| Synergy Inc. | |
| Native Name: | 株式会社 シナジー幾何学 |
| Romanized Name: | Kabushiki gaisha Shinajī Ikunangaku |
| Type: | Kabushiki gaisha |
| Foundation: | [1] |
| Defunct: | Unknown |
| Location: | Tokyo, Japan |
| Key People: | Haruhiko Shono |
| Industry: | Video games |
| Num Employees: | 30 |
| Num Employees Year: | as of February 1, 1997 |
| Homepage: | (archived) |
Synergy Inc., which went by the trade name Synergy Geometry Co., Ltd., was a Japanese video game developer and publisher headquartered in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo. The company is best known for its point-and-click adventure games, which employed pre-rendered 3D computer graphics, including (1991) and Gadget: Invention, Travel & Adventure (1993), both of which were designed by Haruhiko Shono.
The company also had an American branch named Synergy Interactive Co., based in San Mateo, California, which focused on video game localization, publishing and marketing for western audiences.[2]
| Year | Title | Publisher | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Toshiba-EMI | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows | |
| 1992 | L-Zone | Synergy Inc. (Japan) Synergy Interactive Co. (USA) | Apple Pippin, Macintosh, PC-98, Microsoft Windows |
| 1993 | Gadget: Invention, Travel & Adventure | Toshiba-EMI (Japan) Synergy Interactive Co. (USA) | Apple Pippin, FM Towns, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows |
| 1994 | Synergy Inc. (Japan) Synergy Interactive Co. (USA) | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows | |
| Iron Angel of the Apocalypse | 3DO Interactive Multiplayer | ||
| 1995 | Four-Sight[3] | Synergy Inc. | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows |
| Synergy Inc. (Japan) Synergy Interactive Co. (USA) | 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, Microsoft Windows | ||
| Yellow Brick Road | Synergy Inc. (Japan) Acclaim Japan Ltd. (PS1, SS) Synergy Interactive Co. (USA) | Apple Pippin, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, Sega Saturn | |
| 1996 | Yellow Brick Road II: Glinda to Nishi no Majo | Synergy Inc. | Apple Pippin, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows |
| 1997 | Yellow Brick Road: Harapeko Tsuki To Hoshi Atsume | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows | |
| Gadget: Past as Future | Synergy Inc. (Japan) Cryo Interactive Entertainment (Europe) | Macintosh. Microsoft Windows, PlayStation | |
| Preview & Reprise[4] | Synergy Inc. | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows | |
Underworld: The Sands of Time, originally announced under the tentative title of The Underground,[5] was a point-and-click interactive movie directed by Haruhiko Shono, following the development of Gadget: Past as Future. A roughly 5 minute sneak peek for the game was included in Preview & Reprise, an interactive CD-ROM released on November 27, 1997.[6]
Woodcutters from Fiery Ships was announced in early 1998 as a collaboration between Synergy Inc. and David Lynch's interactive company SubStation, with a tentative release window of Fall 1999. In the press release, Lynch said: "I saw the work that Synergy did on Gadget – the way that the game delivered an immersive experience to the user. By collaborating with Synergy, I look forward to Woodcutters From Fiery Ships expanding existing forms in terms of story, characters and environment. I hope we will give people totally unexpected experiences."[7]
In a November 1999 interview with The Guardian, Lynch stated that the project was "blocked from the get-go", as it was going to be "completely boring to game buffs".[8]