Pivotal Games Explained

Pivotal Games Limited
Type:	Subsidiary
Industry:	Video games
Fate:	Closed by parent
Predecessor:	Pumpkin Studios
Hq Location City:	Corston
Hq Location Country:	England
Products:	Conflict series
Num Employees:	109–111
Num Employees Year:	2008

Pivotal Games Limited was a British video game developer based in Corston, England.

History

Pivotal Games was founded in March 2000, by fifteen employees formerly of Pumpkin Studios (the developer of Warzone 2100), led by Jim Bambra, Nick Cook and Alex McLean.^[1] Pumpkin Studios, founded by Bambra and Cook in August 1996, had previously been closed down by its parent company, Eidos Interactive, that same month. In August 2000, the company was acquired by Kaboom Studios. Between 2002 and 2008, Pivotal Games developed all five instalments in the Conflict series, as well as The Great Escape, based on the film of the same name.

In September 2003, after financial struggles of parent company Kaboom Studios, who had at that point had already closed down sister studios Attention to Detail and Silicon Dreams Studio, SCi Games showed interest in acquiring the company.^[2] Kaboom Studios went into receivership on 9 September 2003,^[3] with all remaining assets, including still-active Pivotal Games, being transferred to Ernst & Young for sale.^[4] On 29 September 2003, SCi acquired Pivotal Games from Ernst & Young for a total of .^[5] In May 2005, SCi Games finalised its acquisition and merger with Eidos Interactive, the parent of Eidos Interactive, which would become in charge of SCi Games' subsidiaries.^[6] In March 2008, SCi Games closed down fourteen operating projects to counter an net loss from the preceding fiscal year, leading to rumours that Pivotal Games was also to be closed.^[7] On 14 July 2008, it was officially announced that the studio was to shut its doors, and 99 staff had already been made redundant,^[8] leaving only a team of 10–12 specialist personnel.^[9] Pivotal Games was closed on 13 August 2008.^[10]

Games developed

Year	Title	Platform(s)
		GCN	PS2	PS3	Win	Xbox	X360
2002
2003	The Great Escape
2004
2005
2008

Conflict series

The Conflict franchise has sold more than 6 million units.^[11] Each game in the series has received good to negative reviews. Most of the reviews were mixed or average.^[12]

Games

• (2002) is set during the Persian Gulf War. The player can play either as the British Armed Forces 22 SAS Regiment or the United States Army Delta Force.
• (2003), also known as Conflict: Desert Storm II - Back to Baghdad, is set during the Persian Gulf War too and sees the same characters returning to Baghdad.
• (2004) is set during the Vietnam War. The characters from the first two games do not return, with new characters being introduced instead.
• (2005), also known as Conflict: Global Storm, is set during modern times. The game reunites the characters from the first two games, while also adding a new character.
• (2008) is also set during modern times. The game only sees the return of Paul Foley, last seen in the previous entry, with new characters being introduced as well.

Notes and References

1. Web site: History . Pivotal Games . https://web.archive.org/web/20010428221730/http://www.pivotalgames.com/html/about_us/history/historyright.htm . 28 April 2001 . dead.
2. Web site: SCi eyeing Pivotal purchase? . gamesindustry.biz . 4 June 2017 . 28 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170928145818/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sci-eyeing-pivotal-purchase . live .
3. Web site: Kaboom goes into receivership; Pivotal for sale . gamesindustry.biz . 4 June 2017 . 28 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170928102841/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/kaboom-goes-into-receivership-pivotal-for-sale . live .
4. Web site: SCi acquires Pivotal Games . Justin . Calvert . 19 February 2004 . GameSpot . 4 June 2017 . 28 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170928145818/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sci-acquires-pivotal-games/1100-6076126/ . live .
5. Web site: SCi buys Pivotal . Tom . Bramwell . 29 September 2003 . eurogamer.net . 4 June 2017 . 28 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170928103318/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/news290903pivotal . live .
6. Web site: Square and Eidos: The History . gamesindustry.biz . 4 June 2017 . 27 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240427020559/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/square-and-eidos-the-history . live .
7. Web site: Eidos parent SCi axing 14 projects – Pivotal too? . GamesRadar . 4 June 2017 . 15 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240315141614/https://www.gamesradar.com/eidos-parent-sci-axing-14-projects-pivotal-too/ . live .
8. Web site: Conflict developer Pivotal to close . Robert . Purchese . 14 July 2008 . Eurogamer . 1 May 2022 . 1 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220501235907/https://www.eurogamer.net/conflict-developer-pivotal-to-close . live .
9. Web site: Conflict developer Pivotal Games to close . gamesindustry.biz . 4 June 2017 . 21 August 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180821031734/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/conflict-developer-pivotal-games-to-close . live .
10. Web site: Pivotal Games shuts its doors . 14 July 2008 . MCV . 1 May 2022 . 4 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001627/http://www.develop-online.net/news/pivotal-games-shuts-its-doors/0103133 . live .
11. Web site: Brand Portfolio. https://web.archive.org/web/20101031014827/http://corporate.sci.co.uk/Who_we_are/brandportfolio.aspx. 31 October 2010. SCi Entertainment Group.
12. Web site: Reviews and News Articles. GameRankings. 22 January 2019. 4 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304091834/http://www.gamerankings.com/browse.html?site=&cat=0&year=0&numrev=3&sort=0&letter=&search=conflict:. live.