|
Microsoft Games
Xbox Game Studios (previously known as Microsoft Studios, Microsoft Game Studios, and Microsoft Games) is an American video game publisher based in Redmond, Washington. It was established in March 2000, spun out from an internal Games Group, for the development and publishing of video games for Microsoft Windows. It has since expanded to include games and other interactive entertainment for the namesake Xbox platforms, other desktop operating systems, Windows Mobile and other mobile platforms, web-based portals, and other game consoles. Xbox Game Studios, alongside ZeniMax Media and Activision Blizzard, are part of the Microsoft Gaming division led by Phil Spencer, who is chief executive officer of the division. History As Microsoft Games and Microsoft Game Studios (2000–2011) In the early 1990s, Microsoft published a few video games. It published subLOGIC's ''Microsoft Flight Simulator'' and several Microsoft Entertainment Pack compilations of minigames, but was bes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Microsoft Entertainment Pack
''Microsoft Entertainment Pack'', also known as ''Windows Entertainment Pack'' or simply ''WEP'', is a collection of 16-bit casual computer games for Windows. There were four Entertainment Packs released between 1990 and 1992. These games were somewhat unusual for the time, in that they would not run under MS-DOS. In 1994, a compilation of the previous four ''Entertainment Packs'' were released called ''The Best of Microsoft Entertainment Pack''. A Game Boy Color version was released in 2001. Microsoft advertised Entertainment Packs for casual gaming on office computers. The boxes had slogans like "No more boring coffee breaks" and "Only a few minutes between meetings? Get in a quick game of Klotski". The marketing succeeded; ''Computer Gaming World'' in 1992 described the series as "the Gorillas of the Gaming Lite Jungle", with more than 500,000 copies sold. ''Minesweeper'' from pack 1 was later bundled with Windows 3.1, and FreeCell was included in Windows 95. ''WinChess' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Starlancer
''Starlancer'' is a space-based science fiction flight simulator computer game, created by Erin and Chris Roberts, and developed by Warthog Games under the auspices of Digital Anvil. Plot It is the year 2160. Mankind has colonized the Solar System and two political entities have emerged: the Alliance consisting of American, Australian, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, British and German forces, and The Coalition of Russian, Chinese and Middle-Eastern interests. The game begins with a surprise attack on Fort Kennedy, where a peace treaty turns into a bloodbath: all of the inner four planets are overrun, including Terra herself, and the Italian and French fleets are utterly lost. The Alliance fleet regroups at Triton, Neptune's moon, and attempts to regain lost territory. The player takes the role of a rookie pilot in the international 45th Volunteers squadron, under the command of Captain Robert Foster and Wing Commander Maria Enriquez, aboard the re-commissioned Bri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Digital Anvil
Digital Anvil, Inc. (formerly Digital Anvil Holdings, Inc.) was an American video game developer based in Austin, Texas owned by Microsoft Game Studios (MGS). It was founded in 1996 by brothers Chris and Erin Roberts along with Tony Zurovec, Marten Davies, Craig Cox, John Miles, Eric Peterson and Robert Rodriguez, creators of the '' Wing Commander'' franchise from Origin Systems. Davies held the position of president of the studio from its founding until February 2000, when his departure was announced. In June 2000, Microsoft started talks to buy Digital Anvil. Roberts admitted that his team required large sums of money, which only a huge company could provide. The acquisition of Digital Anvil by MGS was completed in December of that same year. History Digital Anvil was founded in 1996 by Chris Roberts, Erin Roberts, Tony Zurovec, Marten Davies, Craig Cox, John Miles, Eric Peterson, and Robert Rodriguez. The name derived from the team's idea to provide "hard work and high ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Age Of Mythology
''Age of Mythology'' is a real-time strategy video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was released on October 31, 2002 in North America and on November 14, 2002 in Europe. A spin-off from the ''Age of Empires'' series, ''Age of Mythology'' takes some of its inspiration from mythology and legends of the Greeks, Egyptians, and Norse, rather than from actual historical events. Many gameplay elements are similar to the ''Age of Empires'' series, while mythological creatures and supernatural powers move it beyond the realm of realism. Its campaign follows an Atlantean admiral, Arkantos, who is forced to travel through the lands of the game's three cultures, hunting for a cyclops who is in league with Poseidon against Atlantis. ''Age of Mythology'' was commercially successful, going platinum four months after its release after selling over one million units. In 2003, it was followed by an expansion pack, '' Age of Mythology: The Titan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Age Of Empires
''Age of Empires'' is a series of historical real-time strategy video games, originally developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Xbox Game Studios. The first title in the series, ''Age of Empires'', focused on events in Europe, Africa and Asia, spanning from the Stone Age to the Iron Age; the expansion game explored the formation and expansion of the Roman Empire. The sequel, '' Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings'', was set in the Middle Ages, while its expansion focused partially on the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. '' Age of Empires III'' and its two expansions explored the early modern period, when Europe was colonizing the Americas and several Asian nations were on the decline. Another installment, '' Age of Empires Online'', takes a different approach as a free-to-play online game utilizing Games for Windows Live. A spin-off game, '' Age of Mythology'', was set in the same period as the original ''Age of Empires'', but focused on mythological elements ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ensemble Studios
