11, 2023 . en-us.
  21. Web site: Time Flies - new trailer August 2023 . YouTube . 29 August 2023.
  22. Web site: Valentine . Rebekah . Big Walk Is the Next Game From the Developers of Untitled Goose Game . IGN . 8 December 2023.
  23. Web site: The People Who Published Firewatch Are Now Making A Game Console With, Uh, A Crank. Fahey. Mike. Kotaku. May 22, 2019 . en-US. 2019-05-22.
  24. Web site: Playdate is an adorable handheld with games from the creators of Qwop, Katamari, and more. Webster. Andrew. 2019-05-22. The Verge. 2019-05-22.
  25. Web site: 2019-05-23 . Playdate, a new handheld console backed by indie royalty, unveiled in new issue of Edge magazine . 2019-05-23 . GamesRadar . en.
  26. News: Best of Show: Macworld Expo San Francisco. January 15, 2005. July 18, 2010.
  27. Web site: WWDC: Apple Design Award 2005 winners announced. 2005-06-10. Macworld. en. 2019-03-03.
  28. News: Apple Design Awards 2007 winners announced. June 13, 2007. Macnn. July 18, 2010.
  29. Web site: The 2013 Apple Design Award Winners. en-US. 2019-03-03.
  30. Web site: Meet the 2021 Apple Design Award Finalists. en-US. 2021-06-04.

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