Ensemble Studios was an American video game developer. It was founded by Tony Goodman in 1994 and incorporated the following year. It borrowed the name of Ensemble Corporation, a consulting firm founded by Goodman in 1990. It was acquired by Microsoft in 2001 and operated as an internal studio until 2009, when its development capabilities were officially disbanded. Ensemble developed many real-time strategy games, including the ''Age of Empires'' game series, '' Age of Mythology'', and '' Halo Wars''. In addition to game development, Ensemble Studios also made the Genie Game Engine used in ''Age of Empires'', '' Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings'', and '' Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds''. The studio sold 20 million games and was worth an estimated $500 million. Games Ensemble Studios developed the ''Age of Empires'' game series of real-time strategy titles, comprising ''Age of Empires'', '' Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings'' and '' Age of Empires III''. They also rele ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aces Game Studio
Aces Game Studio (ACES) was an American video game developer based in Redmond, Washington, owned by Microsoft Game Studios. It was founded in 1988 under the name Bruce Artwick Organization Limited (BAO Ltd.) at Champaign, Illinois, by Bruce Artwick, creator of ''Microsoft Flight Simulator'', '' Microsoft Space Simulator'' and also co-founder of Sublogic. History Following the purchase of BAO Ltd. in December 1995, Microsoft renamed the studio to Microsoft Simulation Group, moving employees from Champaign, Illinois, to the company's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, where it became part of its Games Group division, which at the time was also co-owner of DreamWorks Interactive. The studio continued to develop its simulation games, acting as the developer of the ''Microsoft Flight Simulator ''Microsoft Flight Simulator'' is a series of Flight simulation video game, flight simulator programs for MS-DOS, Classic Mac OS, and Microsoft Windows operating systems. It was an e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gamasutra
''Game Developer'' (known as ''Gamasutra'' until 2021) is a website created in 1997 that focuses on aspects of video game development. It is owned and operated by Informa TechTarget and acted as the online sister publication to the print magazine '' Game Developer'' prior to the latter's closure in 2013. Site sections ''Game Developer'' publishes daily news, features like post-game post-mortems and critical essays from developers, and user-submitted blog posts. The articles can be filtered by topic (All, Console/ PC, Social/Online, Smartphone/ Tablet, Independent, Serious) and category (Programming, Art, Audio, Design, Production, Biz (Business)/Marketing). The site has an online storefront for books on game design, RSS feeds and the website's Twitter account. The site also has a section for users to apply for contracted work and open positions at various development studios. Trade Center Resource While it does post news found on typical video game websites, ''Game Devel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
FASA Interactive
FASA Studio (formerly FASA Interactive Technologies Inc.) was an American video game developer that was founded in 1994 in Chicago, Illinois by the tabletop game company FASA Corporation. FASA is an acronym for "Freedonian Aeronautics and Space Administration". History In 1996, FASA Interactive and Virtual World Entertainment, another company created by FASA Corp. founders Jordan Weisman and L. Ross Babcock, became wholly owned subsidiaries of Virtual World Entertainment Group (VWEG). In 1999, Microsoft Corporation purchased VWEG to acquire the talent at FIT and the intellectual properties of FASA Corp. The VWE component of VWEG was sold to a group headed by VWEG's former CFO, James Garbarini. FASA Interactive then became a FASA Studio, a component of Microsoft Game Studios. As such, the company developed games exclusive to the Windows and Xbox platforms Its headquarters were located in Redmond, Washington Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Links (series)
''Links'' is a series of golf simulation video games, first developed by Access Software, and then later by Microsoft after it acquired Access Software in 1999. Microsoft also produced its own series of golf games based on ''Links'', under the title ''Microsoft Golf''. The ''Links'' series was a flagship brand for Access, and was continued from 1990 in video gaming, 1990 to 2003 in video gaming, 2003. The first game in the series, ''Links: The Challenge of Golf'', won ''Computer Gaming Worlds 1991 Action Game of the Year award. Several versions of the game and expansion packs (containing new courses and golfers mainly) were created for the Mac operating systems, Mac and IBM PC compatible, PC over the years. In 1996, Access Software introduced ''Links LS 1997'', the first of several ''Links'' games to use the ''LS'' (''Legends in Sports'') title. A version for the Xbox (console), Xbox named ''Links 2004'' was released in November 2003. It would be the final game in the series. In Ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Access Software
Access Software, Inc. was an American video game developer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Founded in November 1982 by Bruce Carver and Chris Jones (Access Software), Chris Jones, the company created the ''Beach Head (video game), Beach Head'', ''Links (series), Links'' and ''Tex Murphy'' series, as well as ''Raid over Moscow''. Access Software was acquired by Microsoft in April 1999, transitioning in name twice before being acquired by Take-Two Interactive in October 2004, receiving the name Indie Built. In January 2005, Access Software became part of Take-Two's 2K (company), 2K label. Following a poor financial performance at Take-Two, Indie Built was closed down in May 2006. TruGolf, a company that develops indoor Golf simulator, golf simulators, was formerly a subsidiary of Access Software based on the display technology they had made for the ''Links'' games and spun out to its own company during the Microsoft acquisition. Following the closure by Take-Two, many of the studio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
